Georgia wide receiver Sacovie White-Helton had plenty to say when he met with the media recently, and the message from inside the Bulldogs’ receiver room was pretty clear: this offense thinks it can hit another gear.
White-Helton pointed first to the basics that can turn a good offense into a dangerous one. For him, it starts with the dirty work.
Blocking downfield, he said, helps the run game become more explosive, and play-action only stretches defenses further. He also emphasized the value of stringing together five or six plays in a row and staying fresh for the moments that matter most.
A big part of that confidence comes from what he sees in Gunner Stockton. White-Helton said he has watched Stockton grow in his ability to stay in the pocket, noting that everyone already knows the quarterback can run. The difference now, in White-Helton’s view, is Stockton’s patience and touch from the pocket.
“I’ve watched him grow as it relates to staying in the pocket. Everyone knows he can run, and that's one of his strengths, but him being able to stand in pocket and look downfield definitely helps us get open and gives us more time to run our routes and make decisions going across the middle.
He has a lot more touch. It comes down to him believing in himself, and he has the utmost confidence in himself and we do too.
So as long as we tell him that we're confident in whatever decision he makes we will live with it. I feel like he can throw the ball down the field wherever it needs to be.”
White-Helton also gave a nod to Zach Branch, saying he picked up route detail from him, especially the depth, speed and timing of routes. The lesson, as White-Helton described it, was that everything does not have to be rushed.
He also credited Georgia’s cornerbacks for sharpening the group in practice. Ellis, he said, is the kind of defender who forces receivers to attack the football instead of waiting on it.
“It forces you to go get the ball. Ellis could play receiver if he wanted to, to be honest.
But I believe that his ball skills forces us to jump up and go get the ball. We can't let the ball come down to us.
So I think that him guarding us allows us to attack the ball.”
There was also appreciation for what Cole Speer could mean if he returns. White-Helton said Speer’s experience, with three to four years in the program, would help younger players settle in. He described Speer as someone who can calm people down and provide a veteran presence in a room that includes him, London and Isaiah.
On Craig Dandridge, White-Helton didn’t hold back. He called him “very, very explosive” and said the freshman is already one of the top newcomers by the way he is handling his work. For White-Helton, the next step is confidence.
“Craig is definitely very, very explosive. As of right now,he's one of the top freshmen right now, doing what he needs to do, and we all believe in him.
I think it comes down to confidence for him. Allowing him to tell himself, Hey, I'm good to go out. for a reason, and I'm at this school for a reason.
His confidence is through the roof and if he keeps that throughout the season he'll have a really good year for us.”
White-Helton was just as upbeat about Talyn Taylor, describing him as fast, physical and capable of playing any position. He said Taylor is already smart about taking care of his body, something he sees as a major advantage for a young player.
“He’s going to be a tremendous player for us.”
The receiver also talked about the bigger picture for the group, saying the outside noise isn’t pulling anyone off course. Georgia, he said, is keeping its focus on one goal and on the role each player has to fill if the team wants to get where it wants to go at the end of January.
“We decided to keep our heads down and keep working. We believe that hard work pays off and whatever happens on the outside, people have opinions about everything.
One week they may like you and one week, they may not. We're focused on one goal, and that's getting to a national championship.
And we all understand that the role we need to have for this team to be where we need to be at the end of January. We’re definitely not listening to somebody outside of here.”
He also highlighted the running backs, saying their conditioning stands out because they keep running after contact and trust the receivers to do their part on the perimeter. That, he said, is a sign the backs are in tremendous shape.
White-Helton’s own role is expanding too, and he sees value in that on the field and beyond. He said playing a bigger role helps add to his résumé whenever he is ready for the NFL Draft, because teams will know he can contribute on special teams and that he is committed to it.
Another player drawing White-Helton’s attention is Kaiden Prothro. He described Prothro as a hybrid and praised the way the young player absorbs information from both the tight end room and the receivers. Between the lifting, late-night meetings and everything else, White-Helton said Prothro has not been broken and is shaping into someone who will cause problems for opponents in the next couple of years.
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