Players to Watch: Who’s Stock Rises?

The questions of experience in the secondary and the receivers could see some breakouts in Georgia’s season opener against Clemson.

We are coming down to the final days of the preseason before Georgia opens the season in Charlotte, North Carolina, a top-5 matchup in week one will undoubtedly be a candidate for the game of the year if the point spread holds true.

Injuries in recent weeks throughout fall camp have raised serious questions for Georgia’s offense in week one. Georgia lost Arik Gilbert and Darnell Washington, although Washington’s status is listed as day-to-day after a minor foot fracture makes him questionable.

On the other hand, Gilbert has not been with the team since the beginning days of fall camp. Gilbert is taking time away from football to deal with “personal issues” the loss means Georgia loses its projected X-receiver replacement for the injured George Pickens. Pickens’ ACL injury at the beginning of spring practice left the Dawgs with a gap to fill; Gilbert looked to be that patch for Georgia after transferring to Athens over the summer.

These added questions will allow an opportunity for other players to step up.

John FitzPatrick

The questionable status of Darnell Washington presents junior John FitzPatrick an opportunity to take on a more significant role in Georgia’s passing game. Although Daniels, on multiple occasions, has singled out FitzPatrick as an underrated receiver for Georgia, the junior is often overshadowed by the more dynamic Darnell Washington.

Freshman Brock Bowers is the name that many expect to take the mantle left behind by Washington. Bowers made a name for himself coming out of Napa, California, as an athletic pass-catching tight end like Washington.

Being the more experienced player and better blocker makes FitzPatrick the number one heading into the weekend, allowing the junior to see more opportunities to make plays.

Latavious Brini

Brini is in a similar position to where he was heading into Georgia’s Peach Bowl matchup with Cincinnati. However, the loss of West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith means the depth is slim again at STAR.

Brini is the expected starter for week one, making his start against Cincinnati even more valuable than it was just a few weeks ago when the expectation was for Smith to take over the role.

The return of Justyn Ross to the Clemson offense is one of the biggest weapons the Dawgs will have to deal with. As the STAR, Brini will be responsible for the slot receiver majority of the time, meaning multiple matchups with Ross.

Limiting Ross’s contribution to the Clemson passing game would instantly make Brini an impact player.

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint

It would be too easy to put the names of Adonai Mitchell or Brock Bowers on this list, but both are true freshmen going into a playoff-like atmosphere in their first collegiate games. Expectations run high for both of those names, but Georgia still has more experienced options.

Rosemy-Jacksaint comes off a gruesome ankle injury suffered in the Florida game a season ago. The then true freshman was filling in a prominent spot for the Dawgs for an injured George Pickens in a game that would later decide the SEC East.

That situation last October draws a lot of similarities to where the sophomore stands on Saturday. The losses of Pickens and Gilbert give way for the sophomore out of Pompano Beach, Florida.

Georgia will need a successful passing game to win in this expected shootout, and Rosemy-Jacksaint is as good of an option for a breakout star in week one. 

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