GA News: OnlineAthens - UGA goes forward at WR without Robertson, but gained confidence in spr

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From OnlineAthens.com
May 3rd, 2016 03:10 PM

Georgia’s wide receiver corps exited the spring seemingly less of a question mark than it was entering.
Experienced players Reggie Davis and Isaiah McKenzie worked on the second team offense at G-Day, a sign of the strides made by 6-foot-2 sophomores Jayson Stanley and Michael Chigbu who were with the starting unit along with top returning receiver Terry Godwin. All of which may soften the blow some for the Sunday decision of Savannah Christian’s Demetris Robertson, the nation’s No. 1 rated wide receiver for 2016 who chose California over Georgia and others.
“We’ve got to take what we’ve got and get better,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this week. “I’m happy where we are. I certainly think (Robertson) would have made us better, but it’s one of those things where, `Hey, we’re going to go with what we’ve got. Go with the kids that want to be there.’”
Guys like incoming wide receivers Tyler Simmons, a 6-foot, 194-pound three-star from McEachern who flipped from Alabama, and Javon Wims, a 6-4, 220-pound transfer from Hinds Community College in Mississippi.
Early enrollee Riley Ridley already looks like a contributor as a true freshman after he had four catches for 68 yards in the spring game. The speedy Davis was a standout that day with six catches for 134 yards.
“Everybody in the receiving room will have confidence,” Godwin said. “We have confidence we can be a deep threat guy, we can hurt them in short range. Everyone in the room is going to be able to do everything that the coaches want.
Smart had talked about Robertson providing an ability to stretch the field vertically, but he was upbeat about the receiving corps even without him.
“I’m excited about them,” Smart said. “We’ve got some big guys, we’ve got some small guys. We’ve got a couple of big guys coming in. We’ve got a couple of fast guys coming in.”
Mecole Hardman is one of those fast guys. Listed as an athlete, the 5-11, 180-pound Elbert County five-star signee had been considered more defensive back than receiver but offered up his offensive services after Robertson pledged to Cal.
“KirbySmartUGA I heard you might need some fire power at WR? Just call my name and I’ll give you more than you need,” he tweeted.
Hardman qualified for five events at the state track meet: the 100 meter-dash, long jump, triple jump and 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. His 100 time was 10.77 seconds. Simmons qualified in the same event in 10.76. Robertson, by the way, qualified in 10.58 seconds.
Stanley drew praise from Smart leading up to G-Day and was named one of four most improved players of the spring. He had four catches for 87 yards on G-Day.
Chigbu had two catches for 10 yards in the spring game, but an apparent touchdown catch was called out of bounds.
“Different guys progress in different ways,” tight end Jeb Blazevich said. “We saw flashes of them even last year in practice and were like, `Wow.’ That kind of stuff it’s up to God. …I’m pumped to see them out there making plays.”
Smart said offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has helped make the most of the receiving group and that position coach James Coley has “done a great job of getting those guys better.”
“Our receiver unit is pretty young,” safety Dominick Sanders said.
Still, he found reason to be encouraged “just from the guys coming out and being physical at receiver and going up and catching the ball and being explosive and making plays.”


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