Coaches Corner: A Closer Look at Freshman WR George Pickens
It’s been some kind of fall for freshman wideout George Pickens.
The five-star wide receiver from Hoover High School made national headlines in February when he flipped his long-time commitment from Auburn to Georgia, signing with the Bulldogs the morning of Signing Day.
Pickens signing with Georgia rustled some whiskers over in Auburn after the Tigers thought they were going to sign the nation’s number-4 receiver. Everyone knew the 6-foot-3 190-pounder was a playmaker, and he’s already making noise in fall camp for the Bulldogs.
After being compared by some defensive backs to former Bulldog A.J Green, Georgia fans got a glimpse of what Pickens can do after a video surfaced on the internet of his acrobatic, one-handed catch during Georgia’s Saturday scrimmage.The Bulldogs have had many talented receivers come through the last decade, but many around the program believe Pickens could bring that same type of A.J Green excitement at the receiver position.
Dawg Post caught up with one of Pickens’ high school coaches, Hoover (AL) offensive coordinator Jason Kervin, who said Pickens reminds him of a future NFL Hall-of-Famer.
“I think he's the best WR to come out of the state of Alabama since Julio Jones,” Kervin said. “That's out of respect for what Julio did at Alabama and what he has done in the league. I didn't get to see him in high school so I can't make a fair comparison. But other than maybe Julio, he's (Pickens) the best!”
Kervin admitted that it was clear early on that Pickens was a special player. Even in a state that produces some of college football’s best prospects, Pickens was easy to notice.
“The first time I saw him live I knew he was special,” Kervin said. “It was obvious. The combination of his length and his ability to track a ball and use his body to finish the catch is special. You wouldn't expect someone with that length to be so elusive in the open field, but he is. He has a nose for the endzone. The best part of it is that he isn't out there to just play, he's out there to win. That's that Hoover in him.”
Pickens started to see his recruitment pick up in the summer before his junior season, and once his junior film came out, the offers started to roll in. Kervin remembers that exact game when everything took off.
“He broke out against IMG his junior year,” Kervin said. “He flipped a switch for the rest of his career that night. His senior year against Mt Brook, in the playoffs, he caught 4 balls for 205 yards and 3 TDs in a dazzling performance. He converted a 3rd and 25 late in the 4th quarter one night against rival Spain Park that will never be forgotten around Hoover, Alabama. He knows when it's go-time.”
Of all the positions on the football field, the receivers are the greediest. They want the football. Some of it’s their ego, and some of it’s because of their playmaking mindset. Either way, that type of behavior can be detrimental to an offense and a locker room if it gets out of hand. That’s not who Pickens is, though. The five-star admitted on Signing Day that he chose Georgia because he knew he would have a chance to win a championship. He might not light up the stat sheet in a run-heavy Georgia offense, but he came to Athens to win.
All in all, it’s clear Pickens is already a fan favorite in Athens. His signing with Georgia will go down as an all-timer in the minds of Bulldog fans, and his catch in the scrimmage has only raised expectations. He might not be A.J Green just yet, but Pickens has all the tools to make a name of his own in the Classic City.