ATHENS — It looks like Georgia is going to keep this tight end thing going a while longer.
Oscar Delp, the No. 3 tight end in the country according to the 247Sports Composite, committed to the Bulldogs on Wednesday in a well-attended announcement ceremony at West Forsyth High.
And while it may come as little surprise that the top tight end in the state would sign with the state university — which happens to be ranked No. 1 in nation at the moment — Delp had ties to other SEC schools. His mother, for instance, is a South Carolina alumna.
Ultimately, what landed Delp with the Dogs was Georgia’s prolific use of its tight ends in the first half of this season. Specifically, the production of freshman tight end Brock Bowers got Delp’s attention.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Delp believes he compares favorably with the 6-4, 230-pound Bowers. A freshman, Bowers has started all six games this season and leads the Bulldogs in receiving with 20 catches for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.
“It really just came down to where I am going to get developed the most and have the best opportunity to make a name for myself and really kind of get the ball,” Delp told DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell on Wednesday night. “I think it was that game against Vanderbilt when Brock Bowers got a handoff and scored a receiving touchdown. In the games before that, he got the ball numerous times. That was kind of really it for me.”
Bowers actually scored three of his five touchdowns this season against Vandy on a run and two receptions. He also has an 89-yard touchdown catch.
It’s a good thing for Georgia that Delp went ahead and made up his mind after that Vandy game, because tight ends haven’t gotten as many targets of late. Neither Brock nor any of the tight ends caught any passes in the 37-0 win over Arkansas the following week. But the game plan that day was to run the football right at the Razorbacks.
On Saturday, Bowers had two catches for 43 yards and fellow tight end Darnell Washington had one 25-yard reception in a 34-10 win over No. 18 Auburn.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was asked Wednesday if the offense was getting away from targeting the tight ends. He bristled.
“Same as it’s been all year,” Smart said. “To execute and perform at a high level, which (Bowers) has been able to do, we’ve played some different kinds of defenses and he’s done a tremendous job. He’s had two of his best games, these last two games, in terms of physicality and execution. I’m really pleased with his work ethic and the things he’s been able to do.”
Including junior John FitzPatrick, tight ends have 24 catches on the season. Now at the halfway point, that puts the Bulldogs’ tight ends on pace to have 48 receptions for the regular season. The most any one tight end has had for Georgia in a season is 49 by Shannon Mitchell in 1993. Mitchell actually didn’t lead the team in receptions that year. Brice Hunter did with 76 catches for 970 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Tight ends led Georgia in receiving in 2006 (Martrez Milner with 30 for 425), 2005 (Leonard Pope, 39-541) and 1989 (Kirk Warner 30-404). Randy McMichael ranked second on the team with 34 for 457 in 1998.
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More recently, Georgia had gotten away from targeting the tight ends. FitzPatrick led the position with 10 catches last year and Eli Wolf had 13 in 2019.
But it appears second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken definitely favors tight ends. And, as Smart said earlier this season, it mainly depends on who is manning any respective position.
Split end George Pickens got the majority of targets the past two seasons. This year, it’s Bowers. And the 6-7, 265-pound tight end Washington — finally healthy now — surely will get his fair share.
But it has been the Bulldogs’ use of Bowers that got Delp’s attention.
“I saw how they were using him and what they have always told me they wanted to do with me in the future,” Delp told DawgNation on Wednesday. “They always told me what they were going to do and what they were going to do with him, but I was kind of waiting to see it and then I finally saw it. It was just a good feeling.”
Delp reportedly has been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, same as Bowers. He has 31 catches for 503 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this fall and had 43 catches for 730 yards as a junior last season.
Georgia currently has Bowers, Washington, FitzPatrick, Ryland Goede and Brett Seither playing tight end. All are underclassman and could be back next season.
Delp is Georgia’s 18th commitment for the 2022 recruiting class, which 247Sports ranks third in the nation overall. With a 4-star rating, he is the sixth-highest-ranked prospect overall. Delp also considered Florida, Alabama and Michigan.
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