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'More probable than doubtful' George Pickens returns for Georgia, per ESPN analyst
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'More probable than doubtful' George Pickens returns for Georgia, per ESPN analyst
Georgia football could get a lift late in the season if George Pickens returns from a torn ACL, and while one ESPN commentator is optimistic, Kirby Smart has said it will be up to the doctors.
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That's interesting and hopeful... but I'll wait until I hear it from our medical staff.
If cleared at anytime my concern is conditioning.......if he puts his mind to other exercises that allow his conditioning to remain on level, he will be ready to he the ground running!
It all makes for a very tempting thought. But I won't hold my breath.
Cubelic is putting the best case scenario out there. I hope it works out just like that. It would be great to have Pickens in game shape for the SECCG.
It will all depend on the medical staff and just as importantly, Pickens himself. He's got to be fully committed to putting in the time and extra effort that it takes to go through ACL rehab - which is time consuming and pretty grueling at times.
If all goes well then Pickens should definitely be back by the post-season, but I wouldn't be expecting him much earlier. And being back in "shape" and conditioned is different than playing full contact in a game where re-injuries can occur with cuts, moves, blocking, and contact. You can't duplicate a game situation in practice.
Heck, the Dawgs got lucky in the fact that if Pickens was to tear his ACL, he did it at a much better time early during Spring practice than in August. The Dawgs have plenty of time to re-group around other players. I do think there is a silver lining that will force other receivers to push and improve their game along with, as the article stated, creating more balance in the offense. It will also probably force JT to spread the ball out more which is a good thing.
I just do not forecast when it comes to the ACL. Too many variables, both physical and mental. Bodies react differently. Clean tears are the best tears. I have no idea what George is thinking either. He seems to be the maverick type who would push hard to rejoin the action. The medical staff will make the final determination. Meanwhile JT is honing his skills on the plethora of good WRs, repping as many as possible. I am optimistic on all fronts.
Regardless, Pickens will be in the 2022 NFL draft pool and will be selected in the first round.
He will not be suiting up for the Dawgs in the 2022 regular season.
No way he risks another ACL injury when he is guaranteed multi-million dollar contract with an NFL team that will select him in April of 2022.
So Coach Smart missed out on striking while it was hot with this guy, and he will be added to the already long list of great Dawgs who weren’t able to reach their full potential in Athens. Bad luck or whatever, it still happened.
I'm sure an agent or two will be whispering in his ear about playing it safe for next year's draft. But if we are in the SEC Championship game with a chance for the playoff, he seems like the kind of competitor who will want to be out there. Fingers crossed.
So many people have assumed he's a first round lock for the 2022 draft and I tend to think that's a silly assumption. He's shown flashes of his potential at UGA; but in my opinion his inability to consistently put up big numbers, consistent nagging injuries, and lack of self discipline will leave him in a situation where he needs to put up one solid years film/show some maturity to warrant first round kind of money. Otherwise, he doesn't have one full year of film at all. And only has one big breakout game (vs. Baylor). He needs more if he wants guaranteed first round money.
Who knows, maybe he will be like many of these other knuckleheads who head pro after their 3rd year only to come off the board WAY LATER than they'd expected, but I hope not. I hope he rehabs, get's to play if his body is ready, and comes back in 2022 and blows the world away...