There are plenty of reasons to be bullish on the Georgia Bulldogs heading into this season. The Dawgs won the SEC and made the College Football Playoff in what was a down year for the program, relatively speaking. All of their tough road games from last year will now be at home. This feels like a team with a 12-0 ceiling and a 10-2 floor - 9-3 or 8-4 seems too farfetched to realistically get behind...
One of the reasons to be excited about this team is the Dawgs' revamped receiving corps. It was a major issue for last year's team with RaRa Thomas being suspended and Colbie Young missing some time. Guys like Dillon Bell were forced into roles they were not ready for. It is why Kirby Smart and his staff prioritized adding proven wide receivers like Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas in the portal.
According to Ourlads, Branch and Thomas are projected starters alongside Bell in the receiving corps. Branch and his older brother Zion came over by way of USC. Thomas now plays for the Dawgs after having spent time with Texas A&M previously. While it should be an ensemble cast for Georgia pass-catchers, Branch is the straw that will have to stir the drink. Gunner Stockton is counting on him.
Here is why Branch could be the key to unlocking all that is great with this Georgia receiving corps.
Zachariah Branch's off-script nature pairs nicely with Gunner Stockton's
While USC fans were not exactly sad to see The Branch Brothers come to Georgia by way of the transfer portal, there is a chance Zachariah Branch may be a better fit in Mike Bobo's offense than he ever was playing for Lincoln Riley at USC. The Air Raid attack in Los Angeles did not always allow for Branch to use his creativity in the receiving game. Stockton can run and is a bit of an ad-libber as well.
Of course, the entire Georgia receiving game needs to come together to make this work. What should have all of Dawg Nation excited about this offense is the amount of space that could open up for the pass-catchers to work with. When Carson Beck was the starting quarterback, he was seen more as a pocket passer than anything. Yes, he will scramble a bit, but nowhere to the degree that Stockton can.
What this does is make the opposing defense more honest with Stockton's dual-threat nature. He may not be the precision passer of Beck, but the passing lanes should be wider with him throwing the football because of the threat of his legs. It will allow for Branch and others in the receiving corps to make more plays in space within the confines of Mike Bobo's pro-style offense. This could be special.
This may be Year 10 for Kirby Smart leading his alma mater, but when was the last time he was this excited about his receiving corps? Obviously, players like Ladd McConkey, George Pickens and tight end Brock Bowers were are generational guys for the Dawgs. However, the combination of Branch, Bell, Thomas, Young and others, as well as Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie at tight end could be, too.
Simply, the threat of Branch making explosive plays in the receiving corps will make the unit better.