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.
Kelee Ringo
Kelee Ringo is a 6-2 205 pound five-star cornerback from Scottsdale, Az. He was the number one cornerback in the 2020 recruiting cycle. After missing all of last year with a shoulder injury he is now slated to start for Georgia football this season. Ringo is chapping at the bit to make an impact on Georgia’s defense.
Ringo doesn’t only bring size but also elite speed. Recently in practice, he was clocked at a higher speed than world-class sprinter Arian Smith. Ringo’s mom tweeted out a picture showing the results of their race.
https://twitter.com/HaleTralee/status/1357055060929306624?s=20
So, as you can see, Ringo is an elite athlete who has all the tools needed to be elite in coverage. He’s long, he’s fast, he is physical at the line, and he has excellent ball skills. These skills are why Ringo will be starting a cornerback this season and will most likely be matched up against the opposition’s best receiver.
Ringo is exactly the kind of athlete Georgia football needs in its secondary as college football transitions away from the pro-style offenses of yesterday. With more teams using spread attacks, it will be paramount to have as many elite coverage guys as you can get. You won’t be able to find a more elite athlete in coverage than Ringo.
Kendall Milton
While carrying the ball 35 times in 2020, Kendall Milton wasn’t tackled for a loss even once. Milton runs determined and he also has great balance. Those two things together are a big reason why it is so hard to tackle him for a loss. The perfect example of this was the run against Tennessee. Milton was hit and should have been stopped for a loss, but instead, he ended up shrugging off multiple defenders to pick up a chunk of yardage.
Milton’s power, speed, and balance were on full display during his freshman campaign. Even though he did miss a few games because of injury, he rushed for 192 yards on 35 carries averaging 5.49 yards per carry. Milton’s 60 yards after contact shows that he was a load to bring down. He broke a total of 13 tackles over the season.
Milton’s ability to break tackles is one major reason that he ran for nine first downs and had eight explosive runs which led to a success rate of 48.57.
Needless to say, Milton is a dynamic runner and should be a huge contributor to Georgia football’s offense in 2021. Even with Zamir White and James Cook coming back for their final year it is going to be tough to keep Milton off the field.
Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter is a 6-3 310 pound monster in the middle of Georgia football’s defensive line. Carter is the second-highest rated defensive tackle recruit Georgia has ever signed. Over the eight games of his freshman season, Carter amassed 14 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and five quarterback hurries, and he blocked a kick.
This man is so athletic that Kirby Smart used him on offense as well last season. He lined up at fullback in Georgia’s goal-line offense and he even caught a pass for a touchdown. He was the lead blocker on a few more.
Carter is still very raw and could use some refinement. Two such places he could use some work are his tackling and run defense. Those things will more than likely be ironed out in spring and summer practice. However, even as a raw athlete, he was one of the best players on Georgia’s defensive line last season especially when it comes to rushing the passer.
It remains to be seen if Carter will return to the offensive side of things this season. However, you can be sure that he is ready to breakout in a major way on the defensive side. Much to the chagrin of any offensive lineman tasked to try and stop him.
Darnell Washington
Rumor has it that giant Darnell Washington, who was already 6-8 260 pounds has gotten bigger over the offseason. Washington is now 280 pounds after adding 20 pounds of muscle. He was already expected to have an expanded role in year-two with Tre’ McKitty going to the NFL. With this news (and the news of Pickens’ injury) Washington has got to be one of the focal points of Georgia’s offense in 2021.
Last season Todd Monken had no problem scheming Washington open multiple times a game. Yet, somehow, Georgia’s quarterbacks didn’t seem to see the 6-8 260 pound monster as he headed down the field. They targeted Washington just 17 times all season. Washington caught seven of them for 166 yards, but no touchdowns.
That cannot be the case this year. With a weapon like that at your disposal, you had best take advantage. Who is going to jump with this monster? There is simply no reason not to chunk it up to him a few times a game, especially on third down and in the red zone. Georgia quarterbacks cannot afford to ignore him this season, especially with Pickens missing a lot of time.
If used properly, Washington could help take Georgia football’s offense to a level it has never seen before.