ATHENS — Carson Beck spoke confidently about the depth of the Georgia receiver group and how it excited him entering the 2024 season.
That depth will be tested immediately following the arrest and suspension of wide receiver Rara Thomas.
“I think there’s so much depth on our offense, and there’s so much talent that there’s not one or two names that I could really pronounce right now, which makes me excited as a quarterback,” Beck said last week at SEC Media Days in Dallas. “I’m very excited to see who those guys are going to be that step up and make those big-time plays and those big-time moments.”
Thomas caught 23 passes for 383 yards last season for the Bulldogs in 11 games last season. He missed the final three games of the 2023 season because of a foot injury, which impacted him this spring as well.
Thomas was expected to be a key player at Georgia’s X, or outside wide receiver, position. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint started at the position last season, but he now is a member of the Washington Commanders.
Georgia brought in Thomas via the transfer portal before the 2023 season. The Bulldogs again leaned heavily on the transfer portal to build out its wide receiver group this offseason, bringing Colbie Young from Miami, London Humphreys from Vanderbilt and Michael Jackson III from USC.
Of those three, Young’s skill set is closest to that of Thomas in terms of providing a physical presence on the outside. Young was one of the stars of Georgia’s spring game, catching three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown.
“I’m not surprised by what Colbie has done. I’m going to be honest, Colbie has not dropped a single fade ball ever since he’s been here,” wide receiver Dillon Bell said of Young in April. “50-50 ball, nothing is 50-50 with him. It’s like 90-10. He has not dropped a single pass at all.”
Bell should earn some extra playing time as well at the X position for the Bulldogs. Georgia used Bell at both running back and wide receiver last season, but with the transfer addition of Trevor Etienne at running back, Bell has been working exclusively at wide receiver this spring.
Bell has compared his own game with the San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel in the past, embracing a physical running style when he has the ball in his hands. Teammates have taken notice of that.
“I think Dillon Bell is that guy people need to watch out for,” Georgia safety Malaki Starks said at SEC Media Days. “The way he works, the way he goes about his business. It’s just incredible. Just to be able to compete with a guy like that is huge, so I’m excited to see what he does this season.”
Starks also was quick to praise senior wide receiver Dominic Lovett as someone who has helped the wide receiver group. While Lovett’s role is expected to mirror that of former Bulldog Ladd McConkey, the Missouri transfer has been a steadying presence this offseason among the wide receivers.
“When he got here from Missouri, he was fitting into the culture and now he’s one of those leaders on the team,” Starks said. “Just his competitive spirit, which is why we go at it a lot.”
Georgia should once again have one of the strongest tight end rooms in the country with Oscar Delp and tight end Ben Yurosek, a transfer from Stanford, expected to help out Beck and the offense. The Bulldogs do have to replace All-American Brock Bowers at the position, but there’s still plenty of confidence in the position.
Georgia will put a lot on the shoulders of Beck this season. He was voted first-team All-SEC quarterback entering the year and is seen as a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Losing Thomas — his suspension is indefinite — will give Beck one fewer weapon at his disposal. But if the Georgia quarterback believes what he said at SEC Media Days, Georgia should be more than well-equipped to handle Thomas’ absence.
“We have a lot of big games coming up this year so who’s going to step up, who’s going to be that guy, who’s going to be the go-to guy, or is there one,” Beck said. “Is everybody going to contribute equally, which is kind of what we saw last year. There’s a lot of guys that stepped up in different games and contributed.
“Super excited for the depth that we have and all the talent that we have on offense.”
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