After the first week of Georgia’s training camp, one position group is already making a loud case for itself in Athens.
It’s the tight ends.
Todd Hartley has built another deep and talented room, and Kirby Smart made it clear last week that he sees that group as one of the Bulldogs’ most useful pieces as Georgia tries to add more explosiveness on offense.
“We've got a tremendously talented room, but if you chart explosive plays, those aren't always the tight end room,” Smart told reporters last week. “I love our tight ends.
We’ve got great tight ends, but they're not guys that all hit 22 and 23 miles an hour. They're guys that they can do all kinds of grunt work.”
Smart’s point was straightforward: these tight ends may not always be the flashiest athletes on the field, but they bring value in a lot of different ways. They can catch passes in the flats, handle blocking duties, contribute on special teams, and still create big plays when the offense gets the run game going.
“They can catch balls in the flats”, Smart said. “They can block people.
They can play on special teams. They can be explosive if we can run the ball, and explosive passes for tight ends usually come off of play actions.
Play actions only work if you have the ability to run the ball. So our ability to run the ball allows us to utilize what may be one of our stronger rooms.
But it is a talented room, and it's an extremely competitive room.”
At the top of that group is veteran Lawson Luckie, who has already shown he can make catches in the passing game while also handling the dirty work as an in-line blocker. He knows the offense, he’s made plays before, and he gives Georgia a dependable presence.
Sophomore Elyiss Williams is another name to watch. The 6-foot-7, 255-pound tight end flashed big-play ability as a freshman last fall and gives Georgia a huge target in the passing game. He can also be a force in the run game and has the kind of size that makes him a red-zone problem.
Then there’s Jaden Reddell, who may be the most intriguing player in the room when it comes to explosiveness. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound third-year tight end from Missouri stood out during spring work, and sources said he kept turning heads during the first week of fall camp.
“I thought he had an incredible spring,” Smart said last week. “He's had a great workouts this summer.
He was one of four players singled out by the strength staff for work ethic, intensity, PFE, and buying in. I would say he was probably one of the most explosive and just most improved players.
He played twitchy, he played fast and had a chip on his shoulder. We had not seen that before out of him.”
Reddell is not built like the typical tight end, and that’s part of what makes him stand out. He brings more speed and athleticism than most players at the position, which could help Georgia create the kind of explosive plays Smart has been talking about all offseason.
That idea has also been echoed outside the program. During SEC Media Days last month, ESPN and SEC analyst Cole Cubelic said the tight ends could help make up for concerns about the offense’s explosive ceiling.
“I think the tight end room can offset peoples concerns with the explosive nature of the offense. I think they can find it in other ways.
They may not have that true alpha WR yet, but I think they can be explosive in different ways. Mike Bobo is good at his job.
It’s not up for debate.”
Georgia also has more depth behind the main names. Redshirt freshman Ethan Barbour, red-shirt sophomore Colton Heinrich, and a handful of freshmen are all battling through their first fall camp and trying to carve out roles.
It’s a crowded, competitive group, and if Georgia is going to chase another trophy this winter, the tight ends could end up being a major part of the formula.
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The intrigue does not stop at the top of the depth chart, either. ESPN recently flagged freshmen Zykie Helton and Kaiden Prothro as players who could make an immediate SEC impact, which only adds to the sense that Georgia may have useful pieces arriving faster than usual. Jaden Reddell and freshman Tyriq Green are also among the names worth watching as the Bulldogs sort out roles and contributions for the season ahead, another reminder that the roster conversation in Athens is just as interesting as the schedule itself. [Read more 🡒]