{"id":35442,"date":"2021-03-26T13:00:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T17:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=35442"},"modified":"2021-03-25T16:21:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T20:21:30","slug":"what-the-george-pickens-injury-means-for-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2021\/03\/26\/what-the-george-pickens-injury-means-for-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"What the George Pickens Injury Means for Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, the Georgia Bulldogs announced that junior wide receiver George Pickens<\/a> would undergo surgery for an ACL injury suffered in practice. As of now, the athletic department has said that there is no current timetable for Pickens\u2019 return. A typical ACL surgery takes several months to recover from.<\/p>\n

In the shortened 2020 season, Pickens led the Bulldogs in receiving touchdowns with six. He was also tied with fellow junior receiver Kearis Jackson<\/a> for the lead in catches at 36 and sat one yard behind Jackson for the team lead in receiving yards.<\/p>\n

What the George Pickens Injury Means for Georgia<\/h2>\n

The loss of Pickens would be monumental for Georgia. Near the end of the season, when quarterback JT Daniels<\/a> took over, it was clear the two had a great connection. Daniels seemed to often look to Pickens as his bail-out receiver, knowing that Pickens had a good chance to come down with any ball in his vicinity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Losing that kind of player has a major impact. However, the larger impact comes from what he does for his teammates. All too often, defenses had to make it a point to focus on Pickens because of his ability. This allowed other players to get open more often.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not being able to have a guy drawing defenders off is going to be a major blow for the Bulldogs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How To Fill The Hole<\/h3>\n

The injury also means that other players will have to step up to attempt to fill that hole. Obviously, you can not replace a player of Pickens level, but players can step up to try and reduce the loss. As mentioned before Kearis Jackson will be important for the Bulldogs in the passing game.<\/p>\n

Also, look for sophomore Jermaine Burton<\/a> to have a bigger impact. Burton had the third-most receiving yards on the team a year ago. This injury puts him in a position to move up the rankings this season.<\/p>\n

The team will also be bringing back Dominick Blaylock<\/a> who missed last season due to a knee injury in spring practice, very similar to what happened to Pickens this offseason. In his freshman season, Blaylock racked up 310 yards and five touchdowns on 18 receptions.<\/p>\n

It is also very possible that the team looks to lean even more on the big bodies at tight end, specifically six-foot-seven sophomore Darnell Washington<\/a>. Last season Washington only had seven catches for 166 yards. Do not be surprised to see the big man playing a big role this fall. Expect Washington to likely find pay dirt for the first time in his collegiate career.<\/p>\n

Senior Demetris Robertson will look to have a presence with a lot of the younger guys. Having a veteran will be important for helping them develop this season. Robertson picked up 110 yards on 12 catches last season.<\/p>\n

Georgia will also be looking to several younger players to step up for the first time in their collegiate careers. This will include players like sophomore Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, redshirt freshman Arian Smith, and true freshmen Adonai Mitchell and Jackson Meeks.<\/p>\n

As a whole, this injury is really bad for the Bulldogs. Losing a player of Pickens\u2019 caliber can drop a team a handful on spots in the final rankings. Georgia would likely be fighting for a playoff spot with Pickens in the lineup. Without him, the Bulldogs are probably somewhere in the Top 10. Georgia can still compete in the SEC<\/a>, but it will be a much tougher challenge at the national level.<\/p>\n

The most important thing for 2021 will be adapting to the situation and having younger players step up to have an impact on the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>