Darnell Washington's Patience Set To Be Rewarded
Tight end Darnell Washington was made for social media; his ungodly 6-foot-8, 265-pound frame paired with rare athleticism, made him a national star on the recruiting trail from a young age.
Washington drew the attention of several national powerhouses during high school, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Miami. Before ultimately deciding to leave the west coast and migrate 2,000 miles from his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, to play for the Bulldogs.
His physical presence drew rave reviews from the first time he set foot on campus. Forget SEC ready; Washington's body was NFL-ready, as he hit the ground running making athletic plays, leaving the coaching staff thinking he could eventually become a legitimate threat in a high-octane offense.
During his true freshman season, Washington caught seven passes for 166 yards. His lack of productivity wasn't surprising, as true freshmen rarely make significant statistical impacts. However, Darnell flashed as an elite blocker several times throughout the season and made several jaw-dropping plays in the win over Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl.
While Washington's size is his biggest attribute, it also poses major issues for him. Carrying that frame at the tight end position makes lower-body injuries the norm, and unfortunately, Darnell underwent foot surgery ahead of the 2021 opener.
The surgery sidelined Washington until early October, by which time freshman tight end Brock Bowers captured the attention of college football. The frame of Brock Bowers resembles what the Bulldogs will want at the position moving forward; 6-foot-4 with lower body strength and the ability to run away from defensive backs.
When Darnell finally returned, Georgia used more 12 personnel on the field. After all, Washington may be the best blocker in the country at the tight end position. He even solo-blocked Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson, winning reps and setting social media on fire.
However, Georgia relegated him to mostly blocking duty. While their thought process was understandable, pass catchers want targets. Washington ended the season with ten catches for 154 yards and one touchdown, while his counterpart in Bowers had 56 catches for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The disparity in the usage between Bowers and Washington set the rumor mill into overdrive as many speculated that the former Las Vegas native would enter the transfer portal. Despite the rumors suggesting his discontent, Washington decided to stick it out and return to Georgia for his junior season. Right before the onset of spring practice, the junior tight end suffered another lower-body injury, forcing him to miss all of the spring practice.
Dealing with injuries the past two seasons was difficult for Washington, and one can imagine that seeing another recruit come into your position and immediately dominate would be difficult. After all, just twelve months ago, Washington was appointed next up at the position, with offensive coordinator Todd Monken publicly stating they wanted more looks at Washington detached from the line, whether it was out wide or in the slot.
Now after showing faith in Georgia and the coaching staff, that faith could pay off in a big way.
After returning from injury last fall there was an instant uptick in the volume of multiple tight-end sets. While other teams look to put as many receivers on the field as possible, some of Georgia's best playmakers are at the tight end position.
Couple Washington's impressive physical profile, with his blocking and pass-catching ability, and there is a sure-fire NFL prospect to be made. Through his first two seasons, it is fair to say that Georgia has not gotten the best out of Washington, yet despite that 2022 looks to be the best season to showcase all that the Nevada native has to offer.
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