Georgia Football: Wide Receivers to watch this spring

Riley Ridley, Junior

I was fully expecting Ridley to hold down a starting spot in 2017. His limited time on the field back in 2016 really impressed me and I really thought that if he could stay healthy, that he would win one of the outside wide receiver jobs.

Unfortunately, Ridley was suspended for the first game of the season after an offseason arrest. When Jake Fromm took over, his connection with Javon Wims stood out straight away and Riley never quite got his job back.

Ridley did start 7 games however and played in every one apart from the first. That was great because it showed that he had put his injury worries behind him. My biggest concern for him after his freshman year was that he would be a player who continued to have nagging injuries.

With Wims now gone, I think Ridley is the receiver to watch. He stepped into Wims’ job back in the national championship game when Wims got injured. Ridley had the best game of his career and pulled in 6 catches for 82 yards and actually outplayed his older brother, the Bama star who is going to be a 1st round pick this April.

Next: Maten and Parker receive SEC honors

Ridley is one of the most exciting players on this 2018 roster. He has the talent to be a standout player, particularly if he builds a strong relationship with Jake Fromm. If he can take advantage of the Alabama secondary, think what he can do against others. I’m looking forward to seeing how he fares against Deandre Baker on G-day because Ridley could be a star in the making.