Georgia football has a ton of guys in the wide receivers room including true freshman Dominick Blaylock. With Kearis Jackson going down with an injury, could we see the youngster shine on Saturday?
Georgia football may have to get creative since Kearis Jackson got hurt against Vanderbilt, and the Dawgs may get creative with freshman wide receiver, Dominick Blaylock.
Kearis Jackson broke bones in his hand and wrist, and he will be out for at least a month. This injury opens up the door for some of the youngsters to step in and get some time in Jackson’s absence.
According to 247Sports, Blaylock was a high-end 4-star prospect, the No. 5 wide receiver and No. 8 prospect in Georgia in his recruiting class. He stands 6-1 and 195 pounds.
In his senior year at Milton, he had 60 catches for 1,052 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 17.5 yards a catch, which is incredible. Blaylock also toted the rock 53 times for 216 yards.
Throughout his two years on offense at Milton, he caught 112 balls for 1,952 yards, 15 receiving touchdowns and 35 total scores.
He was a playmaker and did everything asked of him.
Blaylock played for the East at the 2019 All-American Bowl, an all-star game for the top high school recruits in the nation.
Hawks fans may also remember watching his father, Mookie Blaylock, who played point guard for Atlanta from 1992 until 1999. The kid has great athletic genes.
Here is what Kirby Smart had to say about Dominick Blaylock in comparison to Kearis Jackson, according to 247Sports’ Jake Rowe:
"“Dom’s been awesome. That was unfortunate he didn’t get to play the other night, because he’s really earned the right to play. We didn’t get an opportunity to put him in. We kept trying to put the game away and score, and it really just never played itself into a position to put him in there,” Smart said. “He’s going to be thrust into it now. I thought he had a really good practice today. He caught some balls. He catches contested catches. He finds ways to get open. He’s really smart, he’s tough, he’s physical. He and Kearis are similar. Kearis probably has got a little more experience than him, but Kearis is a little stronger. They’re both really good players.”"
It sounds like Kirby wanted to get Blaylock in the game against Vanderbilt, but Georgia’s inability to score another touchdown kept him from doing it.
How ironic that Kearis Jackson fumbling inside the Commodores’ five could have not only prevented Blaylock from playing Saturday but is also the reason why he gets a chance at an even more significant role now.
Blaylock will be playing a lot in the slot, so it bodes well that he is being physical and catching balls in traffic. He can create space and make defenders miss. Blaylock’s pretty quick on his feet, and it’s exciting to see him get this early opportunity to make a name for himself.
These are a must for any receiver that will be asked to do most of their work in the middle of the field, and he excels at doing that.
Blaylock is another weapon in Georgia’s packed receiver room ready to be unleashed on college football. His first test will be against Murray State, where we will likely see him get some time on the field for him to show his stuff off to the coaching staff.
For everyone that said or doubted that Georgia had receivers this year, they are about to find out just how much talent Georgia’s receivers’ room really has. Time for the next man up, and that man is Blaylock; it is his time to shine.