Offense takes heightened expectations into G-day
Georgia’s offense carries multiple qualities into G-day 2021 it didn’t fully have in spring 2020 including experience and depth.
Helmed by second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Georgia returns each offensive starter on its roster from the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, most notably junior quarterback JT Daniels. While under center, he guided the Bulldogs to an average of 37.25 points per game after the offense sputtered through its first six games prior. During Georgia’s final four games of last season, Daniels threw for 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.
‘Embracing the
relationship’
Unlike last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced football teams out of a spring season, Georgia has the chance to further develop chemistry ahead of this year’s G-day. Daniels is accustomed to having the spring to develop relationships with teammates.
“I’ve put more effort into not just words of encouragement, but trying to keep everyone focused and on-task,” Daniels said. “There’s just a lot of areas in leadership that I have really tried to take a step in.”
Partly due to an ACL injury suffered at Southern California in 2019, Daniels’ Georgia debut didn’t come until Nov. 21 against Mississippi State. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns against State and has since solidified his place atop Georgia’s quarterback depth chart for 2021.
Now free of injury, Daniels aims to continue his on-field exploits by establishing purposeful connections with teammates this offseason.
“[Daniels is] a really good leader, and I think the fact that he’s come back and he’s had a little more time ... he’s just now embracing the relationship with those (teammates),” said head coach Kirby Smart.
Zamir White and James Cook both return to Georgia’s backfield. Darnell Washington and John Fitzpatrick are expected to have more active roles at tight end, and Georgia has experienced receivers in Kearis Jackson and Demetris Robertson, who have a combined eight seasons at the college level.
Returning offensive linemen Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer started all 10 games last season, with Warren Mcclendon starting all but one. Together, they bolster an offensive front that paved the way for 18 rushing touchdowns last season.
“I feel like the momentum is shifting in the right place,” Shaffer said. “I feel like it comes to that team bonding and everybody being on the right page and connecting to get us the goals that we need.”
Daniels attributed the trend of players staying in Athens to an overall program-first standard that begins from the top and infiltrates every sector of the locker room.
Every spring conditioning session, practice snap and position meeting is dedicated to a collective goal: winning a national championship. Daniels is now the face of it all.
“There’s no denying that I do want to win a (national championship),” Daniels said. “And I think we have the team to do it. It’s a great team, and Coach Smart has done a really good job of instilling a team standard and team DNA that a lot of the guys have (become) accustomed to.”
Filling the gaps
Being the starter so early in the season inhibits confidence, Daniels said. Smart doesn’t usually announce his go-to quarterback at this point of the offseason. So, with certainty at the quarterback position, the offense should be better equipped for Week 1 than last season. It wasn’t announced that D’wan Mathis would be Georgia’s Week 1 starter until the game’s opening series last season.
Still, there have been setbacks with cohesion, as the offense’s first test came on March 23 with the loss of star receiver George Pickens to an ACL injury for an indefinite period of time. Pickens finished with 36 receptions, 513 yards and a team-leading six receiving touchdowns last season, four of which were thrown by Daniels.
Players down the depth chart have focused on offensive cohesiveness. It’s evidence of increased accountability and experience that bodes well for a highscoring G-day.
“I think there’s a lot of guys that really know what we have and the potential that we have,” Daniels said. “One, (they) love to win. Two, (they) love to compete and want to put themselves in as good of light as possible before they finish their career.”