Way Too Early Look at Georgia's 2023 Receiving Corps
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Georgia's wide receiver room has come a long way from where it was when Kirby Smart first took over the program back in 2016. This past offseason, something that was frequently repeated by Smart was how inexperienced and thin they were at the wide receiver position. Now, as they begin preparation for the 2023 season, Georgia is arguably the deepest they have ever been at the position despite losing some valuable contributors to both the draft and the portal.
Seven years ago, the Bulldogs' leading wide receiver was Isaiah Mckenzie who finished with 633 receiving yards that season. The next best on the team was Terry Godwin with 397 yards. Granted, Mckenzie has pieced together a solid NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, but Georgia's depth chart looks very different now than it did then.
The first thing that jumps off of the stat sheet when looking ahead at Georgia's 2023 receiver core is the amount of production they will return. Names like Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Adonai Mitchell and Arian Smith are all set to return for the upcoming season. Bowers and McConkey were the Bulldogs' top two receivers this past season and combined for 1,704 yards and 19 total touchdowns.
Mitchell and Smith both were banged up through the 2022 season, but when healthy, both have proven they hold tremendous value when on the field. With just seven receptions, Smith still had 198 receiving yards and averaged 28.3 yards per reception. Mitchell made his surge back onto the field to assist his team during their final championship push and caught a touchdown in both playoff games.
Those four headliners will be paired up with Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett this next season, two players Georgia added to their roster via the transfer portal. Lovett this past season for the Missouri Tigers racked up 56 receptions, 846 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Thomas during his sophomore season had 44 receptions, 626 yards and seven touchdowns for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
For perspective on just how big of a step forward Georgia’s wide receiver room took just this last season, they accomplished something that hasn’t been done in over ten years.
Yes, Kenny McIntosh is a running back, but it speaks to how evolved the Bulldog’s passing game has become. In fact, for the first time in program history, Georgia had seven different receivers finish with 20 receptions or more. They get a lot of different players involved, and that’s important to note considering the amount of talent the roster will consist of next season.
During the 2022 season, Georgia got a good look into how far their depth branches back. Dillon Bell served as a solid reserve piece this season as a true freshman and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint made some big-time plays throughout the year when Georgia needed it most.
A lot of names have been listed, and that’s because there are a lot of names that Georgia will be relying on next season to keep the momentum going. So as the Bulldogs come off of one of their most productive seasons from a receiving standpoint, the 2023 season has the potential to be even better.
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