Georgia Football: Will Demetris Robertson and Kearis Jackson Finally Flourish?
It's no secret that George Pickens will be the primary target for Georgia this season after his stellar freshman campaign. The real questions begin when discussing the slot position. For senior Demetris Robertson and redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson, this is a perfect season for one of them to step up.
The freshmen duo of Pickens and Dominick Blaylock put on a show last season. Together, they had a combined for 1,037 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. With Blaylock going through rehab now after tearing his ACL in the SEC Championship game, the battle at the slot position got a whole lot more interesting. At least early on in the season. As we've laid out, Blaylock is far ahead of schedule with his rehab, but the plan is to have him back to full speed by the Alabama game.
Robertson started off his college career with a bang out in California as he reeled in 50 receptions, 767 yards, and seven touchdowns for the Golden Bears. Since coming to Athens, he has yet to put together another season like he did his freshman year. Last season, Robertson caught 30 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns.
New offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, is bringing an offensive scheme that is very similar to the offense that California ran during Robertson's freshman year. The change at OC could be the boost that Robertson needs to solidify his name as the starter in the slot and provide Georgia a breakout senior season.
Jackson is another name that would be nice to see come into his own this season and lock down the slot position. Heading into his third year, the 2020 season would be a perfect time for Jackson to step up and fill the absence of Blaylock.
Last season, Jackson was sidelined for a significant amount of time with a broken hand in the first game of the season which resulted in him catching just five passes and 79 receiving yards. Though if you remember, he was the starter against Vanderbilt in the opening game of the season last year and saw significant playing time until his injury. With a healthy season, it could be the year Jackson proves to everyone why he was ranked as a 4-star and the 23rd overall wide receiver in his class.
Robertson and Jackson aren't just battling against each other though. They also will need to hold off freshman Jermaine Burton. The former 4-star was committed to LSU all the way up until the early signing period when he announced he was signing with Georgia. Burton is a serious threat to take advantage of Blaylock's injury early on and make some serious noise this season at the slot position.
With Robertson entering his fourth season Jackson entering his third, it is time for the two veteran players to step up and be the Robin to Pickens' Batman. There are a lot of new faces coming into Georgia's offense which makes veteran leadership even more valuable. Pickens can only do so much for the offense and since Blaylock will likely make a slow return this season all eyes will be on Jackson and Robertson to play a big role in the offense this year.
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