The Georgia Bulldogs will open spring football practice March 16. Each day between now and then, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will break down the various position groups, analyze the personnel and examine their relative spring-practice objectives. G-Day, the annual spring intrasquad scrimmage, is scheduled for April 17 at Sanford Stadium.
SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW – TODAY: TIGHT ENDS
ATHENS — It would be great for the Georgia Bulldogs to land Arik Gilbert, but they don’t need him.
The tight end from LSU by way of Marietta High is considered the biggest prize at present in the transfer portal, a former 5-star recruit and proven major-college playmaker with three seasons of eligibility remaining. Since “opting out” after five games last season, Gilbert was for a time committed to Florida but is no longer. He had the Bulldogs as a finalist when he signed with the Tigers.
In the meantime, Georgia has all the tight ends it needs in sophomore Darnell Washington and company. While Gilbert was the consensus No. 1 tight end prospect in the country in 2020, Washington was 1A or 2, according to recruiting sites that had him at that position. Some listed him as “athlete,” and that he certainly is.
To say tight ends aren’t utilized at Georgia would be misleading. There is at least one and often two on the field for almost every offensive play. What the Bulldogs don’t do is throw the ball to them often, or at least not as much as LSU did with Gilbert (35 receptions, 368 yards, two TDs in five games) or certainly Florida did with Kyle Pitts (43-770-12 in 8). The most catches by a tight end in the country last season were 57 (for 685 and 5 TDs) by Boston College’s Hunter Long.
As a group, UGA’s tight ends last season caught 26 passes for 282 yards and two scores. Under coach Kirby Smart, tight ends have averaged 30.2 catches for 394.8 yards and 2.4 TDs per season since 2016.
Credit: Tony Walsh
Credit: Tony Walsh
That stands to increase in 2021, with or without Gilbert.
RETURNING STARTERS (2): Sophomore Darnell Washington (7 games), junior John FitzPatrick (5)
OTHERS: Sophomore Ryland Goede, sophomore Brett Seither, freshman Brock Bowers
ALL EYES ON: Washington
OUTLOOK: Georgia’s set here. The only question is how coordinator Todd Monken might utilize tight ends within his offensive scheme. There are a lot of ways he could go, with stockpiles of talent at running back and receiver and a proficient passer at the controls. But there also is no one else like Washington, at Georgia or almost anywhere else in the country. He is a legitimate 6-foot-7 and weighed 260 pounds last season without the benefit of a year of institutional training. His mobility more closely resembles a wideout than an offensive tackle. Washington’s speed and agility are apparent on the stat sheet, which shows him averaging a team-best 23.71 yards per reception. The seven catches and zero touchdowns that appear on the same line underscore that Washington was grossly under-utilized. That’s not likely to happen in Year 2. There’s also this: Washington’s quickness and long arms also made him one of the team’s best blockers. Washington will be hard to keep off the field next season.
UP NEXT: Wide receivers
PREVIOUSLY: Offensive line, quarterbacks, running backs.
