The Georgia Bulldogs at No. 1? According to the preseason coaches’ poll that was released last week, the answer is, “Yes.” And while the interior of the offensive line, how the Dogs will generate a pass rush and replacing kicker Brandon Coutu (who you simply can’t replace) are the main concerns for most of the Red-and-Black Nation, all of those situations are manageable.
Specifically, I believe freshman Ben Jones will be the starting center at some point this season, meaning Chris Davis can shift back to his starting spot at left guard. As for the pass rush, the loss of Marcus Howard ain’t easy to deal with, but remember that most of his production came in just a few games at the end of the season. The surprise answer here is that I expect Georgia’s pass rush to come from the inside of the defensive line. Roderick Battle and perhaps even Jarius Wynn should be nice pieces on the outside, but Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins have the ability to collapse the pocket from their d-tackle spots and that changes all the Xs and Os for opposing coaches. Replacing Coutu? Umm … OK, I don’t actually have an answer for that one. He was filled to the brim with ice water. But the REAL unit on the team that will determine the ultimate success or failure of the 2008 Dogs is none of the areas we’ve covered. For Mark Richt to hold up the crystal football in January, UGA must find some answers at receiver.
Mohamed Massaquoi is a senior. One of my biggest red flags for a player is if he had some great moments as a freshman and made you believe he could really emerge and then … he never got better. Unfortunately for UGA fans, that’s the case with Massaquoi. The reality is he’s the most experienced receiver on the team and has great wheels, but has never consistently produced. Too many drops, too many games where he disappears.
So is 2008 the year for Kenneth Harris, another senior, to become a star? In fairness to Harris (and Massaquoi), this offense isn’t built for someone to catch 80 balls, but last year he had … four. Total. For the entire season. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Harris brings a different dimension to the split end position. While I think he’s got some game-changing moments in him for this season, he’ll be joined at SE by Kris Durham, another big target who checks in at 6-5 and nearly 200 pounds. My opinion: Durham has the best hands on the team and it’s not even close. In the variety of three-wide sets Georgia will run, Durham will line up in the slot and have the opportunity to either catch a lot of balls or, at the very least, occupy the safety to make life easier on the outside for Massaquoi and Harris.
Michael Moore is suddenly a junior and has been just as underwhelming as Harris. He, perhaps along with Harris and Durham, could be passed on the depth chart by 6-foot-4 true freshman A.J. Green, who provides Matt Stafford with another large option on the outside. Fellow 18-year-old Tavarres King could also get in the mix, but unless he’s a noticeable upgrade over a few of the upperclassmen, the staff won’t burn his redshirt.
The bottom line is that Massaquoi needs to play like a three-year starter and he needs either Durham to get faster or Harris to focus as much on Saturdays in the fall as he does during summer workouts. This team can absolutely win the national title. And the receivers are key among the unknowns.
Oliver can be heard on 790 The Zone’s “Afternoon Saloon” weekdays from 4-7 p.m. and can be reached at king@790thezone.com.
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