Georgia
Bulldogs
Preview 2008 - Offense
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2008 CFN Georgia Preview
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2008 Georgia Offense
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2008 Georgia
Defense |
2008 Georgia Depth
Chart
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2007 CFN Georgia Preview
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2006 CFN Georgia Preview
What you need to know: The offense was opportunistic and it
put points on the board, but it didn't move the ball nearly as
well as you'd think considering the team put up 40 or more
points six times. It was a balanced attack, but it's no
coincidence the season changed and the Dawgs got good, really
good, once the young offensive line fully jelled and RB Knowshon
Moreno turned into a superstar. There's as much talent and
potential on the three-deep depth chart as any team in America,
but for all the promise and all the high school accolades, there
are still question marks. Will the receivers start producing on
a regular basis, or will they just look the part without really
being the devastating group they should be? Will QB Matthew
Stafford fulfill his destiny and become a top pro prospect? Will
all the redshirt freshmen from a terrific 2007 class be ready
for primetime right away? There are simply too many good players
to be 74th in the nation in total offense again, and with a line
like the Bulldogs have, and with the talent in the backfield, it
won't be.
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Returning
Leaders
Passing: Matthew Stafford
194-348, 2,523 yds, 19 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno
248 carries, 1,334 yds, 14 TD
Receiving: Mo Massaquoi
32 catches, 491 yds, 4 TD
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Star of the offense: Sophomore RB Knowshon Moreno
Player who has to step up and become a star: Sophomore OT
Josh Davis
Unsung star on the rise: Redshirt freshman RB Caleb King
Best pro prospect: Moreno
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Moreno, 2) QB Matthew Stafford,
3)
TE Tripp Chandler, Sr.
Strength of the offense: Offensive line, top-shelf backup
prospects at almost every position, Knowshon Moreno
Weakness of the offense:
Proven depth, wide receiver
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter: It's time for junior Matthew
Stafford to become the star he's been expected to grow into
since he first arrived on campus. At 6-3 and 237 pounds with a
next-level arm and tremendous poise, he has all the skills to
become a top-shelf passer who can make everyone around him
better, and while he's been fine, throwing for 2,523 yards and
19 touchdowns with ten interceptions, he hasn't always been as
consistent as the team has needed him to be. One game he
completes 18 of 24 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns
against Oklahoma State, and next he completes 19 of 44 passes in
a loss to South Carolina. He became more efficient as the season
went on, but he threw at least one interception in five of the
final six games, and even through he threw for 200 yards or more
in five of the final seven games, he was along for the ride with
the running game the main focus of everyone's defensive gameplan
... sort of. Give Stafford credit for keeping the chains moving
and for taking advantage of the opportunities presented, but if
Georgia is going to get to the national championship, he has to
be even better.
Projected Top Reserves: 6-1, 206-pound Joe Cox
has gotten a little bit of work here and there getting the
most action in the blowout over Western Carolina, and now the
junior is a nice, experienced backup to count on if anything
happens to the franchise, Matthew Stafford. His big moment came
two years ago completing ten of 13 passes for 154 yards and two
touchdowns in the last-second win over Colorado, and while he's
not threat whatsoever to win the stating job, he's a winner who
could step in and keep the offense going without much of a
problem.
With the top two spots set, and
with the possibility of Stafford leaving early for the NFL next
year, redshirt freshman Logan Gray and sophomore
Jonathan deLaureal have the next year to audition for the
near future, but more likely than not, neither one will be in
the mix until 2010. deLaureal is a good-sized athlete who's been
a key scout teamer, while Gray was a top recruit with a live arm
and a slew of talent who has a case of the Matthew Staffords.
Gray will likely be the third man in the mix and will have to be
patient.
Watch Out For ... Stafford to have a big decision
to make at the end of the year. There hasn't even been a whiff
of discussion about Stafford leaving early for the NFL, but in
what currently projects to be one of the worst quarterback draft
classes in a long time, especially if Tim Tebow chooses to stick
at Florida, Stafford's stock could be through the roof on need
alone.
Strength: The backups. If having a pro-caliber starting
quarterback wasn't nice enough, having a fantastic insurance
policy like Cox is a wonderful luxury. Gray and deLaureal are strong reserves to develop.
Weakness: Efficiency. Partially blame a mediocre
receiving corps, but for all the yards and for all the
improvements, the passing efficiency wasn't there. Stafford was
good, but he hasn't been The Man yet.
Outlook:
Stafford might turn out to be the best NFL quarterback
Georgia has turned out in decades, and now he's about to turn
his game up a notch. At least that's the hope. He has all the
tools, a great line to work behind, a terrific running game to
take the pressure off, and an improved receiving corps. In other
words, it's all there for him to rock. Cox is a nice No. 2,
and with other strong prospects waiting in the wings, this is a
good situation.
Rating: 9
Running Backs
Projected Starters: Considering the jaw-dropping
array of running back talent to roll through Athens, it should
say something when a player is being compared to the best of the
best of them. Sophomore Knowshon Moreno originally was
seen as a nice option for down the road after showing a good
flash and nice power in 2007 spring ball, and then he turned
into the main man with 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns averaging
5.4 yards per carry. It's a stretch to say he carried the
Bulldogs over the second half of the season, but yeah, he sort
of carried the Bulldogs over the second half of the season, or
at least he provided an attitude and an identity, running for
100 yards or more in five straight games before getting stopped
by Georgia Tech. At 207 pounds, he can run between the tackles,
but he's at his most dangerous when he gets a little room to
move highlighted by an 80-yard touchdown dash against Troy. He's
also a nice receiver with 20 catches for 253 yards, fourth on
the team, but he wasn't used as much as a pass catcher once he
became more involved in the running game.
Back as one of the nation's best fullbacks,
6-0, 240-pound senior Brannan Southerland is a
devastating blocker and an unstoppable short-yardage runner. He
only ran 17 times for 24 yards, but he rumbled for five
touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 59 yards and a score. While
it would be an emergency for him to get the ball on a regular
basis, he has proven in the past he can come up big in a pinch.
Projected Top Reserves: While there's no
questioning Knowshon Moreno as the No. 1 back, there will be a
role for redshirt freshman Caleb King, the superstar
recruit of two years ago who was considered among the top backs
in the nation, even more so than Moreno, with a great burst and
a nose for the goal line before breaking his leg his senior year
of high school. After redshirting last year, he's ready to roll
with the coaching staff trying to figure out how to get him and
Moreno in the backfield at the same time. He could've played
late last year, but the coaches chose not to burn the redshirt
and went with Moreno. Now the Bulldogs have a fully healthy,
fresh No. 2 option, at the very least.
Moreno and King will get the bulk of the carries, but there's a
logjam of elite talent behind them. Sophomore Kalvin Daniels
has seen a little bit of time getting eight carries for 44
yards, good for third on the team, but he'll have to battle with
true freshmen Richard Samuel and Dontavius Jackson,
to top recruits who plan to get into the rotation early on. The
6-2, 215-pound Samuel provides a bit of a load rushing for 1,429
yards and 24 touchdowns as a high school senior, while Jackson,
a 5-10, 190-pound scatback who's coming off a broken wrist.
Backing up Southerland will once again be a combination of
sophomores Fred Munzenmaier and Shaun Chapas. The
233-pound Munzenmaier is a veteran blocker who saw time on
special teams and ran once for a six-yard score against Ole
Miss, while Chapas has bulked up to 236 pounds after getting a
little bit of playing time running 11 times for 41 yards and
catching three passes for 22 yards. Each one could start at any
time without much of a problem.
Watch Out For ... Moreno to see his workload
decrease, and that's for the positive. The offense rode the hot
hand as last year rolled on, and it showed as Moreno wore down a
bit late. As talented as he is, there's no reason for another
248-carry season with a slew of talented backs to also see time.
Strength: Potential. No team outside of USC has a stable
of young star talent than Georgia. Moreno is an obvious star,
and King, Samuel, Jackson and Daniels are good enough to start
for just about anyone else in America.
Weakness: Proven backups. Oh sure, there's talent, but
there's still a question mark about how much work King can
handle, and with Jackson coming off a broken wrist.
Outlook:
There's a slew of great young running back talent to get fired
up about, three good fullbacks to use in a variety of
situations, and a future top draft pick in Moreno. As
always, Georgia has more than enough options to fill in the gaps
if something goes wrong, and there's no reason the ground game
should be anything other than unstoppable no matter who's toting
the rock. The only thing missing is a sure-thing No. 2 back with
a proven track record, but remember, it's not like Moreno was a
proven commodity going into last year.
Rating: 9
Receivers
Projected Starters: 6-2, 198-pound senior
Mohamed Massaquoi has had a few big moments, but not enough
of them, finishing second on the team with 32 catches for 491
yards and four touchdowns, with 84 of the yards coming on a big
play against Florida. He's not a true number one target who can
blow up against a top corner, but he's growing into an
occasionally clutch home run hitter with tremendous speed at the
flanker. His hands aren't great, and he's not consistent, but
he's the team's most experienced returning target.
Junior split end Kris Durham will get the starting job
for at least a game or so, but he'll have to battle hard to hold
on to the gig. At 6-5 and 200 pounds, he has excellent size and
good potential, but he only caught 11 passes for 169 yards last
season with his biggest game coming in the Sugar Bowl blowout
over Hawaii with three grabs for 48 yards. At the very least,
he'll be a strong target in three-wide sets with the frame to
make several big plays if he's not the main focus of the
defense.
Tight end was a bit of a concern, albeit a slight one, going
into last season, and then Tripp Chandler turned out to
be more than just decent with 21 catches for 283 yards and two
touchdowns. The 6-6, 263-pound senior is good for the running
game, but his worth is as a receiver with good enough hands to
grow into even more of a dependable third down target. At his
size and with his route running ability, he's a matchup
nightmare.
Projected Top Reserves: Is it time for 6-2,
188-pound junior Michael Moore to finally live up to his
billing? A big-time, can't-miss prospect when he came to Athens
a few years ago, he's missed so far with just five career
catches and three for 28 yards and a touchdown last season. With
all the talent to be a dangerous deep threat, especially with
Matthew Stafford winging it around, Moore could go from being a
major disappointment to a breakout star if the light goes on.
6-3, 215-pound senior Kenneth Harris made four catches
for 52 yards last year after making 14 catches for 251 yards,
averaging 17.9 yards per catch, as a sophomore, and now he
appears to be on the verge of big things after being a workout
warrior this off-season and generating a buzz among the coaching
staff. In tremendous shape, he'll push Kris Durham hard for more
time at split end.
For a receiving corps long on
potential and short on production, it should say something that
the one Dawg target with the biggest upside might be true
freshman A.J. Green, a 6-4, 190-pound NFL-looking
receiver with tremendous hands and playmaking ability. If
nothing else, his signing has pushed the rest of the receivers
to work even harder. Also a possibility to see time early on is
the other top receiving recruit, Tavarres King, who set a
Georgia state record with 1,632 receiving yards and 17
touchdowns on 99 grabs. Already on campus, the 6-1, 172-pounder
is buried on the early depth chart, but that won't last for
long.
Backing up Chandler at tight end will be a combination of
sophomore Bruce Figgins and redshirt freshman Aron
White, two decent receiving prospects who can each see time
in two-tight end sets. Figgins only caught three passes last
year, but his first one went for a touchdown against Oklahoma
State. White, at 228 pounds, could stand to bulk up a bit to be
used more for the running game, but he has the potential to be a
field-stretching receiver in the slot.
Watch Out For ... The freshmen. The veteran
receiving corps is decent and has potential, but there might not
be a true be-all-end-all No. 1 target. It just hasn't happened
yet for Massaquoi, Durham or Harris, and while they'll all get
plenty of chances, Green and King might become the top two
options by the end of the year.
Strength: Potential. This is the million-dollar
receiving corps that boasts brilliant high school résumés across
the board. There's plenty of speed, lots of talent, and size,
size, size, with most of the top options going 6-2 and taller.
The group looks like Tarzan ...
Weakness: ... but so far, has played like Jane. Sean
Bailey's return last year finally gave Matthew Stafford a real,
live go-to receiver, and now someone has to step into the
vacated role. Yes, there's a ton of great talent and plenty of
options to get excited about, but Dawg fans have been hearing
that for years.
Outlook:
If everyone plays up to their potential and their possibilities,
especially veteran Mo Massaquoi, this will be a devastating corps, but at the moment, it's the
big X factor between Georgia being really good and being a
national champion. Having a quarterback like Stafford
makes everyone look better, and there will certainly be plenty
of chances for big plays and plenty of opportunities to shine.
Now it's time for the Georgia receiving corps to be a strength,
and not just a collection of guys.
Rating: 7
Offensive Linemen
Projected Starters: The big question mark will be
at tackle with Trinton Sturdivant lost for the year. Josh
Davis is a good young 6-6, 293-pound sophomore with good
athleticism. He's a promising prospect who saw a little bit of
time in seven games last year. While he saw a little time at
guard, he's a tackle who'll have to shine in place of Sturdivant.
Next to Studivant is 6-8,
320-pound junior Vince Vance, who slimmed down a little
bit yet still adds some pure bulk to the left side. He was a
strong prospect coming from the Georgia Military College, and he
didn't disappoint, despite having early problems with a knee
injury, seeing time in the rotation for ten games behind
Chris Davis, who'll move to center.
The one hole needing filling is Fernando Velasco in the middle,
and Davis, who was the main man at left guard, will get the
first shot at replacing him. A backup center at times during his
Freshman All-America season, it's not like Davis is starting
from scratch, but the 6-4, 292-pounder has a bigger leadership
hole to fill than anything else. Velasco was a team captain and
one of the team's steadiest players. While Davis is around 20
pounds lighter than Velasco, he's a better athlete.
The right side is set at guard where 6-5, 290-pound Clint
Boling is coming off a solid first season. The sophomore
first saw time at tackle before moving to a more natural guard
position, and he lived up to his prep billing becoming a strong
run blocker early on. While Boling has All-SEC written all over
him, there's a bit of a question mark at right tackle, where
Kiante Tripp, a former defensive end, has to step in for
Chester Adams after seeing time in seven games as a reserve. He
was an offensive tackle in high school, so it's not like he's
starting from scratch, but right tackle might be the one main
job opening up front going into the season.
Projected Top Reserves: Last year's line went from a
potential issue to solid almost overnight because of the
emergence of then true freshman Trinton Studivant at left
tackle. Considered one of the nation's best guard prospects, he
proved he could handle himself from day one on the outside and
started in 12 games. He's a very smart, very athletic blocker
who proved he could do a little bit of everything well, and now
the sky's the limit on how good he can become. While he bulked
up a bit, he's still a tight 6-5, 293 pounds with even more room
to grow if the NFL scouts are looking for him to beef up a
little. As is, he's just fine against the run while he's been a
terrific pass protector. Now he'll have to wait until next year
to shine after being lost for the year with a torn up knee.
One of the interesting
prospects coming in is 6-3, 300-pound Ben Jones, a center
who brings a bit more bulk than Chris Davis and whose emergence
could mean a little reshuffling up front. The true freshman got
to school for spring ball and has the potential to be an
immediate replacement for Fernando Velasco. In a perfect world,
Jones comes through at center and David is allowed to move to
guard.
The backup jobs across the board are wide-open to several young
players looking to quickly get their feet wet. On the plus side,
most of them are huge, like 6-5, 328-pound redshirt freshman
Tanner Strickland, a nice recruit two years ago who'll start
out behind Vince Vance at left guard, but could end up playing
on either side. 6-5, 328-pound Justin Anderson is almost
40 pounds heavier than Clint Boling at right guard, but is a
strong enough athlete to grow into a strong all-around blocker.
Watch Out For ... a little more shifting around as
the season starts up. It's not like the starting five needs a
whole bunch of tinkering, but there might be some movement among
the backups just to get a better rotation than there was last
year. Even with all the returning experience, this is still a
young line that'll be together for a few years. The faster the
pieces can be put in place, the faster it'll grow.
Strength: Cohesion. Losing the leader up front, center
Fernando Velasco will hurt a little bit, and the loss of
Sturdivant will hurt a lot, but it's not like Chris
Davis can't be a good quarterback for the front line and it's
not like there aren't good prospects waiting to shine. There would be worse things
than Davis moving to guard and someone like Ben Jones stepping
in, but no matter what happens, this group proved it could come
together last year, and now it could be one of the nation's best
lines.
Weakness: Backup experience. There isn't any ... for the
second year in a row. The Bulldogs got away with a lack of
proven depth last year, but teams rarely get that same break two
years in a row. It's not like the reserves can't play, they're
almost all top-shelf recruits, but few have any game experience.
Outlook:
What was a huge, glaring concern and a
possible Achilles heel going into last year turned into,
arguably, the team's biggest strength. Sometimes learning on the fly,
the green line that was supposed to need a ton of time but ended up
allowing a mere 15 sacks in 365 pass attempts while paving the way
for a killer running game that dominated over the second half of
the year. Sturdivant is special and will be sorely missed after
tearing up his knee, but Chris Davis and Clint Boling are going to be all-stars, and there's more than enough
good talent waiting in the wings just looking for a chance to
play. While everyone will expect big things out of this group,
merely being as good as last year would suffice.
Rating: 8.5