Georgia's Offensive Structure "Yet To Be Determined," According to Kirby Smart

The Georgia tight end position has been a key to Georgia's unprecedented run of success, but the loss of Darnell Washington raises questions about the team's offensive structure in 2023.

Over the past three years, the tight end position played a key role in Georgia's offensive renaissance under former Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken. Junior Brock Bowers has been the star, winning the 2022 Mackey Award and being named to consecutive AP All-America teams, while Darnell Washington's uncommon blend of size and athleticism provided Monken the unique ability to diversify Georgia's offensive attack. Both Bowers and Washington became so valuable, it was difficult to keep them off the field, leading the Bulldogs to routinely employ multiple tight end personnel groupings. Subsequently, the Bulldogs have parlayed the high profile usage and success of the Georgia tight end position into unmatched success recruiting tight ends into the program. 

However, Washington's departure to the NFL raises questions about the structure of the Georgia offense without the massive Las Vegas native. In light of the loss of Washington, during his appearance in front of the assembled press corps at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart was asked whether the Bulldogs will continue to regularly use multiple tight end formations of adjust their offense to account for the loss of Washington. According to Smart, the focus will be on adjusting the offense to fit the personnel on hand.

“Very simple answer to that question.  We’re going to play the 11 best players that give us the opportunity to be successful, if that’s seven wideouts, if that’s two running backs, if that’s four running backs or two tight ends or 13 personnel, we can go through all the numbers. I mean every offensive coach will tell you and every head coach will tell you we’re going to get the best football players on the field and last year Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers were two of our best football players. That’s probably yet to be determined yet this year.”

While questions remain as to who will emerge as Georgia's top offensive players and, subsequently, what the structure of the offense will look like in 2023, with the Bulldogs set to open fall camp in early August, those questions will begin to be answered over the next several weeks.