Charlie Woerner doesn't need reminding about Georgia's new predicament at tight end.
Gone is former starter Isaac Nauta, who bypassed his senior season for an opportunity at next month's NFL draft. Gone is Jackson Harris, who was a senior on last season's 11-3 team that played in the Southeastern Conference championship game and the Sugar Bowl, and gone is Luke Ford, who transferred to Illinois after just one season in Athens.
"I know what's upon me now, and I'm excited about it," Woerner said this past week in a news conference. "I'm ready to take on the role."
Georgia held its third spring practice Saturday afternoon, with the entire workout closed to the media.
A 6-foot-5, 245-pound senior from Rabun County, which borders North Carolina and South Carolina, Woerner is the unquestioned leader at his position. The only other scholarship tight ends at Georgia this spring are redshirt freshman John FitzPatrick and early enrollee Ryland Goede, who is not practicing due to ACL surgery.
Joining the mix this summer will be another freshman, Brett Seither, and Tennessee graduate transfer Eli Wolf.
"I think Charlie is ready to step up," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said last week. "He's been a great leader. Charlie does an unbelievable job on our special teams, and he is really athletic.
"(Quarterback) Jake (Fromm) has a comfortable relationship with Charlie. He feels good with him."
Woerner, a nephew of former Georgia All-America cornerback Scott Woerner, had 11 receptions for 148 yards last season. He is working this spring with his third position coach in four years, having played under Shane Beamer his first two seasons, Jim Chaney last year and Todd Hartley now.
Chaney was Georgia's offensive coordinator the past three years but currently has that same role at Tennessee.
"It's tough, because they all teach tight end differently," Woerner said. "If we're on the back side of a wide zone and have to cut off that outside linebacker, Coach Hartley coaches it to get that outside wrist inside of him, whereas Coach Chaney would coach it to run and get that head in there. The regular fan won't tell what is going on, but it's different to me when you've been doing it for four years.
"The hardest thing for me is breaking my old habits and learning what a new coach wants me to do, but I love learning new things. It's just hard to break the old tendencies."
Georgia has to replace its top three pass-catchers from last season - Riley Ridley, Mecole Hardman and Nauta - but Woerner hopes the Bulldogs will throw more this season with James Coley as the new coordinator. Woerner also realizes that football is all about taking advantage of what a defense is giving an offense.
"We're still Georgia," he said. "We've got a big offensive line and great running backs."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.