Georgia Football Players Most Affected By Shutdown

Every player was impacted by the shutdown of all team activites in early March, but some players were affected more than others.

Every player, coach, and staff member was affected by the shutdown of all team-related activities. Forcing athletes to workout by themselves and conducting team meetings through Zoom and other teleconference technology systems is never as effective as person to person relations. 

However, some players and members of the staff were affected more than other members of the team. 

Todd Monken

From the sources we've spoken to here at Dawgs Daily, the offensive install over Zoom meetings has gone relatively well. However, there are some athletes that are observatory learners and there are some that are physical learners, players that have to run the plays in order to retain the plays. Those types of athletes are at a significant disadvantage. 

As for Monken, we've said it before, he is the type of coordinator that designs his offenses based on the strengths of the players available, and he hasn't had the chance to take a look at all of these players. So, he will likely revert back to what he's most comfortable with as a coordinator. 

Jamie Newman

You knew this one was going to be on the list. Now, Jamie Newman has kept his skills tight during this time away from campus, working with QB guru Quincy Avery, but he hasn't been able to work with his new receivers. He hasn't been able to get into a huddle and recite the new playbook to his teammates. Learning the playbook for quarterbacks is similar to learning a new language, if you aren't speaking it and conveying it to your teammates, you aren't fully learning it. 

The skills of Newman are going to still be there, but the time to build continuity with the players around him has been drastically cut. 

Offensive Line

When you lose four starters along the offensive line, it goes without saying you need as much time as possible to find out who your starting five is going to be. But similar to the QBs building a rapport with receivers, offensive linemen have to build that same rapport with the guys next to them. 

Combo blocks with Player A and Player B have a different speed and cadence than combo blocks with Player A and Player C. Not only do they have to identify a new starting five, but they have to consistently practice and play together in order to be successful on Saturdays. 

Jordan Davis

It's no secret that Jordan Davis has struggled with his conditioning levels since arriving on campus in Athens. Coach Smart has talked about it and Jordan Davis has even addressed it. Perhaps Jordan Davis has taken it upon himself to maintain his conditioning since things have shut down, but there's no question that the weight room and strength coaches on campus at Georgia are far superior to anything Davis has at his disposal at home. 

The good news, he's got a little over three months to get into premium shape by the time September 7th rolls around and things kick off against Virginia in Atlanta. 

Tyrique Stevenson

There wasn't a player that had a bigger adjustment to the life of college football than Stevenson. He told the media after the SEC Championship game that in high school, he had never even sat through a film session or schematic meeting prior to arriving at Georgia. He went from "see ball, get ball" to having to learn a multitude of positions as a true freshman, something that even he said made the learning curve a bit harder. 

"Me being versatile actually made things harder because they stuck me at multiple positions and as the year went on, I got more and more comfortable."

He needed the reps this offseason, and he needed the in-person meetings, but he's the type of player that will learn quickly. 

Lewis Cine

Similar to Stevenson, Lewis Cine was looking forward to filling the shoes of J.R. Reed and learning the rules and responsibilities at the safety position this offseason. 

"It's big shoes to fill for one. Two, this offseason I have a lot to improve on and watching film. Communicating with my teammates and becoming more of a unit and not a group of individuals. But really just get all-around comfortable with everything. This year it was really me just playing off talent. I didn't know nearly as much as J.R. or Rich, but this offseason I'm going to use that time to really get to know the playbook."

The talent is extraordinary, but he's got plenty of room for growth in terms of knowledge of the playbook, which is something that can only be learned through studying and live reps in practice. 

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