Georgia has been doing its special teams work outside the public view so far this season. But some steady buzz is starting to eke out regarding one of the freshmen.
Isaiah McKenzie of Fort Lauderdale is apparently living up to his lofty billing as a kick returner.
“Y’all are gonna enjoy watching him this year,” said sophomore defensive back J.J. Green, who is also getting some looks as a returner. “Y’all will be having him up here (for interviews) real quick. That guy’s gonna make somebody some money someday.”
Georgia coach Mark Richt was a little less effusive in his praise. But it’s apparent he, too, likes what he sees in McKenzie, particularly as a punt returner.
“When we work those drills he’s one of the prominent guys,” Richt said. “We’ve got a few guys. … But he’s a very elusive guy, very quick and sudden, which you like in a return man. But like I told him and the rest of them, I’m going to base the decision on who that guys is on how well he fields the ball and how well he protects the ball. If you don’t field it and protect, it doesn’t matter how good you can run.”
Senior cornerback Damian Swann, safeties Shaq Jones and Tramel Terry and Green, a nickelback, have also been getting looks as punt returners. Receiver Reggie Davis returned punts last year.
It’s a position that Georgia traditionally has thrived at but struggled significantly last season. The Bulldogs were last in the SEC with a 2.9-yard, punt-return average and they “muffed,” or committed turnovers, on two returns.
McKenzie became a 4-star recruit last fall based largely on his unique abilities as a kick returner. He compiled one of the more amazing highlight videos one will find based on that skill alone. His high school statistics in that area were not immediately available but, as a receiver, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound athlete caught 41 passes for 892 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.
Green stood out as a tailback last season and obviously is an exceptional runner. But as much as he’d like to be the Bulldogs’ return man, he said he’d pick McKenzie.
“The guy’s fast and quick,” Green said of his teammate. “Playing against him, going out there in competition, two-on-two and one-on-one and just watching the guy run, he’s not just a straight-line runner. He can make moves, but he’s also fast and quick at the same time.”
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