Georgia football: 1 offensive and 1 defensive player poised to break out in 2021
By John Buhler
This may be the Georgia football team that makes the college football world forget about 1980.
After four straight New Year’s Six bowl appearances, Kirby Smart’s Georgia football program has a terrific shot to win its first national championship in over 40 years.
Georgia has a returning starting quarterback in possible top-10 pick JT Daniels. The Dawgs have reloaded marvelously in the secondary by way of the transfer portal after losing nearly every starter from last year’s defensive backfield to the 2021 NFL Draft. With a relatively navigable schedule, Georgia can get to Atlanta, win the SEC and possibly win the College Football Playoff.
For Georgia to get back into the playoff, they need these two players to have breakout seasons.
Georgia football: 2 players poised to have breakout seasons in 2021
Darnell Washington projects as the ultimate matchup nightmare at tight end
Perhaps the most exciting part about the Georgia offense, besides having Daniels back under center, of course, is the potential 10-star, two-tight end set the Dawgs could use with Darnell Washington and LSU transfer Arik Gilbert. While Georgia may end up using Gilbert in more of a receiver role, Washington can be the ultimate matchup nightmare at tight end at 6-foot-7.
The former five-star recruit out of Las Vegas played sparingly in his freshman season. He had seven catches for 166 yards in only four games for the Dawgs. Given that Georgia was ushering in a new offensive system with quarterback instability initially and with it being a COVID year and all, it is understandable as to why Washington did not get more playing time in his first year in Athens.
What makes him such an intriguing potential breakout star is this will be his second season in Todd Monken’s offensive system with Daniels throwing him the ball once again this fall. With other excellent offensive playmakers around him in Gilbert, Jermaine Burton and Kearis Jackson, as well as a deep running back group, Washington has a shot to be Georgia’s version of Kyle Pitts.
Even if Washington becomes an All-SEC player, the Dawgs will need a star to emerge on defense.