Georgia Football’s Tight end Competition Wide open in 2019

Georgia football lost starting tight end Isaac Nauta to the NFL Draft. Without Nauta, the position is now wide open for competition. Which tight end steps up and gets the nod?

One of Georgia football’s biggest holes to fill is at the tight end spot. After the 2018 season, the Bulldogs lost two big players at the position.

For starters, the Bulldogs lost Isaac Nauta to the NFL Draft.

Then Georgia lost freshman, Luke Ford, who transferred back home to Illinois. Ford could have likely won the starting spot this year, in my opinion, had he not left the program.

Now that leaves Georgia with a small group in the TE room. If my calculations are correct, there are only two scholarship TE on Georgia’s roster, with two more on the way.

The most experienced player is Charlie Woerner, a senior who has come up big in game situations but has always seemed behind Nauta in the lineup.

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Then there is John Fitzpatrick that was on the scout team for the Bulldogs last year and saw some action in the Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee games.

The other tight ends on the roster for Georgia are Mitchell Werntz, Peyton Mercer, and Kolby Wyatt.

Wyatt moved over from the defense this offseason after Nauta and Ford left the program.

The Bulldogs signed Brett Seither and Ryland Goede in the 2019 class as well. They will join the team this summer.

Woerner has the most experience of the group and will likely lead the way in 2019, but which of these young guys will step up this offseason and into the fall?

Fitzpatrick has an excellent opportunity to make some moves after working all last year on getting better and growing into that big frame of his.

Then there are the new kids on the block Seither and Goede.

Seither came into Georgia’s class late, but with a 6-5 228-pound frame, that alone excites me. As for Goede, at 6-6 240-pounds, he will make a huge target for the quarterbacks to throw at, that is if he’s healthy.

We saw at  G-Day that offensive coordinator James Coley targeted the tight ends a good bit and I think this is a great sign.

In years past many fans and journalists, including myself thought that the tight ends were not targeted enough, well after G-Day, I don’t think that’ll be much of a problem anymore.

In my opinion, Woerner will be the leader this season for this group.

He is a veteran and knows what to expect. Granted this is his third year that he has had a different coach, but I think the right fit has finally been made.

The new tight ends coach, Todd Hartley is young and fiery. He is a great recruiter and seems to already click with his guys.

Despite having another new coach at the tight end spot, this move could be exactly what this group needed, a youthful coach that knows how to relate.

2019 could be a lot different for this tight end group and a year that could be memorable for them. I think that Woerner ultimately earns that starting spot, but after that, it is wide open.

I could see Seither and Goede come in and challenge Fitzpatrick and if he isn’t careful to lose his job to one of those two talented freshmen.

2019 is finally the year we see all the potential from this group as they help out blocking, but more importantly by catching the ball and moving the chains.

Georgia has the talent here, not as much as in the past, but plenty to make plays happen and show the world that Georgia could be TEU of the south.

Not to mention, the more touches these tight ends get the better Georgia’s odds are to nab two 2020 recruits that are eying the Bulldogs. This group will be one to keep an eye out for this fall.