Georgia football shows some packages for talented freshmen
Otis Reese, S:
When he signed with Georgia, I thought it would take Reese a bit of time to find his way into the lineup. He played at ‘safety’ for most of his high school career but many people had him pegged an a linebacker due to the fact that he was so much better in the run game or blitzing than he was in coverage. Kirby Smart made it clear immediately when he signed that he was going to be a safety at UGA and so I expected him to take some time to find his feet in Athens.
Guess I was wrong. Reese has been pushing to see the field more as the year has gone by and this weekend we saw why. He’s always been a physical striker, but when you see him hit the hole and blow up a play, it really is something to behold. I thought Richard LeCounte was a bit of a headhunter until I saw Reese. The freshman hits opponents like they have wronged his family. It’s downright ridiculous.
Reese still has a long way to go but it’s clear that he offers something to the Dawgs in certain sets. The fact that he’s continuing to get better gives Georgia more versatility on defense right now which they need. I fully expect to see a healthy dose of him this week as the Dawgs look to stifle that horrible triple option junk offense.
James Cook, RB:
Well hi there James Cook! We’ve seen him get touches sparingly this season but with D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield becoming one of the best one two punches in football, Cook hasn’t seen the field as much as many expected this season. With this game well in hand early, that changed and boy did the freshman deliver. He only touched the ball 4 times but accounted for 99 yards of offense and two touchdowns. I think we can agree that’s pretty good.
Cook’s speed and balance is just different from other players. He’s so quick and sudden that he’s a shock to most defenders system. Cook is a special player and on a different team, would bet getting a lot of carries. The Dawgs want to find ways to give him the ball in every game, but can they justify taking carries away from Swift or Holyfield right now? I’m not sure, but I do know that he’s going to have a 1000 yard season at some point. There’s no doubt about that in my mind.