Ladd McConkey: From Late Take to Starting WR
From the start, Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey has left a lot of people scratching their heads.
On the outside, he seems almost small for a wide receiver in the SEC. 6'0, 185. He was a late pick from the 2019 recruiting class, and Georgia didn't even get in on him until late in that class. Yet the North Murray native has quickly established himself as a potential starting slot receiver in Todd Monken's Offense.
That's not entirely surprising though, considering the kind of guys Todd Monken likes to have in the SLOT in this offense. To understand why McConkey fits so well, one must consider McConkey's strengths.
He has elite speed and athleticism. His route running is almost second nature to him. He was quick to pick up the playbook. But the biggest thing is that despite his smaller size, Ladd McConkey is a tough player. He proved that after taking several hard hits during the G-Day game, in particular one from Kelee Ringo.
With Kearis Jackson likely still dealing with a knee injury heading into week 2, look for Ladd McConkey to play more in both the slot as well as punt return. McConkey's speed and cutting ability will make him an absolute nightmare to deal with if he's given the ability to return a punt. It was one of his specialties in his High School career and he was lethal at it.
McConkey is a football player that's seen tremendous growth even dating back to before he enrolled at Georgia.
This exerpt is from Dawgs Daily lead editor Brooks Austin back in May of 2020:
5'10, 163 pounds soaking wet and fresh off a basketball season. That was Ladd McConkey back in early March when I pulled up to North Murray high school to watch him workout.
Not only was it his first day back working football-specific drills, but early on in the football season, McConkey had an avulsion tear of his hamstring which is so severe that the muscle actually pulls a piece of the bone with it.
Of course, being the starting quarterback of his high school team, and it being his senior season, Ladd wasn't about to sit out. Now, he's finally reaching the point to where he's fully healthy and back to a resemblance of normality.
Not only that, but he's also 13 pounds heavier, now up to 176 in a matter of a little over two months. When I say he looks like a completely different football player, I don't mean it lightly.
Now, over a year and a half later, he's gained another 10 pounds, and his route running has gotten even better. He's an ascending player that a lot of Georgia fans might have overlooked. And now, he's starting at the University of Georgia as a redshirt freshman.
