John Lilly

Staff photo by Ashley Connell Georgia tight end Aron White

Georgia tight end Aron White has two big excuses as to why he hasn’t caught his first pass for the Bulldogs.

Those excuses, senior starter Tripp Chandler and sophomore backup Bruce Figgins, have injured shoulders, so the 6-foot-4, 229-pound redshirt freshman has assumed the top spot entering next Saturday’s game against visiting Tennessee. White, who’s from Columbia, Mo., was rated by Rivals.com as the top tight end nationally in the 2007 class.

“I was the third-string tight end not too long ago, but now they’re calling on me to play,” White said this week. “I think that it’s definitely time for me to prove myself on the field and put up some numbers. I’m not going to go out there and demand the ball, but if it comes to me I’ve got to make the most of it.”

White was actually Georgia’s fourth-string tight end back in January, but Na’Derris Ward transferred in the spring to get closer to his California home.

Figgins did not play in last week’s 41-30 loss to Alabama, when Chandler suffered his setback during the second quarter. He may miss the next two games. That resulted in the battlefield promotion for White, who held his own according to tight ends coach John Lilly.

“Last Wednesday, he had one of the best practices he’s had since I’ve been around here,” Lilly said. “He gave our staff the confidence and himself the confidence that he could go out there and get the job done. The first play he ran the other night was one of the more difficult plays in our playbook for the tight end to execute. He was a primary block at the point of attack, and it was one of those plays where if he doesn’t make the block, then we have no play.”

White played 18 snaps against the Crimson Tide and felt prepared, having played much of the second half against Georgia Southern and Central Michigan and a couple of late drives at Arizona State. He is 25 pounds lighter than Chandler or Figgins and 60 pounds lighter than his new backup, former starting left tackle Kiante Tripp.

Lilly does not believe White’s lack of size will be an issue.

“Obviously he’s a different body type, but I don’t think he limits what we’re going to try and do,” he said. “We built that game plan the other night regardless of who we ran at tight end. We were not going to change things, and we feel like he at 229 pounds can execute everything we want in the running game and the passing game.”

Said White: “I feel like I do it every day in practice going up against linebackers like Dannell Ellerbe and defensive ends like Jarius Wynn, so if I can hold up against our guys I think I’m doing all right, because I think they’re some of the best players in America.”

White had 59 catches for 1,051 yards and 17 touchdowns during his last two seasons at Rock Bridge High. He arrived in Athens last summer weighing 213 pounds and started preseason camp working at receiver.

That lasted a week, he said, as coaches decided to move him back to his preferred position and let him bulk up while redshirting. Having the billing as the top tight end nationally did result in some pressure, White admitted, but he said sitting out was the right thing.

“I definitely came in here wanting to work my way into a role where I was a go-to guy, but I also realized that given my body type, my weight and the league I was playing in, it wasn’t going to happen overnight,” White said. “I’m still only five games into my career.”

And, for now, a starter.

Odds and ends

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was held out of Tuesday’s practice after suffering headaches against Alabama but returned Thursday. ... Tailback Knowshon Moreno (elbow contusion) is on track to play against the Vols, but middle linebacker Ellerbe (knee) remains questionable. ... Split end Kris Durham (high-ankle sprain) from Calhoun did not practice Thursday and is very doubtful for next week and possibly the week after. ... Guard Chris Davis was held out of practice this week to get some rest.