Georgia Football: Five sophomores that will breakout in 2021
By Eric Taylor
Here are five sophomores that are ready to break out for Georgia football.
Kirby Smart has put together some of the top recruiting classes in the nation since taking over the Georgia football program. In fact, his 2020 recruiting class was number one. Some of the players from that class are ready to make a big contribution in 2021. Now with a year of college football under experience, they will look to take the next step in their development.
One such position that could use a breakout star is the wide receiver position. With star wideout
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George Pickens expected to miss at least the first half of the season, if not the entire regular season, the Bulldogs will need someone to step into the role of go-to receiver. There are a few candidates on the roster that could do just that.
Speaking of young guys having to step up at positions lacking star power, the cornerback position saw three players leave for the NFL this offseason. Eric Stokes, DJ Daniel, and Mark Webb are all now gone and more than likely a young guy is going to have to take over at least one of those spots. Lucky for Georgia football, they have a couple of guys that could fill that role.
So, as you can see, there are plenty of spots for some of the younger guys to step into and have a bigger impact in their second full season. Let’s breakdown a few such players that will be stepping into these roles this season.
Jermaine Burton
In the absence of Georgia football’s number one receiver, expect Jermaine Burton to step in and take over that role. Burton has all of the tools to be a number one receiver. He is quick, agile, has great hands, and can run every route on the route tree. His ability to create separation will also make JT Daniels’ job a lot easier.
Last season, Burton caught 27 of 53 targets for 409 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 7.72 yards per target, 15.15 yards per catch, and his average depth of target was 13.72 yards. Burton is a true deep threat especially when you consider his work with Daniels at quarterback last season. His average yards per target went up to 11.04, his average yards per catch went up to 16.56, and his average depth of target was 15.63 with Daniels pulling the trigger.
Needless to say, Burton is ready to show that he can be a superstar at the collegiate level. The opening is there for him to step up and show that he can be a go-to receiver for Georgia football this season. He has all the tools needed to be a star receiver. This season he will get the chance to prove it.