How Will Georgia's Latest Transfers Impact Season Opener with Clemson?
As if Clemson's season opener against Georgia, in what should be a top-5 showdown, needed any more storylines.
Regardless, it got them Tuesday when the Bulldogs announced the additions of two intriguing transfers who will have a definite impact on that Sept. 4 matchup at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Georgia added former Clemson cornerback Derion Kendrick after a week of rumors that the dismissed DB from Rock Hill, S.C., would end up in Athens, Ga. This was on the heels of word that Kendrick's pending legal issue following an arrest could be resolved.
Time will tell on that one, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart is fine taking on the baggage of Kendrick.
Smart also brought in coveted tight end Arik Gilbert, a transfer from LSU who at one time appeared to be with arch-rival Florida. Instead, he's back in his home state after a solid 2020 freshman campaign.
Here's a look at what those two additions mean from Clemson's perspective in Week 1:
Derion Kendrick
Kendrick
The troubled cornerback, a converted receiver, just didn't fit in at Clemson any longer. He was removed from the team's roster on March 1, 11 days before his arrest on gun and drug charges. But even before that, Kendrick stayed in head coach Dabo Swinney's "love shack" or doghouse. Whatever you choose to call it.
Kendrick was suspended multiple times in 2020 and likely had a short shelf-life in Tiger Town anyway, but his move to Georgia throws gas on an already lit season opener. After all, Kendrick knows a great deal about Clemson's defense, what coordinator Brent Venables likes to call in certain situations and how the Tigers will react to adjustments.
While calls from the sidelines will be changed and probably won't give much away during the game, Smart still gets to pick the mind of someone formerly on the inside. Will that make a difference in the outcome? Maybe not, but it could make a difference in a couple of plays that could go either way.
Kendrick also has great knowledge of Clemson's receiving corps. He matched up with Justyn Ross, Joseph Ngata, Frank Ladson Jr. and E.J. Williams on a daily basis. He knows their tendencies and what makes them comfortable or not, so that could come into play in this contest. Of course, his counterparts will know Kendrick's strengths and weaknesses as well.
But how much will he be on the field? Well, Kendrick has talent. Georgia has needs in the secondary. It's clear he wasn't brought in as a one-game rental. Kendrick can play at a high level and was believed by some to be an NFL first-round draft pick had he come out after last season.
The Bulldogs lost a pair of starters from the 2020 defense that was one of the best in the nation, and they landed two other transfer portal players to add depth and versatility, but the starting spots are up for grabs. Kendrick will be battling Ameer Speed, Kelee Ringo and Jalen Kimber for first-team reps in fall camp.
None of those three have ever started a collegiate game. Kendrick has played over 1,300 snaps at two different positions and started 23 games in his career. He's going to be a factor for the Bulldogs, so get ready to see him matched up with a former teammate on Sept. 4.
A Kendrick-Ngata showdown will be a must-see.
Arik Gilbert
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Gilbert
It's not like Georgia truly needed a top-10 prospect from the 2020 class. After all, the Bulldogs already have Darnell Washington, a top-35 player from that class who also plays tight end.
But getting Gilbert is a steal. He had 35 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in an offense that didn't get consistent quarterback play all season at LSU. Now he goes to a team run by veteran J.T. Daniels.
Gilbert did more than just flash last year. He had as many targets as Georgia receiver George Pickens, who is out for the opener after tearing his ACL in the spring. He'll be a tough matchup for Venables.
At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Gilbert is a red-zone threat and a sure bet to be targeted on third downs in any offense, but without Pickens or another established star at receiver, it wouldn't be wild to see both he and Washington on the field running routes at the same time. One could split out wide and cause huge mismatches for the Clemson defense.
Essentially, Gilbert's addition is more than just a wrinkle in the Clemson game plan. Venables will have to guess where, when and how the Bulldogs will implement their new weapon. The Clemson DC will have plenty of time to work on refining his strategy, but it's one that certainly changed on June 1.
