New season, new George: Bulldogs’ top receiver takes new approach into 2020 season
At many times through his freshman season, Georgia wide receiver George Pickens would log on to social media and see a plethora of highlight plays. Most of them featured himself, No. 1 making an acrobatic or flashy catch for the Bulldogs.
He knew those plays got people riled up. Pickens didn’t hesitate to say it. Everyone had an opinion.
The night those discussions soared came as the clock struck midnight on Jan. 1 in New Orleans. The emerging newcomer, who hadn’t been afraid to show a bold personality on the football field, posted a career-high 175 receiving yards and hoisted the Sugar Bowl’s MVP trophy.
Pickens found the spotlight. There were plenty of wide grins, celebrations and having fun with his teammates while speaking in a news conference. His fellow Bulldogs, who watched Pickens torch the Baylor secondary from the sideline, were in awe.
The anticipation for Georgia’s top target to become one of the premier receivers in recent history suddenly had cause.
“We see that everyday,” senior safety Richard LeCounte said Jan. 1 after Pickens’ MVP-winning performance. “He works hard and puts his best foot forward.”
“That George Pickens, he’s different,” senior linebacker Monty Rice said. ‘He’s a different breed. Rare.”
That night, however, didn’t happen like magic. Before finding himself on the pedestal, Pickens made his way to the doghouse a month earlier. The then-freshman already had a few big plays to his credit, so the attention was focused on Pickens rather early.
One of his plays made highlights last November, but not in the style Pickens wanted.
He had an entanglement with Georgia Tech cornerback Tre Swilling, throwing punches behind the Bobby Dodd Stadium end zone. The Bulldogs had a 30-point lead at the time of the incident. Pickens was ejected and suspended for one half of the conference championship game, and head coach Kirby Smart said his pass catcher needed to “grow up.”
Smart said it. Older Georgia players voiced it. Pickens realized it as the importance of his role clicked.
“I have to stay calm and play as a team,” Pickens said ahead of his sophomore debut Saturday at Arkansas. “I’m focused on mostly the team thing. I see now that (playing for) the team can win you national championships. If you’re bound to the team, you’re going to win.
“It wasn’t important enough to me (last season) as it was to other people.”
That moment of understanding came before erupting on the big stage, and there’s an opportunity for that to carry over this season. Once more, Pickens is the top receiving option, especially after the season-ending injury to fellow sophomore Dominick Blaylock.
Pickens has been a consistent option throughout preseason practices and three scrimmages, per Smart. He’s coming off of 727 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. Those around the conference are taking notice, too, as Pickens was named to the All-SEC preseason second team by the coaches.
New system under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, new season with elevated stakes and a new version of George Pickens to come — at least he believes so.
“It starts with him,” Smart said. “He’s got to do a great job of making sure he’s handling all the things he’s got to do on and off the field. George is growing up.”
Pickens reflected on his own growth over the past year-plus since arriving on campus. He added weight and became a faster player. He became a beneficiary to Monken’s offensive knowledge, wide receiver being the coordinator’s most-familiar position. Monken, from his previous stop with the Cleveland Browns, taught Pickens route-running tools from NFL stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.
His on-field progression is evident. Pickens anticipates running crisper and deeper routes, resulting in more efficiency at the position. Regardless of that, however, it circles back to Pickens’ maturity.
One year older might not seem like much. But for Pickens’ ability to be more influential in the offense, a sophomore is vastly different than a freshman.
“I know I’m a big part of the offense,” Pickens said. “As a newcomer, you can have certain input. You can’t have too much. I can now take everybody under my wing and coach everybody up as best as I can.”
Pickens enters another season with the expectation to be Georgia’s alpha receiver. He wants to eliminate seeing a negative play appear on the highlight reels. For Pickens, maturity leads to that.
“We need him to grow up faster,” Smart said. “We need him to lead more.”
Georgia vs. Arkansas
Who: Georgia (0-0) at Arkansas (0-0)
Where: Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network