FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey is undecided about his professional future. But he committed to at least one more collegiate game.
McConkey, Georgia’s standout receiver who’s thrived with quarterbacks Stetson Bennett IV and Carson Beck over the past several seasons, is debating still whether to enter the NFL draft – which means he’ll play Saturday in the Orange Bowl against Florida State (4 p.m., ESPN).
“I told them from the get-go, if I can get out there, if I have a chance to play, I’m going to play,” McConkey said Thursday. “Any time I can play with my guys, I’m going to go out there and do it.”
As for his looming decision, the third-year junior added: “After the game, we’ll sit down with the family and figure everything out. ... I have to weigh out the pros and cons from both sides. I’ve played a lot of football here. Whether I come back to play another (season), I don’t know. It’s something I’ll have to sit down and decide with my family.”
McConkey, 22, has 29 catches for 456 yards and two touchdowns across seven games this season. He’d been limited because of back and ankle injuries – and the latter clearly wasn’t fully healthy in the SEC Championship game, a loss to Alabama that sent Georgia to Miami rather than the College Football Playoff – but McConkey’s value is evident when he’s on the field.
While he’s only 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, McConkey is a quarterback’s best friend. He’s a shrewd route runner. He’s quick with good ball skills, allowing him to become a key playmaker during Georgia’s championship pursuits.
“Just how he gets in and out of breaks, his releases,” Seminoles defensive back Azareye’h Thomas said. “He’s a great catcher, and he attacks the ball.”
McConkey, 22, has transformed himself into this. He was a three-star recruit from Chatsworth who lacked any jump-off-the-page physical attributes. He wasn’t going to win anyone over with the initial eye test. McConkey had to make the most of his time on the scout team and ascend from there. Teammates rave about his maturity and selflessness.
“I always knew what he was capable of, especially down on the scout team my freshman year,” Beck said. “Watching the things he was doing against our defense. That defense was ridiculous. The things he was doing down on the scout team, we’re saying, ‘This guy is going to be a player.’ We were like, ‘Is he really not playing right now as a freshman?’ He’s developed into that role.”
Senior running back Kendall Milton added: “It’s crazy because I remember when I was a freshman and I came in early and Ladd was on a visit. I’d never heard of him. I didn’t know him. He was just a little scrawny, skinny kid. He came in and just stayed focused. He got to work. I think he did a year or two on scout team and every day we’d come in the locker room and the (defensive backs) like Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell would come in talking about, ‘Ladd is going crazy out there. Ladd is tearing us up.’
“I always knew how talented Ladd was. To be able to see him really take advantage of his opportunities and become the player he is today – he has all the success in the world, but he’s the most humble person on earth. So to play with a player like that is a blessing.”
Despite the back and ankle injuries robbing him of a full season, McConkey still has shown why he’s considered worthy of entering the NFL draft. For instance, when all-world tight end Brock Bowers was injured, McConkey delivered his finest performance of the season in Jacksonville. He earned his second career 100-yard performance, posting 135 yards and a touchdown on six catches in a 43-20 win over Florida.
“The quickness, when you talk about Ladd McConkey, the hands, he’ll block,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said after that game. “I have a second- or third-round grade on him.”
The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler had McConkey as his No. 48 overall player on his big board last month, so projections seem to place McConkey in the Day 2 range (second and third rounds). His injury muddied his stock, given he couldn’t consistently show his best, but teammates promise he’s ready if he opts for the next level.
“He shows on film that he’s a technician when it comes to his craft,” Milton said. “His routes, when he breaks. I see Ladd all the time, he’s constantly in the film room and constantly working. I see how dedicated he is to the game. So I have no doubt that he’ll tear it up at the next level if he chooses to do so.”
Center Sedrick Van Pran, one of Georgia’s offensive leaders, endorsed McConkey, saying he’s “a really, really good teammate and tries to help however he can. Just a really good dude.”
Perhaps he’ll be joining an NFL locker room in a few months. Or maybe he’s back in Athens trying to avenge this spoiled season. Beck – who was a potential first-round pick – already announced he’s returning, and when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked McConkey how that could affect his decision, he responded: “I mean, I don’t know. It’s something I’d have to think about. Obviously he’s a special guy, special player. I didn’t get to play much time with him this year, so we’ll see.”
Either way, McConkey owns a strong Bulldogs legacy as another unheralded recruit who worked his way into a pivotal role among a team of five-stars. And Saturday might be his finale.
“I guess you think about it,” he said. “Last year was my third year, people can go out that year. Fourth year, I have (eligibility) left. You think about it, but also I think about it in the sense that it could be your last practice, your last game, especially with the injury. I missed more than a couple games this year. So I go out there trying to treat each one like it’s my last one.
“I know this is a special place. Special people here. So any time I can spend more time with them, I’m definitely going to make the most of it.”
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