When A.J. Green left early for the NFL many thought that the Bulldogs would not be able to replace his productivity. After a full year without him we can surely say that he is missed but he has been replaced. He has been replaced by not one outstanding receiver, but by 5 receivers, outstanding by committee.
Tavarres King 47 Receptions 705 Yards 15.08 YPC Senior
Tavarres King played like a man possessed in the bowl game and with that kind of effort going forward, he could very well have a breakout season in his final season at UGA. His 205 yard receiving performance vaulted him to the top of the stat chart for 2011 and gave a very bright glimpse as to what may be ahead.
Malcolm Mitchell 45 Receptions 665 Yards 14.84 YPC Sophomore
Malcolm Mitchell has been a Godsend for the receiving corps, and if you were to ask me, he made everyone around him better. A very productive receiver, Mitchell was being recruited by many schools as a defensive back prospect. However, Mike Bobo saw where Mitchell could truly shine as a freshman, and now that he has a year at receiver look for Mitchell to get his shot at defense as well.
Michael Bennett 32 Receptions 320 Yards 10.05 YPC Redshirt Sophomore
Bennett may not be the fastest receiver we have but I would defenitely call him our most reliable. If he is open, just throw him the ball, he catches it every time. Throw too short? He'll come back and get it. Throw too far? Don't worry, he will jump and catch it. Right on the hands? Yep, he's got it. He is my favorite receiver because of his determination on the field to be his best on every play. He should get a ton of looks this year in short yardage situations, so don't expect his YPC to get very high, unless he get some nice blocks and takes it to the house a couple of times.
Chris Conley 16 Receptions 288 Yards 18.02 YPC Sophomore
He may not have gotten a huge number of catches this year but his YPC makes his look like he could be a home run threat in the near future. We already know that he can make the catch when it counts, as he made 2 very important catches against Florida to seal the win against our "beloved" Gators. Conley sat for nearly half the season as coaches debated redshirting him. Look for Conley to make an impression from day one in 2012.
Marlon Brown 15 Receptions 234 Yards 15.63 YPC Senior
Marlon Brown has struggled to find any sort of rhythm during his career at UGA. His biggest success to date has been his lone 121-yard, 2 touchdown performance against Vanderbilt in 2011. He was highly acclaimed coming out of high school and he will get this one last year to show the league what he can offer. At 6'5" and 225 pounds, he is a receiver with the desired size at the next level. I believe he will make his mark at UGA in 2012 because he has all of the skills needed in the SEC, now he just needs to find a rhythm.
Looking forward to 2012, I see a very strong group of receivers ready to make their move at a BCS National Title. On the recruiting front, things are just as bright if not even more so. We have Blake Tibbs who, in my opinion, is a 5-star athlete with a 3-star receiver label. He can flat out kill on special teams, ask Stephenson High School. Then we also have a chance to land 5-star Junior College receiver Cordarelle Patterson, who could stretch the field from day one.
Things are looking pretty bright on the receiving front for 2012. Look out for my next analysis, which will be on the backs.
