If this is your first time reading this blog, I warn you that I tend to see things from an optimistic point of view. Honestly, I think Aaron Murray and Grantham's defense adding a year of experience will affect the team much more than the loss of AJ Green will. On a less tangible note, all accounts point to a shift in attitude around the football program. Before you groan and say "We hear this every off-season," consider the facts. Since Greg McGarity took office in Athens, it's been nothing but positive news coming out of Butts-Mehre. The new S&C program seems to be weeding out the men from the boys, the new hires look great (on paper, at least), and the players are all buying into the attitude of change. McGarity made schedule changes (adding Boise State, dropping Louisville, adding Tasty Cake home games) that will increase exposure as well as minimize team fatigue.
Although we don't know how everything going on within the program will turn out, the players and coaches seem excited about this season and the positivity is contagious. The fans are excited, the administration is excited, the students are excited. You should be too. Here are a few players/units I'm paying attention to over spring practice:
- Kwame Geathers - Johnathan Jenkins is as close to a sure starter as you can get, but Bean Anderson moving back to the O-line gives Kwame Geathers a full spring to get first-team reps at nose. Kwame has a lot of weight on his shoulders should Jenkins be unable to play for any reason come fall. Fortunately, by all accounts Kwame has made great strides under the new S&C program, two years after showing up to fall camp overweight.
- The DEs - This unit might be the most talented on this side of the ball. DeAngelo Tyson and Abry Jones are already all-SEC caliber players that, in my opinion, will benefit the most from the change in defensive scheme. Garrison Smith and Derrick Lott should definitely push for first-team reps during the spring as well.
- Jarvis Jones & Richard Samuel - These two guys might've been the biggest recruits of the 2010 class. Their redshirt year made it possible for get healthy and gain experience, respectively. Even though there's no substitute for game experience, these guys have played the game before, and they're no slouches. Can't wait to see these guys between the hedges.
- Rantavious Wooten, Marlon Brown, Chris Conley - Even though the Dawgs' WR corps lost most of its productivity this year, the absence of AJ Green will make for opportunities to get more options on the field. Green helped set up the running game when he was on the field, hopefully these guys become big enough threats for Mike Bobo to spread these guys out. If Wooten is healthy and put in enough work in the weight room, his route running and after-the-catch ability could be a great asset. Marlon Brown is the best blocking receiver on the team, but didn't get many balls thrown to him with Green and Durham around. This spring is the time for these guys to establish themselves as legitimate threats in the passing game.
- The secondary - I'm not as down on this unit as most seem to be. Keep a proper perspective here, these guys were young, in a new scheme and still found a way to make more plays than the secondary did than in the 08 and 09 seasons. One thing to remember: The bigger, stronger front seven will pay dividends for the DBs. Brandon Boykin coming back was huge and Sanders Commings is a baller. If Branden Smith proves to be as good in run support as he is in coverage the unit will be solid, even though I think Jakar Hamilton would be a better all-around corner at his spot. The coaches moving Ogletree to ILB rubbed a few people the wrong way, but I don't really understand why. During the recruiting process it was a consensus opinion that Tree would eventually move to LB. People forget that Bacarri Rambo and Shawn Williams were first-year starters last year. I'd be even more confident about the back four if Corey Moore would've enrolled early, he could end up being the best coverage safety we've seen between the hedges in quite a while, and that's more important to me than a headhunter.
