What Will Germie Bernard's First Year on Montlake Look Like?
It's no secret that Washington has the best group of wide receivers in the Pac-12 and arguably in the country. So, where does sophomore Germie Bernard fit into that group?
After spending his freshman season at Michigan State, where he played in 12 games and caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, he decided to return to Washington to play in an offense that promotes his skillset.
He made all seven catches in the first half of the Spartans' season and quarterback Payton Thorne struggled mightily to put the ball in his hands after their matchup with Ohio State in Week 6, where he made three catches for 28 yards. Bernard's only touches over the final six games came on four kick returns and a single rushing attempt.
Now that he's returned to Seattle, he won't have to worry about his quarterback with Heisman candidate Michael Penix Jr. at the helm. However, he will have to worry about competing for catches with the talented receivers around him.
Preseason All-Americans Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan both surpassed 1,000 receiving yards during the 2022 season and could do so again in 2023. Ja'Lynn Polk is also in front of him on the depth chart and in his first full year, he caught 41 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns.
While the competition for targets is stiff, Bernard's ceiling is as high as anyone's in the receiver room. As he continues to build chemistry with Penix and learn Kalen DeBoer's playbook, his stock and usage will skyrocket over the course of the 2023 season.
Bernard displayed everything scouts look for in a wide receiver during the spring. He ran crisp routes, displayed good speed, and made contested catches on a regular basis. Between Bernard and redshirt freshman Denzel Boston, the future of the receivers room at Washington looks very bright.
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