Arik Gilbert may have been a necessity for Georgia football, but he was not a need for space in the tight end

Arik Gilbert may have been a necessity for Georgia football, but he was not a need for space in the tight end

by

Welcome to Good morning UGA, your one stop shop for Georgia football news and news. Consult us every Monday through Friday morning for everything you need to know about football, recruiting, basketball and more in Georgia.

Arik Gilbert may have been a necessity for Georgia football, but he was not a need for tight space

Florida has always made far more sense as a possible destination for Arik Gilbert than Georgia. Kyle Pitts was a game-destroying force for Florida last season. The Gators also lose their first three pass catchers this season. Florida may actually introduce you in its attack next season.

Georgia could not realistically do that. Not with George Pickens returning on a wide receiver. Or both Zamir White and James Cook returning on the running back. Only one ball to go and JT Daniels and Todd Monken would have enough trouble to satisfy all of Georgia’s talents in 2021.

This is what made Gilbert’s decision to move to rational Florida. He announced the move on Sunday. And while Georgia seemed like a possible landing site due to reports of Gilbert being ill at home at LSU, the fit in the field was questionable to say the least.

Related: Former 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert announces he’s moving to Florida

Georgia has not taken full advantage of the tight ends with Kirby Smart. Charlie Woerner was chosen in the sixth round of the draft for last NFL season. Tre ‘McKitty looks set to enter class this year, especially after a week of prominence in the Senior Bowl. In five seasons under Smart, Georgia has yet to make as many passes as the 35 that Gilbert took when he was a freshman.

Woerner and McKitty had less than 10 catches each as Georgia veterans. Talent has not been the problem in the tight final position. The problems can be attributed to the difficulty of the quarterback’s game and the changing of offensive schemes.

In 2021, Monken will be back calling moves. Daniels will be back to spread the ball. There is more stability around the attack in Georgia than there was a long time ago.

There is also a good talent in the tight end. Todd Hartley, the Georgia coach, has done a great job of acquiring talent over the past few seasons. This is part of the reason why Georgia can withstand the blow to Gilbert’s trip to Florida. He may have been a necessity for many, but it was not a necessity, given the way Georgia has been recruited for the position in recent seasons.

This takes us to Darnell Washington. Like Gilbert, he was a 5-star candidate in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Georgia released him from Las Vegas. His first season in Georgia was curious, for several reasons.

At six feet tall and 250 pounds, Washington is an obvious mismatch. This was evident in his first game in college, when he landed a 26-yard pass.

Washington then had only a single catch in Georgia’s seven games in October and November.

After Gilbert withdrew and his transfer from LSU seemed imminent in early December, Washington became an important part of the offense. Washington received three passes against Missouri and also received a penalty for interfering with the pass.

Then he added two more catches against Cincinnati, with one of the catches and runs appearing to be Darth Vader at the end of A rogue.

After the game in Missouri, Smart made a very interesting comment about using the tight end, especially with Gilbert potentially on the move.

“You can never have enough tight ends at the SEC,” said Smart. “They are big, they are athletic, they can catch the ball. There are so many things that they can do. It is one of those things that we want as much as possible and we want to give them the ball. “

Smart emphasized that Georgia has been trying to find ways to involve Washington all season after the victory and how we can thwart opponent defenses.

Georgia’s offensive coordinator and interlocutor, Todd Monken, shared his thoughts on Washington and how it developed during his freshman season.

“Darnell realized, from the moment I saw him, you can certainly see the bright side of a big, athletic and strong young man,” said Monken before the Peach Bowl. “You can see that. What can be your advantage as a raw player. And to begin with, he is an incredible boy. He’s an incredible boy. Always smiling. It has a great disposition about it. “

Monken acknowledged that McKitty and junior John FitzPatrick were ahead of Washington at the depth table, which played a role in their development.

Because of its presence, Georgia felt no need to ask Washington to do so much sooner. That is why Washington did not produce the same numbers that Gilbert did, as he managed 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns in just eight games.

Georgia’s offensive coordinator felt more comfortable giving Washington a bigger role in Georgia’s attack when the season came to an end.

“As he progressed and we became more and more comfortable as a defender, we obviously tried to involve him a little more in Missouri as the game progressed,” said Washington.

“I really think he has an incredible advantage.”

Washington is not the only tight end with an advantage, with Georgia adding in 2021 signatory Brock Bowers to the position. Bowers was third in the 2021 recruitment cycle ranking and is already on the Georgia campus, where he made a quick impression in winter training. He joins FitzPatrick, Ryland Goede and Brett Seither to compose the Georgia tight end room for next season.

Washington now imagines it to be the focal point of the position for Georgia in 2021. It may not produce the same statistical figures as Pitts or Gilbert, but there is a realistic chance that it will be more productive in year two than Georgia’s tight ends have. been in the past few seasons.

Gilbert can have a brilliant career in Florida. It will not help that Bulldogs now see you annually if your transfer waiver is approved by both the NCAA and the SEC. But for the 2021 team, which has more pressing needs in the secondary, it was a luxury item.

With Washington and the rest of Georgia’s tight end talent, Bulldogs have more than enough potential in the room. You just need to convert part of that potential and talent into production.

More Georgia football stories from DawgNation

Dawgs on Twitter

Good Dawg of the Day

Source