UGA Football Coach Kirby Smart Gives An Update On The Receivers
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ATHENS - There were plenty of eyes on Georgia’s new wide receiving core during Georgia’s G-Day scrimmage over the weekend.
Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs made two big additions through the transfer portal and signed several outstanding pass-catchers in their 2025 recruiting class. After an abysmal 2024 season for Georgia’s pass-catchers, expectations are high for that group in 2025. It’s a group loaded with size, speed, talent, and overall potential.
Still, Kirby Smart is looking for more.
“We’re not where we need to be at wide out, but we have a good group to work with,” Smart said after G-Day. ““I’m excited to see some more growth, excited to see some more toughness. Excited to see what they can do in the fall. The biggest thing is keeping them healthy. I don’t know what the number is, but I would bet there’s six or seven of them that are in their first time playing this offense, and that takes a little time. So I thought the six or seven new guys got better as the spring went on, and they got a chance to get 20-something more practices to grow even more.”
Colbie Young may not be a “new” face, but he’s ready for a bounce-back year after a suspension cost him most of the 2024 season. Young made a strong touchdown grab during Georgia’s G-Day scrimmage and should have a big role in the passing game this fall.
“Yeah, he gives you problems on the outside”, Smart said about Young. “You’re going out there and there’s not a lot of defense you can have for a guy that grabs the ball at the highest point. It forces defensive backs to have really good ball skills. The ball-skills of the DBs sometimes are not that of a receiver and Colbie has made a lot of plays this spring on those 50-50 type balls.”
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Then there’s the two new transfers. USC transfer Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas. Both bring experience and playmaking ability to a Georgia offense that desperately needs more of both. While extremely talented, Smart still says both are still learning how to do things the Georgia way.
“They’re learning the offense” Smart said. “They’re in that number of guys that have to continue to grow and understand. Zach missed two or three practices that probably hurt him in terms of getting reps and understanding the offense. You can’t just say, ‘I’m going to learn it and go out there and do it. You have to rep it. You have to go out there and physically do it, and he missed two of the last three practices or three of the last four practices and then was able to go today.”
Of course there are some familiar faces back as well. London Humphreys is back for a second season. Sacovie White is hoping to take a step forward in year two. Dillon Bell is a seasoned veteran and an experienced playmaker, and Cole Speer will provide more depth as well.
The talent is there. The depth seems to be there as well.
Now, it’s time to be consistent. Play hard, compete for the football, block hard on the perimeter, and most importantly, catch the damn ball.
It’s easy to see why Smart is high on this group, but they’re still a work in progress. If the progress improves, look for the Bulldog offense to take a big step forward in 2025.