3 key questions for Georgia special teams, including filling Blankenship’s big shoes

This is part of a series to preview Georgia football’s 2020 season through a closer look at each of the Bulldogs’ positions. Today we’re looking at the special teams.

Key departures: K Rodrigo Blankenship, WR Tyler Simmons

Projected depth chart: K-Jared Zirkel, P-Jake Camarda, PR-Dominick Blaylock, KR-James Cook, Demetris Robertson

Will Jared Zirkel make a game-winning kick and wear his helmet in a postgame interview?

The answer to the above question is probably a no. Still, should the No. 5 kicker in the Class of 2020 win the job, he’ll have big shoes to fill.

The departed Rodrigo Blankenship made 80 of his 97 field goal attempts over the past four seasons and became a fan favorite in the process. His senior season saw him connect on 27-of-33 field goals and walk away with the Lou Groza Award that honors the nation’s best kicker.

Now Zirkel, the strong-legged kicker from Texas, could be tasked with replacing one of the most popular kickers in school history. It won’t be an easy gig, but the Bulldogs will need a solid kicker if they want to reach the SEC Championship Game for the fourth year in a row.

Can Jake Camarda build on a strong sophomore season?

After an average freshman campaign in 2018, Camarda turned into a real special teams weapon for the Bulldogs in 2019. He averaged 46.84 yards per punt, ranking sixth in the nation, and Georgia’s net punting average ranked eighth in the country as a result.

Camarda also showed better touch on short kicking, with 25 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Against Auburn he displayed what he could do, as he had a pair of punts in the first half downed deep in Tiger territory in the first half.

The Georgia defense figures to be stout once again in 2020. If Camarda can consistently leave opponents with a long field to travel, the defense will be that much better.

Will Dominick Blaylock resume punt return duties?

Blaylock fared well as a punt returner in 2019, averaging just over nine yards per return on 14 attempts. But then he tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game, leaving him to spend the offseason rehabbing.

Coming off that type of injury that late in the season, Smart might opt to give punt returning duties to someone such as Kearis Jackson or Demetris Robertson. Blaylock should be a prime pass-catching target this season, and limiting his workload could benefit the entire team.