Key Position Battles Remain in Camp
Georgia suffered yet another injury on Tuesday afternoon as sophomore wide receiver Jermaine Burton hyperextended his knee, and though he is expected to make a full recovery by the summer, his spring practice has ended.
Compound that with wide receiver George Pickens out indefinitely with a torn ACL, and there are some new positions battles this spring at spots that were thought to be sealed up entering spring work.
It should be noted that nothing replaces game-action football. Georgia will hold two scrimmages before spring practice concludes on Saturday, April 17 with G-Day.
Here are a few of the key competitive positions and who will ultimately fight for a job this spring.
X Receiver: Jackson Meeks, Justin Robinson, Adonai Mitchell
With Pickens out indefinitely and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint limited at practice while recovering from an ankle injury, that leaves an extremely young corps of receivers battling it out this spring for the role as the true X receiver this fall.
Robinson's has vaulted to the front of the line considering the circumstances. Remember, Georgia saw Tommy Bush, Trey Blount, Makiya Tongue and Matt Landers all hit the transfer portal this spring.
That makes Robinson the lone "veteran" on the active roster at the moment.
Freshman receiver Mitchell has flashed throughout camp this spring according to sources and could earn himself some playing time because of it.
Z Receiver: Jaylen Johnson, Demetris Robertson, Kearis Jackson
With Burton's burst onto the scene a year ago, more veteran players like Jackson, Johnson and Robertson were assigned to different roles. Jackson was moved into the slot and asked to be more of a playmaker after the catch, whereas Robertson saw his playing time diminish a bit as the season wore on.
Now, with Burton being out this spring, offensive coordinator Todd Monken will have to either move Jackson outside or give Robertson the run this spring until Burton returns.
STAR: Nickel vs. OLB
Georgia is in a bind defensively headed into the 2021 season based on their lack of depth in the defensive backfield. Over the past two seasons, Georgia has possessed the ability to play with five defensive backs on the field at all times, even six at points in the game.
Now, headed into the 2021 season, they have seen six defensive backs — Richard LeCounte, Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Mark Webb, DJ Daniel and Tyrique Stevenson — depart via graduation, the NFL Draft and transfer portal.
QB2: Brock Vandagriff, Carson Beck
Entering spring practice, it was clear this team would be led JT Daniels at the quarterback position. That didn't stop everyone from wanting to know who would win the backup quarterback spot between 2020 signee Beck and freshman enrollee Vandagriff.
As of now, there's been plenty of positives coming out of camp about both. Beck has always made good decisions with the football, but this spring sources indicate that he's elevated to another level.
CB2: Nyland Green, Ameer Speed, Jalen Kimber
It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Kelee Ringo will presumably win one of the two vacant cornerback positions for Georgia.
That leaves an absolute dog fight between corners Speed, Kimber and Green. According to sources, all three have rotated with the first and second groups at times during the spring.
Speed has a large amount of experience and physical ability. At 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, he's one of the more impressive athletes on campus. Speed has played well this spring, consistently rotating in with the first group.
Kimber is the technician of the bunch. He's always in the right place at the right time, along with having above-average testing measurables in terms of short-area quickness and top-end speed.
Then there's Green, who is a truly special talent that's rather raw as a true freshman. Coaches have been testing him, asking him to compete on a daily basis, and he's answered the bell according to sources. There is a very bright future for the young corner.
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