Pre-Camp Position Battle: X-Receiver
The injury to Georgia’s star wide receiver George Pickens leaves the starting X-receiver position wide open for a fall camp battle.
New transfer from LSU Arik Gilbert is well suited to take over as the X for Georgia in 2021. Gilbert will also be competing with Adonai Mitchell and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
Gilbert, the former Marietta, Ga., native, is the heavy favorite before a snap of fall camp is taken, as he boasts the most collegiate level experience out of the three receivers mentioned. While Gilbert was more a tight end/H-back in Baton Rouge, he has had the most reps against college cornerbacks.
Most important, he was sold on the idea of playing wide receiver and not tight end when making the decision to come to Georgia. He’s the odds-on favorite for a reason.
Georgia may never truly replace the impact that Pickens has had or even his skillset. Pickens is a unique receiver that excelled as a deep threat and was a matchup nightmare for defensive backs in one-on-one coverage. In addition, Pickens' catch radius was often expanded by jumping or diving in the air to make circus-like catches that quickly spread around social media during the fall camp of his freshman season.
At 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, Gilbert has height similar to Pickens, but Gilbert is not a typical 6-foot-5 receiver who makes most of his plays on 50-50 balls. Instead, he is a true yards-after-catch (YAC) receiver who is most dangerous in the open field. Therefore, it is normal to see Gilbert take slants and short to intermediate routes to the end zone.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken will have his hands full when game-planning what he will do offensively with players like Gilbert. At Dawgs Daily, we expect to see Gilbert used heavily in RPOs (run-pass options) as it will keep the defense in the run game and punish them if the linebackers commit to stopping the run.
Georgia also is returning Rosemy-Jacksaint, who comes off a gruesome ankle injury suffered against Florida that sidelined him for the remainer of 2020. Recent videos of Rosemy-Jacksaint catching the ball this offseason have given the media and fans hope he can pick up where he left off. Rosemy-Jacksaint brings elite ball skills and a long frame to the table, along with a growing route tree. Filling in at the X for Georgia and playing some Z receiver will mainly be Rosemy-Jacksaint's role in 2021.
Throughout the spring, there was a lot of talk about freshman receiver and three-star Adonai Mitchell. At 6-foot-4, he is much more than just another bigger frame receiver; he is one of the top route-runners on the roster with good ball skills.
Mitchell's hands and route combinations guarantees he will be open for quarterback JT Daniels, who looked to build an early connection with the young freshman on G-Day.
When the news originally broke about the ACL tear suffered by Pickens, it was a near devastating blow to Georgia's receiving core as fans had just seen a glimpse of the success Pickens and Daniels had together in the final four games of 2020. However, following the conclusion of spring practice and the addition of Gilbert, the hole at X-receiver looks to be filled.