Oscar Delp unfazed by being next man up for Brock Bowers
ATHENS, Ga. — If Oscar Delp felt any more pressure on Saturday against Florida, it’d be obvious the reason why. No Brock Bowers meant that the sophomore tight end was moved up a spot on the depth chart. While he was playing before the Bowers injury, he was the team’s top tight end after the fact.
But according to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, he didn’t sense any extra weight on Delp’s shoulders. And if there was any, it certainly didn’t show it.
“I don’t see any difference. I know y’all find that hard to believe, but he played when Brock was here, he plays when Brock’s not. He took a load of reps before Brock was injured, he takes a load of reps with Brock injured. He fights his tail off every day at practice, he works hard – if anything, he’s just gotten more opportunities, and he’s made the most of them,” Smart said on Tuesday.
“Oscar’s great. He didn’t feel any more burden. We told him he wasn’t going to play anymore snaps than he normally does. He was going to go out and compete and work hard,” Smart added after the game on Saturday. “Lawson Luckie gave him a blow, and hey, that’s why you recruit guys. You bring them in to play, and I wouldn’t say that he’s (Luckie) exactly ready for it. He got hit a couple of times in the run game, but he’s going to have to get ready for it. I’m talking about Lawson, not Oscar. Oscar did a tremendous job. He’s a very physical blocker, and the one handed catch he made over on our sideline kind of got momentum going.”
Delp finished the day with two catches for 31 yards including the 18-yard one-handed grab Smart referenced early in the game. While Delp admitted that wasn’t something he does every day at practice, it was just a part the routine for him, trying to keep things rolling without Bowers available.
“I mean, I practiced the same way I’ve been practicing: just as hard as I can. It sucks having him go down. He’s a huge part of our team, our offense, and our locker room. I knew there was going to be more opportunities on the table for players. I just had to make every play that I had a chance to make and just keep practicing like I’ve been practicing,” Delp said.
“I don’t think I was nervous from a nervous standpoint. I’ve been getting in there all season,” he added. “I think the coaches have done well preparing all of us for situations like this to happen in case it happens. I was really just excited to get out there and play just like I am every week.”
Delp’s increased opportunities will continue for as long as Bowers remains sidelined. With it though should come more and more confidence and improvement in his play.
“I mean, I’ve always been confident in myself. It’s really, I think, making other people comfortable, just seeing another face in there doing something that hasn’t really been seen because we’ve had Brock in there all the time,” Delp said. “So I mean I’ve always believed in myself and been confident, and I think my teammates have as well. And they’ve all let me know that. I think it’s more just all the outside noise.”
Delp and the Dawgs host Missouri this coming Saturday at Sanford Stadium. The Tigers enter at 7-1 on the season and vying with Georgia for the top spot in the SEC East. Kickoff time between the hedges is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
