From OnlineAthens.com
April 21st, 2016 01:07 PM
The tight ends weren’t quite an endangered species in the Georgia offense last season, but they weren’t as big a part of it as many expected given how much its new coordinator relied on the position at his previous stops in the NFL.
That may have provided a cautionary tale for talk this spring that another new coordinator, Jim Chaney, will rely heavily on players at the position.
The G-Day spring game certainly provided reason to be excited for those looking for the return of the tight end in the Bulldogs’ passing game.
Bulldog tight ends combined to catch 15 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and that’s without 6-foot-5, 248-pound junior Jeb Blazevich, the team’s most proven player at the position with 33 catches in two seasons, having any.
“I love what he’s doing,” sophomore Jackson Harris said of Chaney. “He’s lining us up in a lot of places right now.”
The 6-6, 247-pound Harris had seven catches for 53 yards on G-Day and redshirt junior Jordan Davis had two for 36.
Five-star tight end recruit Isaac Nauta, who had six catches for 56 yards Saturday, knew the possibilities under Chaney.
“From everything I’ve heard he’s done at Arkansas with Hunter Henry and just his system, it’s really tight end-friendly,” the 6-foot-4, 237-pound Nauta said in January just days before announcing his commitment to Georgia.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said part of the reason he was intrigued by having Chaney as his offensive coordinator is how he used the tight ends in his offense.
As a freshman in 2013, tight end Hunter Henry was the second leading receiver for Arkansas with 28 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns. He’s considered an early round pick in next week’s NFL draft. In 2014, Henry was second again with 37 catches for 513 yards and A.J. Derby, another tight end, was third with 22 for 303.
“That guy was special,” Smart said Derby. “He outran one of our safeties at Alabama for a touchdown. He uses those guys. He flexes them out. He uses them to chip and help offensive tackles. He’s really creative with how he uses the tight end.”
Georgia, of course has a strong tight end tradition. It was rated as the No. 4 tight end school by CBSSports.com, behind Miami, Notre Dame and Tennessee based on NFL talent over the past decade.
Under Brian Schottenheimer in 2015, Georgia’s tight ends caught only 28 passes and had one touchdown.
On Saturday, tight ends were the targets on more than 25 percent of passes.
“I really like the opportunity,” Blazevich said. “I’ll say it like this: There’s a lot of opportunity for any position group. It’s really who can continues to step up.”
While Smart said this spring he was pleased with how the tight ends caught the ball, he wants them to be more physical “at the point of attack” to open up the run game.
Georgia will add even more talent when Rabun County’s Charlie Woerner arrives this summer. The 6-foot-5, 249-pound Woerner was a four-star rated recruit who had 57 catches as a senior.
Smart said whether Woerner plays wide receiver or tight end, Georgia’s tight ends will be talented and offer a chance to “trick defenses.”
A loaded position could mean more two tight end sets
“We’ve got some horses in there," Blazevich said. "I think everybody’s comfortable with any one of us being out there and I love that.”
“We’re going to keep pushing each other,” Harris said, “and make each of us individually the best we can.”
...READ MORE HERE...
April 21st, 2016 01:07 PM
The tight ends weren’t quite an endangered species in the Georgia offense last season, but they weren’t as big a part of it as many expected given how much its new coordinator relied on the position at his previous stops in the NFL.
That may have provided a cautionary tale for talk this spring that another new coordinator, Jim Chaney, will rely heavily on players at the position.
The G-Day spring game certainly provided reason to be excited for those looking for the return of the tight end in the Bulldogs’ passing game.
Bulldog tight ends combined to catch 15 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and that’s without 6-foot-5, 248-pound junior Jeb Blazevich, the team’s most proven player at the position with 33 catches in two seasons, having any.
“I love what he’s doing,” sophomore Jackson Harris said of Chaney. “He’s lining us up in a lot of places right now.”
The 6-6, 247-pound Harris had seven catches for 53 yards on G-Day and redshirt junior Jordan Davis had two for 36.
Five-star tight end recruit Isaac Nauta, who had six catches for 56 yards Saturday, knew the possibilities under Chaney.
“From everything I’ve heard he’s done at Arkansas with Hunter Henry and just his system, it’s really tight end-friendly,” the 6-foot-4, 237-pound Nauta said in January just days before announcing his commitment to Georgia.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said part of the reason he was intrigued by having Chaney as his offensive coordinator is how he used the tight ends in his offense.
As a freshman in 2013, tight end Hunter Henry was the second leading receiver for Arkansas with 28 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns. He’s considered an early round pick in next week’s NFL draft. In 2014, Henry was second again with 37 catches for 513 yards and A.J. Derby, another tight end, was third with 22 for 303.
“That guy was special,” Smart said Derby. “He outran one of our safeties at Alabama for a touchdown. He uses those guys. He flexes them out. He uses them to chip and help offensive tackles. He’s really creative with how he uses the tight end.”
Georgia, of course has a strong tight end tradition. It was rated as the No. 4 tight end school by CBSSports.com, behind Miami, Notre Dame and Tennessee based on NFL talent over the past decade.
Under Brian Schottenheimer in 2015, Georgia’s tight ends caught only 28 passes and had one touchdown.
On Saturday, tight ends were the targets on more than 25 percent of passes.
“I really like the opportunity,” Blazevich said. “I’ll say it like this: There’s a lot of opportunity for any position group. It’s really who can continues to step up.”
While Smart said this spring he was pleased with how the tight ends caught the ball, he wants them to be more physical “at the point of attack” to open up the run game.
Georgia will add even more talent when Rabun County’s Charlie Woerner arrives this summer. The 6-foot-5, 249-pound Woerner was a four-star rated recruit who had 57 catches as a senior.
Smart said whether Woerner plays wide receiver or tight end, Georgia’s tight ends will be talented and offer a chance to “trick defenses.”
A loaded position could mean more two tight end sets
“We’ve got some horses in there," Blazevich said. "I think everybody’s comfortable with any one of us being out there and I love that.”
“We’re going to keep pushing each other,” Harris said, “and make each of us individually the best we can.”
...READ MORE HERE...
