2019 UGA Freshman Faces: George Pickens

Today's 2019 UGA Freshman Faces will breakdown 5-star wide receiver prospect, George Pickens. Pickens famously flipped his commitment from Auburn to UGA at the last minute.

Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin, Riley Ridley, and Isaac Nauta combined for 131 catches for 1,917 yards and 22 TD's last season. That's well over 50% of the team's totals from last year in each category. And it's all gone. Bye-bye. 

So, even though the UGA backfield is more crowded than the TSA lines on a holiday weekend at Hartsfield-Jackson, the receiving core will need help immediately. Kirby Smart's comments on both the defensive line and wide receiving groups this offseason make that evident. 

And what more of a breath of fresh air can you ask for than a 5-star stolen straight out from under Gus Malzahn's schnoz? Pickens is everything you can imagine and more for a high school wideout. 

We have hit on the fact that the departure of the majority of UGA's weapons had a lot to do with Pickens's decision to flip from the Tigers to the Dawgs in previous articles, but Pickens said that it had a lot to do with the relationship and communication developed with Smart and staff. 

If you've followed Kirby Smart's work in recruiting since arriving at UGA, that's something you've heard a lot from top prospects. "I just like the relationship with Coach Smart" or "I got a really good feeling from Coach Smart", etc. 

The attention to building and cultivating the relationship with the athletes and their families is something that Kirby is adamant about developing, and it's something he believes has led to his early success. 

As for what Pickens will add to this wide receivers room, the moment he steps on campus he becomes the best 50/50 ball wideout on the roster in my opinion. Guys like Jeremiah Holloman and Tyler Simmons are proven, but the Matt Landers and Kearis Jackson will be among the rest of the group battling it out. 

Look for Pickens and fellow freshman, Dominick Blaylock to get playing time early for this UGA football team this fall.