Ari Werts seems to bounce more than jog between drills during Georgia State’s football practices. He stands with his back perfectly straight, his knees moving up more than forward, which makes him appear bigger than he is.
And then Werts gets into his stance, comes off the line of scrimmage and the bouncy up-and-down turns into a straight-ahead blast.
Werts is a sophomore who caught just five passes in 12 games last season, but his potential has been anticipated for more than two years when he signed, and then delayed his enrollment until the spring of last year.
“He’s doing some really good things,” offensive coordinator Luke Huard said.
Werts and Bill Teknipp have been getting a lot of reps during the spring because returning starter Keith Rucker has been wearing a no-contact jersey for precautionary measures. He had four receptions for 44 yards in last week’s scrimmage, and a 31-yard reception in the first scrimmage.
At 6-4, 225 pounds (though possibly larger now because the weights haven’t been updated), Werts can box out cornerbacks, and has the speed to run away from most linebackers and safeties.
To do that, he is improving his route running.
Huard said Werts is learning how to take the first couple of steps in his routes so that he can set up what he is going to do.
“When he does it right, he’s a matchup nightmare,” Huard said.
Werts began to show his potential in last year’s Cure Bowl, when he caught three passes for 63 yards. He said the performance gave him enough confidence that he feels like he can play with anyone.
Since that game, Werts said he has dedicated himself to the weight room and to his techniques.
“I’ve learned so much,” he said. “Everything is moving with a flow. At first, it was difficult to understand the plays. Now, it’s going well.”
