Quick Question re: Branden Smith

by wwcmrd? on Jul 2, 2009 4:33 PM EDT

My basic question: is the likely prospect of Branden Smith getting reps on offense this season more a product of our limited depth at that position or of his immense talent?

via vmedia.rivals.com

Below is just some exposition; the above question is probably the best summary of what I'm asking. Articles by David Hale and the AJC are the basis for these questions.

I don't follow recruiting much at all; my interest really only extends to "Who else is recruiting them?" and "How 'Highly Touted' are they?" or, sometimes, "Are they filling a hole in terms of personnel?" I don't subscribe to the services, I don't watch the videos, I just keep track of the commitments and Georgia's relative national ranking, which is happily often in the top ten overall (thought unhappily often behind three or four SEC competitors).

When I see that Branden Smith, recruiting class of '09, has been recruited at corner, I assume it is because corner is his best position. Branden Smith "marketed" himself as or was labeled as a DB, the UGA coaches liked his preformance in that position, and they recruited him to play there.

So my question to MaconDawg or someone with a better handle on the situation: why are we playing Smith at WR? Just because we can? I know right now he may be able to alleviate a lack of depth at the WR position. But he was talked about as a dual-role player ever since he was recruited, before we lost Kris Durham and our depth chart got shakier.

Smith was rated 5 stars by Rivals because of his preformance at cornerback. I feel he should be pretty darn good to justify playing him at WR, especially with the "special packages." If your appearance on the offense is a "special" occasion, you had better be pretty "special" at whatever you're doing. (I realize this also may just be a way to simplify things for Smith so he can practice mostly at the corner position and have some pre-designed plays for his offensive appearances.)

So a reframing of the question: when we see Smith on offense this fall, are we going to see the same kind of talent, (if not necessarily production) as A.J. Green or any other VHT WR? Or are we just going to see a VHT CB who can, by the way, also play a bit of WR?

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I can see it go down in two ways

1) First, the kid is just an absolute freak of a football player who despite being on a team with a highly talented albit undeep WR core is just that dang could at the game of football. if the kid can actually crack into a talented lineup and get some reps despite having superfrosh Marlon Brown (in addition to Rontavious Wooten) vying for playing time, the kid would have to be outstanding; just as Knowshon was able to do despite having SRs Kreg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown ahead of him on the depth chart going into 07.
2) It might be something the coaching staff is experimenting with to try and open up the O a little bit. In other words they might put together a package for him and be publicizing it both to give opposing DCs something extra to thing about when he’s out there (i.e., use him as a decoy to help free up AJ Green, Michael More, Marlon Brown etc. who are being double teamed) and also to add an element to a passing attack that our other receivers don’t bring (4.2 speed: give him a quick throw and let him sprint like Forrest Gump to the end zone).

However, if I had to guess what we’d really see this fall as far as his play at WR goes it would be that he’d probably get a few reps during the dawg days of early fall while the other receivers are getting a quick breather and beyond that a hard look as a punter returner and a lot of time at CB.

by charlottedawg on Jul 2, 2009 6:46 PM EDT reply actions

I think . . .

the answer to your basic question is “both”. We are exceptionally thin at wide receiver. Not counting Smith we have 6 scholarship receivers. A.J. Green, Tavarres King and Mike Moore are your likely starters. Then you have Israel Troupe, and the true freshmen Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten. That’s as thin as we’ve probably ever been at the position under Mark Richt.

But if you’ve seen Branden Smith play, it really is something else. He returned a punt for a touchdown this season that was among the best I’ve seen (here’s the youtube link). The guy just has another gear that most people don’t have, and he gets up to full speed very, very fast.

See also: this video from Washington’s game against Mays H.S. in which he returned a punt for a TD. I personally think Smith has to return kicks at some point in his Bulldog career. The only guy on the roster who I’ve seen as dynamic in that regard was Carlton Thomas, but even he didn’t have the kind of football speed Smith has.

I’ll be posting a little more about this later this month, but a small preview. Coach Richt did tell us at the Pigskin Preview in Macon last month that Smith will work primarily at corner. I may be reading between the lines, but I think a lot of Smith’s time at receiver will depend on how well Rantavious Wooten develops and how Tavarres King handles starting in the slot.

by MaconDawg on Jul 2, 2009 9:58 PM EDT reply actions