There have been recent years when the Georgia Bulldogs ventured across state lines to snag promising five-star receivers, most notably A.J. Green out of South Carolina, Marlon Brown out of Tennessee and George Pickens out of Alabama.
Yet Georgia also has taken chances on unheralded pass-catchers from the northern part of its state, and that has worked out wonderfully as well.
Redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey is certainly thriving for the top-seeded Bulldogs (14-0) entering Monday night’s national championship showdown against third-seeded TCU (13-1) at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. McConkey was named last month by Southeastern Conference coaches as an all-league second-team selection, and the former North Murray High School star is quick to praise the next potential standout from his area of the Peach State — freshman Cole Speer.
“He’s gotten better and better every week,” McConkey said after Georgia’s 42-41 comeback triumph over Ohio State in last Saturday night’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl national semifinal. “He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s going to be a heck of a player. Any time you can get out there and get on the field as a young guy, it’s awesome, and he’s been able to do that.
“He deserved it, and he’s just going to be a great player for us.”