ESPN frets while Georgia football reloads on offense

Way too early worries over the 2019 Georgia football team are all about the Bulldog offense. Dawg fans can rest easy.

ESPN’s Alex Scarborough identified running back and receiver losses to the 2019 NFL draft as the biggest worry for the Georgia football team entering next season.

If that’s the biggest worry, pencil the Dawgs in the SEC Championship game.

Stocking big play receivers

Georgia lost receivers Terry Godwin, Mecole Hardman, Isaac Nauta, and Riley Ridley, to the NFL draft. If you’re scoring at home, that’s the loss of four of Georgia football’s top five pass catchers in 2018. All contributed heavily to Georgia’s offensive success, but the Dawgs got this.

Returnee Jeremiah Holloman emerged last season as quarterback Jake Fromm’s go to receiver. Holloman is the big, physical receiver that Jake Fromm understands best. Joining Holloman are two of the most talented receivers ever brought on campus by Georgia football – Demetris Robertson and Dominick Blaylock.

Big play makers

Before transferring to Georgia, Robertson started 11 of 12 games for Cal in 2016. He averaged over 15 yards a catch and had 11 catches over 20 yards. Robertson played in only two games in 2017 because of injury, but still had seven catches. He finished his Pac-12 career with 57 receptions for 837 yards and seven touchdowns.

As a high school senior, Robertson ranked as the number one receiver nationally in the class of 2016 and earned a five-star ranking while playing for Savannah Christian Prep.

Blaylock ranked number five nationally as a wide receiver recruit while playing for Walton High School. His high school highlights reveal a dangerous after the catch runner.

While the Dawgs are sorry to see Hardeman, Nauta, and Riley leave early and Godwin’s eligibility expire, both Robertson and Blaylock are game changing talents.

Georgia football returning runners

Georgia also lost to the draft punishing runner Elijah Holyfield, another in a long line of high production Georgia running backs. Holyfied was the perfect complement to the ultra-talented D’Andre Swift. Holyfield was also an insurance policy against an injury to Zamir White, 2018’s nationally top ranked running back recruit, and against an injury to Swift .

With White lost for the year and Swift hobbled through the first half of the season, the insurance policy paid off in spades. But aside from having an extra ball carrier, the Dawgs are well stocked at running back for another campaign.

Georgia returns James Cook, 2018’s nationally fifth ranked running back recruit, Swift, and White. With the addition of incoming  freshman Kenny McIntosh, the nationally ranked number 11 four-star running back recruit, and the return of veteran inside banger Brian Herrien, Holyfied will be remembered, but not missed.

It’s whats up front that counts

Georgia’s offensive ace is not its running backs or wide receivers, anyway. The 2019 Georgia football team will be built on and around the offensive line.

Excepting Lamont Gaillard, the best center in the 2018 SEC, and Kendall Baker, Georgia returns every other offensive lineman from one of the top three offensive lines of 2018. With Jake Fromm tweaking plays at the line of scrimmage, expect the 2019 Georgia football team’s offense to be as good as any in the SEC.