Georgia Football: Jake Camarda is The Weapon Nobody is Talking About
Georgia Punter, Jake Camarda
Generally, special teams tend to be one of the least exciting parts of the game. But, it can be one of the biggest determining factors in winning a football game.
It's easy to forget how big of a role kickers and punters can play into a game when you have guys like Jake Camarda and Rodrigo Blankenship. With guys like that, fans can almost think of special teams play as a "time out", knowing the job will get done.
We all know what Blankenship can do.
So far, he's 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts with a long of 50 yards. He's also a perfect 19-for-19 on PATs. Aside from scoring, Blankenship boots nearly every single kickoff past the endzone, eliminating the chance for a deadly return. That then forces the opposing team to drive 75 yards for a touchdown on Georgia's very talented defense, and that is not going to happen very often.
Then, there is sophomore punter, Jake Camarda.
While Camarda is extremely talented, he doesn't have anywhere close to the hype that Blankenship gets, so fans tend to be less sure of his abilities.
Camarda came along with Georgia's loaded 2018 recruiting class as the #1 punter in the country. As a true freshman, he averaged 42.6 yards per punt. He was inconsistent at times, but showed Georgia fans what he could do with a few booming punts here and there.
Through three games in 2019, Camarda has upped his average to 50 yards per punt, which is currently 5th best in the entire country. Georgia hasn't had to punt the ball very much this season given the way the offense has played so far. But, in the short amount of time we've seen Camarda, he was able to get some solid punts off, taking away field position from the opponents. His ability to pin the offenses deep into their own territory makes Camarda another weapon for Georgia.
While it usually goes unnoticed, the punting game gives more room for Dan Lanning and Glenn Schumann to go to work.
The more yards you take away from the opponent, the greater the chance the defense has to come up with a spot. It's that simple.
But not every football team has a guy like Jake Camarda, and that's why he shouldn't be taken for granted.
I'm sure the coaching staff and the defense have appreciated what Camarda has done so far. Now, it's time for Georgia fans to open their eyes and see the benefits of a deadly special teams unit.
As coach Smart told us during last the post-game press conference after Murray State, he doesn't miss a single special teams meeting, which means he's most likely noticed Camada's improvement early on in the season.
