Will 2020 Be the Year Demetris Robertson Returns to Form for Georgia Football?

Demetris Robertson hasn't seen near the production and success he at at Cal as a freshman since transferring to Georgia. Will 2020 be the year he returns to form?

Demetris Robertson was the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the 2016 recruiting cycle. A consensus 5-star from Savannah, Georgia, Robertson elected to take his talents out to Cal and play in the PAC-12. 

It didn't take long for the talented wideout to make an impact either, four games into his freshman season he had his first career 100+ yard receiving game and finished with a career-high 767 yards and 7 touchdowns. Then just two games into his sophomore campaign at Cal he suffered a season-ending injury and then proceeded to enter his name into the transfer portal before deciding to return home to play for Georgia. 

Now, after two seasons with the Bulldogs, he's amounted just 333 receiving on 30 catches, all of which came from the 2019 season. So, how does a player go from being on the Biletnikoff Award watch list as a sophomore to the third-leading receiver on a Georgia team that struggled to identify weapons a year ago? 

Well, Robertson said after the SEC Championship game that the difference was the two offenses: 

"Cal's a spread offense. You know here it's more of a running offense. Cal is more like LSU, Georgia is more of a bread and butter and run game offense, not a pass-happy offense." 

He also said that he and the rest of the returning weapons for the Bulldogs would be vocal about the need to open things up a bit more on the offensive end this offseason. 

And vocal or not, Robertson got his wish. With the hiring of new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, Georgia is expected to join the rest of the modern age of college football and move to a more spread-like offense. 

So, will Robertson's final year of collegiate football finally be the year that he returns to that 5-star status that made him so coveted early on in his career? 

Yes and no. I know, a total cop-out of an answer, but here's why: 

Spread WR / Pro-style WR

For the longest time, Georgia's wideouts have had almost identical body types during their pro-style days. 6'3+, 215 pounds. Think Jeremiah Holloman, Lawrence Cager, George Pickens, heck even Matt Landers. 

Big bodied targets that can win 50/50 balls and are targets for back-shoulder throws. Things that a 6-foot, 195-pound speedster like Robertson isn't exactly made to do. Robertson is made to play in space, not high point the football and win contested catches.

As for the spread offense, it's predicated on guys playing in space. Allowing your primary and explosive weapons to find open grass and create after the catch, while also having the physical wideouts on the outside to take deep shots with. Not to mention, common sense says if you throw the ball more, receivers will have more yards, receptions, touchdowns, etc. Duh, right? Now, for the not so good news. 

Georgia's depth at WR

Now, Dominick Blaylock is expected to fully recover from the knee injury he suffered during the SECCG, and Robertson will likely get a lot of playing time early on in the season, but Georgia is deeper at the wideout position than they have ever been under Kirby Smart. 

Not to mention there's this guy by the name of George Pickens that is going to get the bulk of the targets in 2020 and rightfully so. So, on one hand, it's great for a player like Robertson that Georgia is opening things up to a more pass-happy and pass-friendly offensive system, but on the other, they just brought in an elite signing class in 2020 that features two extremely talented football players in Arian Smith and Jermaine Burton that will likely compete for playing time with Robertson. 

All in all, expect Robertson's numbers to shoot up in 2020, just like almost all of the receivers will due to the offensive system. But also be on the lookout for him to be at home in the spread. After all, he did make his feelings about the type of offense, and its subsequent need for change, well known last season. 

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