Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint return gives confidence to all on Georgia offense
ATHENS, Ga. — Top-ranked Georgia had two starting receivers on the sideline for last week’s season opener. One, Ladd McConkey, remains questionable this week as he continues to work deal with a frustrating back injury. The other, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, will be back in action this Saturday when the Bulldogs take on Ball State, something that shouldn’t be overlooked for an offense trying to improve on a somewhat disappointing showing relative to expectations.
“The number one thing we missed is leadership. I mean, the guy is incredible as a leader,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said this week about his absence in the opener. “He stands up, admits when he made a mistake, and he is one of the toughest, most competitive — like, the practice today for him will be like the Super Bowl, and every day is like that for him.”
“He sets an example in that room that I think it embodies our receiver room,” he continued. “I haven’t been around a receiver room that actually cares as much about blocking as these guys do, and they do that because their leader has that personality.”
Last year, Rosemy-Jacksaint finished as one of the team’s top five pass catchers, strengthening his game after primarily acting as a blocker in previous seasons. Hauling in 29 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns, his production was good for second-best returning in the receiver room behind McConkey.
“It really helps Carson’s confidence. That’s one of the things about having Marcus around. It’s like (let’s out a deep breath), Marcus knows every fast ball play, Marcus knows exactly what to do when he checks, Marcus knows the route tree. Marcus gives you comfort as a quarterback that he’s going to do it right,” Smart added to his prior comments on Rosemy-Jacksaint’s return. “… He’s very reliable, and I think having him back gives all those guys a little more swagger and confidence at receiver because he’s out there.”
One of those receivers whose swagger might go up would be sophomore Dillon Bell. While he’ll likely be moved out of the starting lineup in place of Rosemy-Jacksaint, Bell said having him available is like a coach on the field. As a freshman last season, Bell learned a lot from Rosemy-Jacksaint, along with his fellow Texan AD Mitchell. This year, that teaching from Rosemy-Jacksaint has continued.
“Just learning from him because all my freshman year I learned from him. That’s been amazing, for sure,” Bell said. “I would say definitely catching in traffic and releases, for sure. I learned a lot about his releases and learning how to catch the ball even when the defender’s on you for sure, and coming back to the ball when you’re running routes.”
Another sophomore pass catcher, tight end Oscar Delp, also said he feels Rosemy-Jacksaint’s presence in the huddle. According to him, Rosemy-Jacksaint’s verbal leadership is reassuring to everyone, both on the offense and the team as a whole.
“He’s one of the best leaders on our team, especially on offense. Just having him in that huddle and kind of reassuring everyone, it just kind of gives everyone a reassurance that he’s there,” Delp said. “He’s always talking, always being verbal. He’s a great verbal leader. Just his actions speak for itself. He’s always making great plays on the field. No matter if he’s on the sideline or on the field during practice, I mean, you’re always hearing him and always seeing him.”
Kickoff time for Saturday’s game against Ball State is set for 12:00 p.m. ET from Sanford Stadium, airing on SEC Network.
