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Georgia ‘game-changer’ Arik Gilbert called out, not up to speed in fall camp
System
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Georgia ‘game-changer’ Arik Gilbert called out, not up to speed in fall camp
ATHENS — Georgia tight end Arik Gilbert can’t get up to speed fast enough for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs’ offense, it seems.
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Leave the kid alone. How many other players are called out every practice. Coach is gonna coach.
One comment in a 15 minute viewing period spawned this article?! Brother.
@PerroGrande One comment Kirby made KNOWING the media was only there for 11 minutes --- everything Kirby does is calculated. Everything.
Don't forget, conditioning was an issue in the spring, and there was a lack of focus last fall.
Kirby can play this however he wants, but after 30 years of covering CFB and attending open practices at other schools, nothing is said by accident.
Sometimes, a coach realizes that public comments are the best way to provide motivation because family and friends all hear about it.
All that said, it would not surprise me if Kirby says next week Gilbert has picked up the pace.
He did the same thing in spring with Stetson -- it seemed to work, so there you go.
Kirby knows what he is doing -- blaming the media is tired.
Yeah, this was a bit of a hit piece. Just because Kirby said what he said didn't mean Dawgnation had to write an entire article point it out, especially when you KNOW this dude is fairly unstable.
Best thing Arik ever did for himself was coming to UGA. And I’m trying to set aside the homerism for a moment. If he will put forth maximum effort, and I believe he will, Kirby and the coaching staff at UGA will help him to become a superstar and a very high draft pick. He’s got to realize though and I think that This year he does fully understand that, he’s playing alongside guys that already are and will be superstars. Embrace the competition and challenges Arik !! Yes it’s gonna be Very, Very tough at times. But at the end the rewards will be well worth it !! And money is only Part of the reward. I’m So glad you chose UGA, and I feel your gonna end up leaving a Great history as a Dawg !! Good job Mike !! Thx !! Go Dawgs !!
@Crushmore
You may want to read the papers in Miami, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Ohio, Detroit, Texas etc. They are far more adversarial to athletes, coaches and programs than papers in the "old south" like the AJC, the Nashville Tennessean, Charlotte Observer etc. are and those are the ones with actual "hit pieces". You can only imagine what the New York Post would say were Arik Gilbert playing for Syracuse, or if it were the Philadelphia Inquirer and Penn State. Also, the press writing puff pieces won't help Gilbert when he has to take the field against SEC and playoff defenses anyway. Even a team that no one is paying attention to like Mississippi State has 11 returning upperclassmen on defense with 8 being returning starters (plus 8 upperclassmen backups) and oh yeah the game will be in Starkville the week after the Tennessee game but the week before the Kentucky game.
There has been talk of Georgia using 3- and 4-tight end sets, and Gilbert will be key.
I wish people would stop saying that. Now a 2 TE thing for UGA has potential because Bowers - we know - and Gilbert - we hope - can be viable in the slot. But 3 or 4 TEs, and defenses are just going to adjust. They will take the 5'9" 180 lb CBs off the field and replace them with much bigger safeties and OLBs. Also, because they know that these TEs aren't going to get down the field very far or fast - Shannon Sharpe, Jimmy Graham, Gronk etc. types at TE are rare on the NFL level, let alone college - and consistently make plays in the vertical game, teams are going to react to lining up all those TEs by blitzing the QB and the offense won't be able to make them pay.
I wonder if UGA fans believe that this UGA team is the only one in college history with multiple talented TEs. Not even close. Miami, for example, had 3 future NFL Pro Bowl TEs on their roster during the Larry Coker era. Those schools didn't put all their TEs on the field at the same time for a reason.
@pepin I don't know who or how you single cover Bowers and/or Gilbert out of the slot -- really tough mismatches.
You are right about covering big-time, championship programs -- I've covered a few, and now Georgia has become as big as it gets. Kids come to learn to be pros, and that's all the way around.
Kirby Smart knows how to motivate his players, but some fans may not recognize how Smart uses the media -- Saban does the same thing, so do many others.
No one on the beat among the credentialed media who are actually allowed to go to practice have any negative feelings toward the UGA players that I know of.
I sure don’t profess to be a football guru or even vaguely close. I’ve been a fan watching for many years, but I still learn something new all the time. With all due respect to you and assure you I’m not trying to gouge at you. But I don’t get where you said opposing Ds won’t have to be to concerned about TEs getting down field very far or fast ?? Bowers has already shown he can get down field Far & Fast on a consistent basis. IF Gilbert can do the same, and that’s Why Kirby is pushing him then just with those two you would have a dual threat. So if you put the other Two TEs in with them the opposing D would have a Load on their hands !! In this regard for the opposing D speaking of the play about to happen: Are they ( the Dawgs) Really about to go deep ?? If they are which TE are they going to Bowers or Gilbert ?? Or are Both of them just decoys and their not Really going deep their gonna throw a shorter or intermediate pass to one of the other TEs ?? Or will there even be a pass, could it be that Bennett just takes off running with the ball ?? Or could it be that Bennett tosses the ball over to Gilbert and he throws the ball to Bowers or vice versa ?? Or does Bennett flip it back to Darnell Washington and he Runs with the ball ?? For the size man he is Washington is pretty fast and a load to bring down !! Now these things said I wouldn’t suggest wearing that sort of play out as Yes opposing D’s would eventually create a game plan for it. But sprinkling it in along and along my humble opinion is Yes absolutely !! Much of it would hinge on what’s the opposing D look like their lining up like ? And at what point in the game etc. etc. And our guys couldn’t slouch around getting into formation it would need to be a hurry up sort of thing to hopefully catch the opposing D off guard. So my humble take is I wouldn’t suggest running it so much that it’s a regular play that teams come in looking for. But I’d sprinkle in it when the time seems ideal to do it. I Trust Coach Monken to know When and If it’d be an appropriate play to run. Hey it could be a game changer at a time when Kirby and our Dawgs greatly need to change the complexion of the game !! But I don’t know, that’s why they get the big $$$ !! 😀
@navydawg
Thank you for your respectful reply. In order to avoid rehashing what I stated below I will just go with this.
Wow, I wasn't expecting these comments. I actually appreciated the article because it tells me that Smart is going to keep pushing and pushing and that's what you have to do to play in a Top 5 team as well as move onto the NFL.
Thank You to for being respectful. You do make good points. I see where your coming from and agree to a pretty good extent. BUT I’d still have room for this play in very limited doses. I’d use it in games where the score and out come is very tight. And Try to calculate as best as possible the optimum time to use it. I agree that using it To often would cause rival teams to game plan for it more. And Yes using it To much could waste plays that might have been better thrown to a WR. I’m Not saying make it a gadget or trick play where they only practice it a couple of times Then try it. They should practice it enough to be pretty well prepared to execute should the coaches call it up. But I understand that the coaches would even have to be careful not to Over practice it thus taking away practice time from WRs. Shoot I’m not even opposed to using the Big O as a RB if it’s done judiciously and at as optimum times as possible. Defenses just like Offenses can and do get in a rhythm when they have studied the rival Offense film and have done a good job preparing for them. So I think you have to have some “un-predictable” tools in your tool box to disrupt the Defense. Our first game verses the Ducks will be an excellent example. Dan Lanning Knows UGA and Coach Monken very well. He knows our Offense and out tendencies. Coach Monken will need to have some things he can go to to instill some uncertainty into Dan’s thinking !! Will be interesting to see what Coach Monken comes up with !! You made some very good points about recruiting though. We Do want WRs to See clearly that they would be valued at UGA !! Go Dawgs !!
@navydawg ...Navy, people don't seem to be getting it through their heads, that the TE position and that that entails, will change in the UGA Offense this year.
Imagine having Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Gates and Kyle Pitts on the field at the same time, With Washinton, Bowers, Gilbert, Seither and Delp, that's the talent UGA has at the "Tight End" position this year. But, it doesn't stop there. They got commitments from the top TE in each of the next 2 recruiting classes. The TE's Kirby & Co. are recruiting, played other positions in HS, such as RB, WR, DB, LB, etc..
If you put 3 or 4 of those so-called TE's on the field with, say...Stetson Bennett, Arian Smith/K Jackson/AD Mitchell and Kenny McIntosh filling out the skill players. No defense on the Planet Earth has the defensive "scheme" or "talent" to contain all of those guys. They just don't.
The key to making UGA's offense elite...unstoppable...is Bennett, or the QB position. It's all about presnap recognition and distribution of the ball, to the right player. Look for a LOT of explosive plays this year. I can hardly wait, cause I can see what's coming. LOL I expect the Dawgs to be finding their sea-legs in the 1st 2-3 games. That's typical of the offense, every year. Defense is always ahead of the offense in preseason development.
The crap @pepin is spewing about a DC pulling a set of DBs off the field and putting in a different set of DBs to handle the TEs, is absolutely absurd. LOL. Makes me wonder how long he's been "watching" football....cause I know darned well, from some of his comments, that he's never played the game. On top of that, I suspect he's a Gator or Yellow Jacket Fan. LOL
There's only a couple of teams that MAY have the depth and talent to carry out platooning...but, that's only if UGA doesn't run out of a no-huddle offense. And, even if they do, what effect do you really thing a change in DB size is gonna have on the likes of Washington, who can out-jump anybody on the field? Or, Bowers, who runs like Larry Czonka with the ball in his hands. Or, Gilbert, who is as illusive in route running as John Metchie and makes circus catches like George Pickens. I'm not gonna even get into the potential contributions of Delp Seither and Goede.
FYI, UGA has 3 of the top 15 TE's in College football according to USA-Today and PFF.
#1-----Bowers
#3-----Gilbert
#14---Washington
The only reason Delp isn't on that list, is because he hasn't played yet. LOL. Stick that in your pipe and take a drag.
The Dawgs TE room is the equivalent of having Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and DeAndre Swift in the same backfield....unstoppable. Or Jalen Waddle, Devonte Smith, Amari Cooper and Julio Jones on the edge...scary. LOL
Yall need to recognize...LOL
Git er done...Dawgs.
Now you’ve got me ready for game day as if it was tomorrow !! This Offense IS indeed loaded to the brim and spilling over !! Some Dawgs fans ( not me) don’t particularly care for Stets. But the guy is now Even More experienced, he’s Even More mature as a young man but the elder as compared to his team mates. A stabilizing element to help soothe and calm some of the younger guys on Offense. And lastly it really appears to me in the most recent pics that Stets has beefed his body up a good bit. Some fans ( again not me) had questioned Stets ability to make the deep throw and allow the receiver ( or TE) to stay in stride and not have to slow down. Well he showed several, several times last year that he Can indeed make those throws !! Now it’s a pretty fair assumption I believe that he will be even stronger !! Here’s my humble take: 1) Our Coaching Staff, Analysts, and Assistants will be Absolutely Awesome !! 2) Our Offense will be Extremely Explosive there’s just mind boggling talent at all positions !! 3) Our Defense will be very solid, and better than many expect, but some what behind last years, but not by a large amount. We did lose a ton of phenom Defensive players to the NFL which is great for recruiting. 4) Our Special Teams will be Very solid. I think on par with last year. Maybe in some elements a smidgen behind but in other elements a smidgen ahead. In summary this years version of the Dawgs is a Very legitimate contender for a repeat National Title !! The final and probably most important factor is Kirby Smart is himself more experienced now and even more mature. He knows How to win it all for sure now. Go Dawgs !!! Season can’t get here soon enough for me !!!
"Some Dawgs fans ( not me) don’t particularly care for Stets." __Navydawg
You are correct. Those are the "Fans" that allow the media to lead them by the nose. They can't think for themselves and when they have a negative comment, 99 out of 100 times, it's a regurgitation of a "talking point" that came from a biased or uninformed, ESPN/SECN talking head, backed up by a STAT without context. Which is useless. You can manipulate statistics to support or discredit anything you want. Not just in football, but, virtually any issue or argument.
I'm a little disappointed in the average UGA Fan's football IQ. Bennett may not be the most physically gifted QB, UGA has ever seen....but, he IS the most successful. That has got to count for something, or what the hell are we doing here. IMO, he is better than Fromm or Eason at this point in his career. And, apparently better than Daniels. There is absolutely, nothing wrong with his arm-strength. Look at some of the throws he made last year and during Spring practice. His max range is 60-65 yds. His TD throw to Mitchell at the end of the CFPC game, was 54-56 yds (in the air)...and, on target. That's just 1 pass and my personal favorite, LOL...but, there were many.
According to a Smart quote during SEC Media Days, Daniels was NOT a consensus choice to start at QB last Fall (2021).
In 2021...Some of the Coaches supported Bennett starting the Clemson game...which shoots down in flames,, Dawg Nation's narrative about Beck being the #2 QB going into the Clemson game. Smart said that some of the Coaches thought Bennett gave them a better chance against everybody on their schedule, while Daniels didn't match up well against some of the Dawgs opponents. In hindsight,, that makes complete sense and it's why Bennett won the job outright after the Vandy game. And, yes...Smart did say, Bennett won the job outright after the Vanderbilt game.
Statistics have meaning and aid a player, unit or team, in focusing on his weak areas.. But, they are not the end all, be all of evaluation. There are intangibles that must be considered. The best thing to use in evaluating a QB, is the eye test.
Is he a leader in the huddle...does he appear to be in control and poised on the field (under pressure?)...does he make the correct pre-snap adjustments...are his throws to right receiver...are they accurate, in a location only his guy can make a play on the ball...how is his pocket presence and footwork...does he stare down intended receivers or does he scan the field or look off DBs...how well does he do in rush avoidance...how is his arm strength, does he use touch or does he try to fire every pass into it's target...does he have good timing/communication with all receivers...quick to recognize receiver/DB mismatches?...how do his teammates view him...how is he doing in school...and on...and on...and on.
There are only 6 statistics that really matter when it comes to QB's......."yds/completion", "yds/Rush", "turnovers", "Touchdowns", "sacks" and "Wins". Everything else is more "team related" and fodder for critique and conversation.
Take completions/attempts for instance. Are completions low because of QB play, WR play or O-Line play? How could the O-Line effect the pass, you say? You will find out this year, when BAMA's Young starts struggling in the passing game. LOL
If Baker Mayfield was a Heisman candidate,, then Bennett is a Heisman caliber QB. All he needs is a little media hype and he will get it after the Oregon game. My guess is, that his STATS this year will be Heisman caliber...he just needs to keep winning.
The future is bright, my Friend. And there's only 3.5 weeks left in the "off-season". LOL. I apologize for the length of this post, but, I was inspired and bored....bad combination. LOL
Wow !! Great points !! Maybe You need to get on as a sports journalist at least in football !! Seriously !! Great Read My Brother !! You’ve got me all hyped up for this season !! So ready for game 1 !! Lord knows we Need a pleasurable distraction from all the crap going on in the world !! God Bless You & Family !! Go Dawgs !!