Arik Gilbert may have been a lack of Georgia football, but he was not in need of a tight end space

Arik Gilbert may have been a lack of Georgia football, but he was not in need of a tight end space

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Arik Gilbert may have been a lack of Georgia football, but he was not in need of a tight end space

Florida has always made more sense than a possible destination for Arik Gilbert than Georgia. Kyle Pitts has been a powerhouse for Florida this past season. The Gators also lost their top three passers-by during the season. Florida could really show him in his offense next season.

Georgia could not realistically do that. Not with George Pickens returning to a wide receiver. Or both Zamir White and James Cook come back with the run. There is only one ball to go and JT Daniels and Todd Monken will have enough trouble in 2021 to satisfy all of Georgia’s skill talents.

This is what Gilbert’s decision to give to Florida is the rational transfer. He announced the move on Sunday. And although Georgia looked like a possible landing site due to reports that Gilbert was home-sick at LSU, the plant on the field was questionable to say the least.

Related: Former 5-star team-mate Arik Gilbert has announced he will take over at Florida

Georgia did not make the best use of Kirby Smart. Charlie Woerner was included in the sixth round of last season’s NFL Series. It looks like Tre ‘McKitty will be taken into this year’s class, especially after an outstanding week at the Senior Bowl. In five seasons under Smart, Georgia has yet to get a tight end, just as many passes as the 35 that Gilbert caught as a freshman.

Woerner and McKitty each scored less than ten catches as seniors in Georgia. Talent has not yet been the problem in Georgia in the close position. The issues can be argued to play with the quarterback and offensive schemes.

In 2021, Monks will once again call up plays. Daniels will return to distribute the ball. There is more stability around the Georgia violation than there has been in some time.

There is also a good bit of talent at the end. Georgia coach Todd Hartley has done an excellent job of acquiring talent this past season. That’s part of the reason Georgia can endure the battle of Gilbert going to Florida. He may have been a need for many, but he was not a need as Georgia recruited at the post last season.

That brings us to Darnell Washington. Like Gilbert, he was a 5-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Georgia reported him from Las Vegas. His first season in Georgia was curious for several reasons.

At £ 6 and £ 250, Washington is a clear mismatch. This was evident in his first college game, when he chased a 26-yard pass.

Washington then had just a single catch in Georgia’s seven games played in October and November.

After Gilbert opted out and his transfer from LSU appeared in early December, Washington became a bigger part of the offense. Washington got three passes against Missouri while also drafting a penalty interference penalty.

Then he added two more catch shots against Cincinnati, with one of the catches and runs that looked like he was Darth Vader at the end of Rogue One.

After the Missouri game, Smart made a pretty interesting remark about the strict usage, especially with Gilbert possibly moving.

“You can never have enough good points in the SEC,” Smart said. “They are big, they are athletic, they can catch the ball. There are so many things they can do. This is one of the things we want as much as we can get, and we want to get the ball for them. ”

Smart stressed that Georgia has been trying all season after the victory to find ways to get Washington involved and how we can frustrate opposing defenses.

Georgia attacking coordinator and playmaker Todd Monken shared his thoughts on Washington and how he developed over the course of his freshman season.

“Darnell, from the moment I saw him, you definitely saw the back of a big, athletic, tough young man,” Monken said before the Peach Bowl. “You can only see it. Which she may be upside down as a raw player. And to begin with, he is a wonderful child. He is a wonderful child. Always smiling. Has a good disposition about him. ‘

Monks acknowledged that McKitty and junior John FitzPatrick were ahead of Washington on the depth map, which played a role in his development.

Because of their presence, Georgia did not feel the need to do Washington too much too soon. Therefore, Washington did not produce the same numbers as Gilbert, as he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns in just eight games.

The Georgia offensive coordinator felt more comfortable giving Washington a bigger role in Georgia’s offense as the season came to an end.

“As he progressed and we became more comfortable with the quarterback, we obviously tried to get him a little more involved with Missouri as the game progressed,” Washington said.

“I think he has an incredible head.”

Washington is not the only tighthead prop with upside, as Georgia will add signer Brock Bowers to the position in 2021. Bowers was the no. 3rd position in the 2021 recruiting cycle and is already on Georgia’s campus where he quickly made an impression in the winter exercises. He joins FitzPatrick, Ryland Goede and Brett Seither to make the Georgia tight end space for next season.

Washington is now the center of the position for Georgia in 2021. He may not produce the same statistical figures as Pitts or Gilbert, but there is a realistic chance that he is more productive in the second year than Georgia has been the past few seasons. .

Gilbert is likely to have a stellar career in Florida. It will not help that the Bulldogs will now see him on an annual basis if his pardon is approved by the NCAA and SEC. But for the 2021 team, which has more urgent needs in the secondary sector, he was a luxury item.

With Washington and the rest of Georgia’s tight end talent, the Bulldogs have more than enough potential in the room. It just needs to convert some of the potential and talent into production.

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