Tight end remains a premier position for Georgia

ATHENS – John FitzPatrick is leaving, Arik Gilbert remains at UGA, and Georgia’s tight ends are shaping up as a position of great intrigue for the Bulldogs again in 2022.

The latest development is the departure of FitzPatrick, fourth-year junior. A two-year starter and de facto captain for that group, FitzPatrick announced Tuesday that he intends to enter the NFL draft. He graduated from UGA with a degree in real estate in the spring of 2021 and since has been doing graduate work.

After redshirting in 2018, FitzPatrick (6-foot-7, 250 pounds) leaves Georgia having played in 36 games the past three seasons, including all 15 in the 2021 season. He started 13 games, including seven this past season. He finishes with his college career with 17 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown. But it’s FitzPatrick’s exceptional blocking skills that make him bona fide NFL prospect.

FitzPatrick shared his decision one day after Brock Bowers was named national freshman of the year by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Bowers set Georgia receiving records for tight ends with 882 yards and 13 touchdowns on 56 catches. Including a rushing touchdown, he also led the Bulldogs in TDs scored with 14.

It appears now that sophomore Darnell Washington also plans to return. The 6-7, 265-pound Washington was contemplating a transfer in the wake of Bowers’ stunning first-year performance and briefly removed all UGA recognition from his social-media accounts. However, indications this week are that Washington decided stay.

A Las Vegas native, Washington was slated to start at tight end before a broken foot in preseason camp sidelined him for the first four games of the season. Washington returned to play in all 11 remaining games, starting six, including the last three. He finished the season with 10 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown.

Also slated to return at tight end are sophomores Ryland Goede and Brett Seither. The Bulldogs also signed Oscar Delp – rated the No. 1 tight end in the nation by 247Sports – as an early enrollee in the 2022 recruiting class.

Meanwhile, there is Gilbert. UGA’s registrar’s office confirmed that Gilbert remains an enrolled student. But he hasn’t been an active member of the Bulldogs’ football team since the first week of preseason camp in August.

A 6-5, 240-pound transfer from LSU, Gilbert left the team at that time deal with “some personal issues,” according to coach Kirby Smart. Smart was asked about Gilbert’s status one other time during the season, saying he was “still continuing his journey” and that he was “staying in communication with him.”

“Everyone is pulling for Arik Gilbert,” Smart said in late October.

Of course, since then, the Bulldogs became the national champions. Meanwhile, one of Gilbert’s desires that precipitated his transfer was the opportunity to play the wide receiver position. He was slated to play the “X” in Georgia’s system, or split end.

As it turned out, offensive coordinator Todd Monken utilized Bowers in a similar fashion. By the end of the season, when opposing defenses started keying on Bowers, Monken would line him up at the X, Y, Z and H positions, seeking a coverage mismatch.

Monken proved up to the challenge of utilizing multiple offensive threats. Tight ends accounted for 69 receptions last season.

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