Georgia Bulldogs: Tight End Is The New Wide Receiver

In case you missed the bulletin, A.J. Green is gone. No longer will No. 8 traverse the fields of Sanford Stadium, and while there is currently not a guy on the Georgia Bulldogs' roster who seems ready to step into Green's huge shoes—have no fear—the tight end could be back in style again.

While a plethora of questions are worthy of conversation where the wide receiving corps is concerned—can Tavarres King be effective as a No. 1, will Marlon Brown or Rantavious Wooten ever become legit, is Michael Bennett the sleeper of the SEC this season—there seems to be little of that wondering going on where the tight ends are concerned. As a matter of fact, the only question that seems to keep cropping up is whether or not Aaron Murray will be able to air it out enough to keep his plethora of ends happy?

We start, of course, with Orson Charles who has been beastly since his arrival on campus in 2009. He has rarely disappointed, but you get the feeling that the best is still yet to come with this young man. Perhaps in his second season catching footballs from best friend, and former Plant High teammate, Aaron Murray, we will finally see him reach his full potential.

Next up is Aron White who, at 6'4", 239, is one of the smallest tight ends on the depth chart, but who has continually made his presence felt on the field during some of the more crucial downs. He's been hampered a bit by an injury this spring but, as the senior leader of this group, what he offers in poise and experience far outweighs his stat line which, given the lack of attention this position has been  given over the years, is still impressive.

Arthur Lynch looks like he's ready to make a difference on the football field this season as well. The redshirt sophomore gained better than 20 pounds this past offseason, and has looked solid in drills thus far. Lynch has always been lauded for his great blocking ability—a trait that will always get you on the football field for Mark Richt—but he has the potential to be every bit as useful as a pass-catcher. Look for him to step it up this season.

Finally, there's Jay Rome—who isn't even enrolled yet. You can expect to see him get a better than average shot at early playing time in 2011. He's got the size, the speed, the build, and the potential to make a nice contribution for the Bulldogs if placed in the right offensive situations.

There's no doubt that Georgia will be looking for playmakers this year and, as already mentioned, the wide receiving corps could use a boost with both Green and Durham now gone. It wouldn't surprise me to see one of these guys, perhaps Charles or White, step onto the football field in a hybrid role to fill in the blanks—particularly Charles who is known to get loose in the middle of the field to make the big play.

If offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, can FINALLY see fit to open up his playbook to include more offensive sets for his talented tight ends, perhaps the obvious void in the receiving corps won't seem nearly as daunting.

Georgia Bulldogs: 2012 TE Prospect Ricky Parks

Ricky Parks is on Georgia's radar for 2012.

The uber-talent out of Callaway High School in Hogansville, GA has born comparisons to both Cam Newton of Auburn and Orson Charles of Georgia. He currently plays the quarterback position for Callaway High School, but is projected by many to be a tight end at the next level. However, one look at his film and it is safe to say that he could be a special prospect at either position.

As for Parks' preference, he has already stated that he would like to play tight end—specifically in a pro-style offense—and Georgia is currently tied at the top of his list with Alabama.

Parks is 6'3", 210, with a lot of potential, but he will need to work on his technique a bit more if he's going to play at a consistently high level in the college ranks—can he become a sufficient blocker? Either way, Parks is a prospect worth keeping a close eye on as the 2012 recruiting season moves forward.

Below is some film on Parks—mostly playing at quarterback—where you definitely can get a feel for how much talent he has.

Ricky Parks, QB #9, Callaway High School:

(h/t RustyMansell)

Recruiting: Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell Verbally Commit To UGA

Photo Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

When Xzavier Dickson pledged his allegiance to Alabama at the Under-Armour All-American game a mere two weeks ago, a feeling of dejection came over many a Bulldog fan as their dream of an in-state all-star team seemed to look more like a nightmare.

What a difference a few weeks and a couple of decisions can make.

While nothing is ever "official" until the ink is on the paper, the verbal commitments of both Jay Rome (TE) and Malcolm Mitchell (DB/WR) certainly helped rekindle the dream of a great class and, for once, made the Georgia faithful feel like a turnaround could indeed be in store for 2011.

What each player offers is likely obvious by now.

Jay Rome is rated the No. 1 tight end in the country and, playing alongside other great talents like Orson Charles and Aron White,  he adds yet another big weapon for the Bulldogs on offense.

He has good size, great speed, and excellent play making ability.

As for Malcolm Mitchell, no doubt he was a surprise for Georgia fans as Alabama was thought to be his school of choice for quite a while. Fortunately for Georgia, Mitchell's desire to remain in-state swayed him towards the red and black at the last minute.

At 6'1", 190, Mitchell has the size to play both receiver and defensive back at the next level. And, it has already been hinted that he just might.

Georgia could definitely use his services on both sides of the ball—particularly with Boykin likely gone after 2011 and Branden Smith suffering through his share of injuries. 

Both prospects should play well for Georgia provided they are given the proper coaching.

All in all, it's been a good day to be a Georgia Bulldog.

Jay Rome video:




Malcolm Mitchell video: