Georgia Fall Camp Position Battle: X-Receiver
One of the biggest issues with Georgia’s receiving corps last season, beyond leading the FBS in drops, was their lack of a true X-receiver. At this point last year, Georgia was heading into the season looking good at the position with Rara Thomas and Colbie Young set to assume the role.
However, just before the start of fall camp, Thomas was dismissed from the team following his second arrest in his time with the Bulldogs. It was an early blow to Georgia’s depth at the position. A second came five games into the season as Young ran into legal troubles of his own, which saw him essentially suspended for the remainder of the year.
Now, with Young back with the team and the addition of Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas via the transfer portal, Georgia looks to have a plan once again at X-receiver.
What We Learned in the Spring
Even after leading the Aggies in yards and receptions, Thomas decided to enter the portal before ultimately winding up in Athens. That move reunited him with the man who originally recruited him to College Station, James Coley.
“Coach Coley used to coach me at Texas A&M,” Thomas said back in the spring. “I’ve got a great relationship with him. He’s a great dude, real genuine.”
That “genuine” coach will hope to help Thomas further realize the potential he saw in him as a recruit out of Pearland, Texas.
At 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds, Thomas brings more size to Georgia’s offense, a trait that has been synonymous with the X-receiver role over the years. He finished last season with 574 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions in an Aggie offense that had two starting quarterbacks throughout the year.
He will be competing for snaps on the perimeter with another former transfer in Young. The former Miami Hurricane showed promise in his five appearances last season. His second reception in the red and black was a seven-yard touchdown in the season opener versus Clemson, where he displayed his ability to go up and high-point the football.
He totaled just 149 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions before he served his indefinite suspension. While his snaps with Gunner Stockton didn’t come until the spring, he showed off his contested catch ability in the spring game, with his lone reception being a 17-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Puglisi.
“Yeah, he gives you problems outside,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Young following G-Day. “You’re going out there, and there’s not a lot of defense you can have for a guy that gets the ball at the highest point and goes up. It forces DBs to have a really good ball skill set. … And Colbie has made a lot of plays this spring on those 50-50 type balls.”
Outside of the two former transfers, Georgia has another big-bodied receiver in CJ Wiley. The 6-foot-4 true freshman made a one-handed grab in the spring game against tight coverage. While it may be unrealistic to expect Wiley to come in and play major snaps right away, he will likely see opportunities as a freshman to contribute, even if that is behind Young and Thomas.
Who Do We See Winning Out?
This is kind of a trick question. Georgia will rotate at receiver, just like it will at linebacker, running back, and especially along the defensive line. So “winning” in this “battle” is more so about who Georgia trusts the most early on.
Georgia certainly gave Young his chances in his five games last season. They attempted shots repeated downfield in the fourth quarter on the road at Alabama. While the last ended up being intercepted, they likely won’t shy away from giving him more chances.
Thomas will get his as well as the Bulldogs look for one to truly establish themselves as the go-to guy at the X position.