The Georgia Bulldogs had their first big blow of the season, as it was announced that sophomore wide receiver Dominick Blaylock tore his ACL in practice. This is not the first time Blaylock has dealt with this injury. Against LSU in the SEC Championship, the then true freshman wide receiver tore the ACL in his left knee. He underwent surgery in December and had just recently returned to practice. The current injury is to the same knee and will require surgery, according to the University of Georgia.
How Georgia Should Replace Dominick Blaylock
So where does that leave the Bulldogs? Blaylock was expected to be the starting receiver in the slot this fall. It leaves Georgia with some pretty significant shoes to fill. Blaylock was sixth on the team in receptions last season and second out of returning players. This season was set to be a big year for the true sophomore.
Potential Replacements
In his place will likely be one of three players: Demetris Robertson, Kearis Jackson, or Jermaine Burton.
Robertson would have likely started even if Blaylock were to play, just not in the slot. This injury could see the redshirt senior move to the slot, where he did play some snaps last season. This is probably one of the more likely transitions we could see.
Option number two would be bringing redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson into the slot. Like Robertson, Jackson did take a number of snaps in the slot last season, so it is not unfamiliar ground. This would also allow you to leave Robertson out wide, where most people expected him to be playing this season anyways. This is a better option than the first. Jackson is slightly bigger than Robertson is, so you would like to see him in that slot spot and leave the slightly quicker Robertson out wide to receive deeper passes.
Best Option For Georgia To Replace Dominick Blaylock
The third and final option would be to allow true freshman Jermaine Burton to line up in the slot. The likelihood of Burton getting consistent time as the starter is not that great, but he is definitely a slot type of player. He can block really well. He is able to get off of the line quickly and beat the press. Coming in as a true freshman, he likely will not be the main guy from week one.
However, rotating between Jackson and Burton in the slot, while allowing George Pickens and Demetris Robertson to play as the wide players could work brilliantly. The Bulldogs even went with two receivers in the slot a few times last season, meaning we could see all four of those players on the field at once. This is the ideal scenario for Georgia. Allow Burton and Jackson to rotate in the slot, and when you go four wide, bring them both in.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the Bulldogs have a few ways they can fill the shoes after the devastating injury. Obviously, losing a player like Blaylock is not going to be good for the team, and you hate to see a player with such promise go down again. But on the bright side, it could open the door from some guys to get more snaps and be able to develop some. You never want to get your opportunity this way as a player, but that is exactly what this is. Burton is a guy who could surprise a lot of people this season, and he will likely be having to fill in more often now.
