Alabama Game Week Scouting Report: Zamir White and the Georgia Playmakers

BamaCentral and NFL Draft Bible team up to profile key players Alabama will face this season, who have a chance to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

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There's a lot of ground to cover, so we're going to cut to the chase and explain why even though Georgia's offense may not be all that splashy, it's extremely dangerous.  

Quarterbacks: Too many people are hung up on senior Stetson Bennett not being a high-profile prospect, and began his career as a walk-on who transferred to Jones College in Mississippi for a season. He started against Alabama in 2020, going 18-for-40, for 269 yards, two touchdowns and a career-high three interceptions in the 41-24 loss to the Crimson Tide. 

This season he's played in 11 games and is 119-for-183 (65.0 percent) for 1,985 yards with 21 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's the starter because he even though JT Daniels has a better arm he also has a tendency to take sacks and make dangerous throws. Bennett is more deliberate and takes care of the ball. He's second nationally in passing efficiency (188.5).

Running backs: Seniors Zamir White (128 attempts, 691 yards, 10 touchdowns) and James Cook (90 att., 581 yds., seven TDs) split most of the carries, and both are pretty fresh as neither did much the last two weeks against Georgia Tech and Charleston Southern. With 17 catches for 129 yards and three touchdowns, Cook is an option in the passing game, along with Kenny McIntosh. Every once in a while the coaches will come out in the "Wild Dawg" formation. 

Tight end: The only reason why we're not profiling Brock Bowers is because he's only a freshman, but he's that good. Bowers has a team-high 37 catches for 652 yards and 11 touchdowns (including one rushing). He's already set school records for most yards and touchdown catches by a tight end, and he only needs one more to tie the overall mark of 11 by Terrence Edwards (2002). Bowers has had three 100-yard games, including last week against Georgia Tech.  

Wide receiver: George Pickens has made a quick recovery from a torn ACL suffered in the spring, but one has to wonder how much of a contribution he'll be able to make. Last week he made his season debut and had a catch for five yards. 

Meanwhile, junior Kearis Jackson will be a game-time decision due to what's believed to be a rib injury. Plus, sophomore Dominick Blaylock (knee) made his season debut against Charleston Southern in his first action since the 2019 SEC Championship Game. He had two catches for 11 yards and returned two punts. 

Georgia's leading wide receiver statistically has been redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey with 26 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns. He had a career-high five catches for 135 yards, thanks to a 60-yard touchdown, against Auburn.

Jackson has been the wide receiver Georgia has leaned upon the most minus Pickens, so he's included below even though he's questionable to play. 

Lorenz Leinweber and Kellyn Gerenstein both profiled Pickens and both evaluations are included:

James Cook

Jersey: No. 4
Position: Running back
Ht: 5-11; Weight: 195
DOB: 9/25/99
Draft Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Miami, Florida
High School: Miami Central

Background

Raised in Miami. Four-star recruit according to 247Sports. Was a two-way player at running back and defensive back in high school. Competed in 100m, 200m, 400m and shot put for his high school track team. Housing management major. Younger brother of Minnesota Vikings and former Florida State running back, Dalvin Cook. 

Pros

Quick, shifty runner who can change directions at high speeds. Cook is a smooth operator with very light feet. He shows acceleration and good speed in the open field and a receiver. An active off-hand and his slippery nature preventing defenders from getting angles on him make him tough to tackle. He thrives as a receiver, displaying reliable hands. As a route runner he can separate, keeping his pads square and changing directions suddenly. His speed allows him to stress defenses vertically from the slot or when matched up with linebackers against man coverage. Downfield, he tracks the ball well. Cook is a willing inside runner.

Cons

Despite his speed, Cook lacks decisiveness to get skinny through holes and into the open. He fails to read the second level of the defense on zone concepts. A lack of physicality limits his effectiveness running inside. As a pass blocker, he is not physical enough to absorb contact. Cook often lets passes get into his chest.

Summary

Skinny, fluid runner with good speed and acceleration. Cook thrives as a third-down back with his receiving ability. He struggles to get into the open field as a runner and a lack of physicality limits his inside running and pass blocking success. Cook projects as a secondary back behind a more physical runner. He will handle receiving duties and create explosive plays. As a runner his best fit is in a wide zone scheme to take advantage of his speed. 

Grades

7.2 current value/7.8 potential value

Kearis Jackson

Jersey: No. 10
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 5-11.2
Weight: 200
DOB: 12/9/99
Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Fort Valley, Georgia 
High School: Peach County

Background

Raised in Fort Valley. Four-star recruit according to 247Sports. Lettered in football and track winning the 2017 Class 3A shot put championship in high school. Management major. Named one of three student representatives on the University of Georgia Athletics Board of Directors. UGA's representative at the SEC Football Leadership Council. Named team captain twice as a junior.

Pros

Deployed as a slot receiver in a vertical offense, Jackson is mainly asked to run deep and intermediate routes, which suits his ability to keep his pads square and sink his hips into breaks. Despite fighting the ball, he comes down with more catches in traffic than expected, laying out for passes. After the catch, Jackson displays great vision and uses his above average speed to pick up extra yards. He is a serviceable blocker with good effort.

Cons

Ankle stiffness prevents him from getting into his breaks and turning tight corners. Jackson lets the ball get into his chest frequently and does not have the hands to catch the ball on a reliable basis. He gets bumped off of his route by physical defenders. When releasing he uses his hands, showing a lack of suddenness. Jackson does not improvise in his routes, failing to adjust to coverage. A lack of urgency against zone coverage, causes him to be late into windows.

Summary

Deep and intermediate slot receiver with good vision after the catch. Jackson has above average speed and is able to sink his hips. Ankle stiffness and a habit of fighting the football prevent him from separating and catching the ball reliably. Jackson projects as a camp wideout who is best as a slot receiver in a vertical offense. He has an outside shot of making a roster if he can contribute on special teams.

Grades

5.3 current value/6.4 potential value

George Pickens 

Jersey: No. 1
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6-2.6
Weight: 200
DOB: 3/4/01
Draft Eligible: 2022
Hometown: Hoover, Alabama
High School: Hoover

Background

Raised just outside of Birmingham. Five-star recruit according to 247Sports. Got into a fight against Georgia Tech as a freshman. Squirted an opponent with a water bottle causing an unsportsmanlike penalty as a sophomore against Tennessee. Tore his ACL in 2021. Brother Chris Humes played at Arkansas State and the CFL. Major is unknown.

Pros

Leinweber: Very competitive receiver in all phases of the game. Pickens possesses impressive length and strong hands to pluck the ball away from his frame. He is not afraid to go over the middle and lays out for passes. A ball winner with the pass in the air, Pickens tracks it, adjusts and makes a play at the high point. Using his pads and head to stay square and sell vertical routes, he sets up his underneath breakers. Lower body and ankle flexion allow him to get in and out of his breaks. Pickens is smooth yet sudden, getting off the line, showing lateral agility to go either way. When running verticals against press, he uses his quick first step to get on top of corners before stacking them. His speed is good. After the catch, he does not go down easily and is elusive to avoid defenders. Pickens is a competitive blocker looking to finish.

Gerenstein: Effortless mover at all points on the field. Time for him to gather and break down at full speed is extremely fast. Plays with good short-area quickness at the top of his stems and at the release. Twitch helps him separate at the top of his routes, shaking off defenders with good lean and head movement. Is a high effort blocker, knocking press corners off their spot with pop in his hands and showing discipline when stalk blocking players who give him a cushion. Can stem inside or outside and still be able to shake off corners no matter where their leverage is.

Cons

Leinweber: Competitive nature can get the better of him, getting called for flags and hurting his team. Pickens has yet to fill out his frame, as he could likely add another 10-15 lbs. Rare drops stem from him taking his eyes off the ball. Pickens could be more aggressive boxing out corners at the catch point.

Gerenstein: Is a fast mover but doesn’t often stack DBs quickly. Has good feet at the release but can lose to press corners by not using his hands well. Has a solid frame at 200 pounds but doesn’t play with a lot of strength. Isn’t a player who attacks the ball with his hands at the catch point, evidenced by a couple of concentration drops that bounce off of his chest. Relies on only one move at the release: “In-and-Out.”

Summary

Leinweber: Long, athletic wideout with a complete skill set. Pickens is a ball winner with separation skills. His competitive nature carries over to all phases of his game and can get the better of him. Pickens projects as a starting wideout who can be the focal point of a passing attack operating as an X. He can make plays downfield and force defenses to divert extra attention to him or use his hands and route running to move the sticks underneath. Keeping his head straight and staying healthy are his biggest challenges to become a dominant NFL player.

Gerenstein: Twitched-up, speedy, and versatile receiver who needs to add a bit more to his repertoire at the release. Pickens best attribute can be described by a sports car commercial: its ability to go 0-60 fast and 70-0 even faster. Pickens has exactly that, and his punch step and entire gather happens all in about three steps and under a second. He does his best work as a deep threat, using fancy footwork to free himself. At the intermediate level, Pickens can turn DBs around with forceful breaks at the top of his route. Struggling with press corners the most, Pickens tries to use the same sort of moves at the line of scrimmage which makes him predictable. Against good corners, he’ll need to do a better job at changing what the defenders see on a down-to-down basis, and be able to stack defenders sooner into his stem. He mostly played Z receiver for the Bulldogs but definitely has the ability to move in and out of the slot, showing he can be reliable to get yards after the catch.

Grades

Leinweber: 8.5 current value/potential value 9.5

Gerenstein: 8.2 / 9.0

Zamir White

Jersey: No. 3
Position: Running back
Height: 5-11.2
Weight: 215
DOB: 9/18/99
Draft eligible: 2022
Hometown: Laurinburg, North Carolina 
High School: Scotland

Pros

Power back with good size, White is best running north and south behind his pads. Lowering the shoulder in the hole and keeping his legs churning allows him to grind out tough yardage as an inside runner. High tacklers bounce off of him. In the open field, White opens his stride and shows above average speed for a runner of his size. At low speeds, he is able to change directions enough to avoid defensive linemen. His physicality translates to blocking where he wins as a proactive blocker.

Cons

High center of gravity and slow step frequency prevent him from changing directions when carrying momentum. White struggles to read leverage beyond the first level and processes information slowly, causing him to be late into holes. When the line does not help him out, he will not create yardage for himself. Holes need to be big enough as he fails to get skinny through them. White is not often utilized as a receiver and struggles to separate due to his lack of change of direction.

Summary

Well built power back with lots of muscle in his shoulder and chest area. White is best running north and south, falling forward and grinding out tough yards. A lack of change of direction prevents him from creating much yardage for himself. He can be slow reading his blocking. White projects as a power back in a gap or power scheme. Behind a strong offensive line, he can get a lot out of his blocking. As a runner or receiver, he will not create offense. He will be a quality backup who can produce in a committee, getting up to 15 touches per game.

Background

Raised in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Five-star recruit according to 247Sports. Suffered a torn ACL in 2017. Missed his true freshman season with a torn ACL in 2018 suffered in practice on his non surgically repaired knee. Redshirt. Majoring in Housing Management. Academic standout. Ran a 10.85 second 100m dash in high school.

Grades

7.5 current value/7.9 potential value

BamaCentral Analysis

The biggest reason why Georgia is so effective offensively, averaging 40.7 points per game and outscoring opponents 488-83, is the balance and the way the Bulldogs spread the ball around under offensive coordinator Todd Monken (former OC for Freddie Kitchens with the Cleveland Browns). For example, during last week's 45-0 victory against Georgia Tech the first nine completions went to nine different players. Granted, the Yellow Jackets were a 3-9 team that closed the season with six straight losses, but you get the idea. Against Missouri, 11 different players caught passes. Alabama is seventh nationally in total defense. The only top 25 defenses Georgia faces was No. 9 Clemson on the season opener, and No. 25 Kentucky. The Bulldogs one the first 10-3, and the latter 30-13, its too closest games. 

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All this week, BamaCentral will profile numerous Georgia players as the Crimson Tide prepares for another showdown in the SEC Championship Game . Also check out NFL Draft Bible for more evaluations.

Jordan Davis and the Georgia Defensive Line

Jamaree Salyer and the Georgia Offensive Line

Nakobe Dean and the Georgia Linebackers