Darnell Washington delivering on hype for Georgia tight ends

On3 imageby:Palmer Thombs10/04/22

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Tons of attention has been paid to the Georgia tight ends so far this season. Coming into the year, they were the talk of the town, and through five games, they’ve performed that way. Brock Bowers leads the team in receiving with 20 catches for 342 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also added three scores on three carries as a rusher. But it’s not Bowers that Pro Football Focus has as the highest graded Georgia player so far this season. In fact, it’s another player in that tight end room, Darnell Washington. Whether you read much into PFF grades or not, there’s no denying that Washington has been a different kind of football player this season, a sign of increased maturity and a reminder of everything that he’s capable of as a tight end.

“Since he got here he’s matured so much. He’s taken ownership in his role on the team. He’s a great ball-in-the-air guy. He is exceptional blocker. He has taken on his role in terms of displacement and movement on the perimeter, run game blocking, play-action, vertical passing,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Washington on Monday. “He’s really just a better football player because he’s bought into being in shape, bought into playing with toughness, he has bought into the team, and he has helped himself tremendously in terms of our team, helping us being a guy that can go get balls. Especially if you’re struggling outside, this guy can go make plays on the ball in the air. I thought he showed that and probably had his best game of his career on Saturday night when we needed him most.”

Washington hauled in three passes for 64 yards this past Saturday in Georgia’ 26-22 win over Missouri, averaging 21.3 yards per catch. In doing so, he consistently showcased exactly what fans have been wanting to see out of the 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end since he stepped foot on campus — the ability to go up over defenders to come down with possession as well as catch and run with the ball in his hands. It was Washington – and Bowers – that Stetson Bennett turned to when the offense needed a burst, and it was those tight ends that delivered.

“A lot of credit goes to Darnell and Stetson showing confidence in him to throw the ball in his area code and he goes and gets it,” Smart said after the game when asked about Washington’s performance. “People don’t give guy a lot of credit but Darnell was one of those leaders in the locker room who said, ‘I want to run the ball. Get behind me. Let me move people.’ There was a play out there where he absolutely, on Brock Bowers screen, I thought it was a touchdown but it got to the one foot line that Darnell just destroys a guy. There’s no value you can put on that.”

As Georgia turns its attention to Auburn this week, expect Washington to continue to be a big part of the plans. He and his tight end room partner Bowers were all the hype coming into the season, and so far, they’ve delivered better than anybody else on Georgia’s offense.

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