Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint approaches role as blocker with right attitude

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint might’ve changed his number from 81 to 1 before this season, but it’s not because he’s anything like George Pickens. The Pompano Beach, Fla. native even said so on Monday. He doesn’t have a highlight reel full of flashy catches. He isn’t the kind of guy to “go up and get it.” No. The first thing that comes to mind with Rosemy-Jacksaint is his blocking ability, and that’s aye okay with him. In fact, it’s an emphasis for him and the entirety of the offense.

“That’s something that’s a big emphasis in this offense,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said about his perimeter blocking. “We have a lot of players that make plays on the perimeter, so perimeter blocking is necessary in our offense. I take pride in that, blocking on the perimeter, being able to spring guys like the running backs open on up big plays. Receivers that block downfield, it’s a great recipe to making big plays downfield, so that’s one thing, one area that I have a lot of emphasis on.”

Coming out of high school, Rosemy-Jacksaint was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the country. A top-100 recruit overall, Rosemy-Jacksaint got on the field immediately as a true freshman, seeing action in each of the first six games of the season. It was in that sixth game that he caught his first career touchdown pass, but it was also in that sixth game that Rosemy-Jacksaint’s first year of College Football came to an end, suffering a season-ending broken ankle on the play.

Rosemy-Jacksaint didn’t let that set him back though, returning to play in 13 of 15 games as a sophomore in 2021, including four that he started. He has seen action in all four games to start 2022 and has almost as many catches this year as he did all of last season and more than he did as a freshman. With six catches for 70 yards, Rosemy-Jacksaint’s career total is up to 17 catches and 226 yards with just that one career touchdown.

Would it mean a lot for Rosemy-Jacksaint to get back in the end zone? Certainly, but in the mean time, he’s enjoying opening up lanes for everyone else on the offense to do that.

“It’s an attitude,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said when asked if he’s always been a blocker. “It’s all about your attitude. If you’ve got the attitude that you’re going to go in there and hit somebody, then that’s what you’re going to do. If you don’t have that attitude then you’re not going to do it. So that’s something I’ve always had growing up playing football, had an attitude where I always liked to be physical. It’s part of my attitude, my play style.”

Kirby Smart has seen that attitude too. He saw it when recruiting Rosemy-Jacksaint out of St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the top programs in the country in South Florida.

“I knew his personality bled to fitting our culture, which is toughness, which is physicality, which is special teams,” Smart said. “And he’s a talented wideout. I mean, not many people can go in as a true freshman and do some of the things he did prior to his injury, and to come back from the injury and still have the same tenacious attitude and toughness and just buy-in. He helps create a culture of physicality and toughness in the room. I can’t say that I knew he had that. I knew he was a competitor. I knew he fit what we wanted. And he’s done a great job of carrying that message.”

Oftentimes when asked about specific plays, Smart is quick to credit guys like Rosemy-Jacksaint for the blocking that helped make it possible. After all, if he wasn’t doing his job, the pass catcher or ball carrier wouldn’t be able to do theirs. Rosemy-Jacksaint knows that and enjoys when he does his job well and gets to see guys like Kenny McIntosh, Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers running free down the sideline. As much as they are highlights for McIntosh, McConkey, Bowers and the others that get the glory, they are highlights for Rosemy-Jacksaint whose attitude towards the team is in the right place.

“I feel like that targets, all that, they don’t really matter. It’s about the game plan that we have, the game plan for each week,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “Whatever the game plan is, that’s what we’re going to try and execute. We want to try and execute it to the full capacity that we can. I’m trying to provoke victories. I’m not really worried about the targets, how many targets I get and things like that.”

No. 1 Georgia goes on the road this week to take on Missouri, the first of seven straight SEC games for the Bulldogs. Kickoff time from Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.