Funny how opinions of people can change, and sometimes drastically.
This time last year, Georgia receiver Ladd McConkey was coming off a 2020 football season in which he redshirted while competing on the scout team. The former North Murray standout was the most unheralded offensive signee of the Kirby Smart era, so perhaps the 2021 season would yield some nice mop-up opportunities against UAB, Vanderbilt and Charleston Southern.
McConkey would change that narrative and convincingly, starting the opening showdown against Clemson and winding up with 31 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns on a program that earned its first national title since 1980.
"It was awesome to come off my freshman year and not really playing," McConkey, now a redshirt sophomore, said during a recent news conference. "It was definitely a little nerve-wracking at the beginning, but it was awesome once I settled in and figured it out and got my rhythm going. It was a great time, and winning the national championship kind of topped it off."
The reigning national champs held their 13th spring workout Tuesday and will practice again Thursday before conducting their G-Day game Saturday afternoon at 1 on ESPN2.
McConkey is being viewed much differently these days after leading Georgia's wide receivers in catches last season - All-American tight end Brock Bowers led the Bulldogs overall with 56 - and serving as his team's top returning wide receiver in yards as well. Jermaine Burton amassed 497 receiving yards last season but transferred to Alabama in late January.
"Ladd is much more confident, and he is making a lot of plays," Smart said last week. "He is tough. He is elusive. He plays really hard. He is what you want in your program. Every play he gives you is everything he's got, and there is just a level of consistency with Ladd that you know that you will get his very best every day.
"If anything, you have to be careful how hard you work him, because he will do exactly what you tell him to do. He will run himself until his tongue hangs out and he loses his juice. He is certainly better with juice."
When informed of Smart's glowing comments, McConkey smiled and said, "Any time you can get a compliment from Coach Smart, that's good, but that's how I approach it. I put my head down and grind and do what they ask me to do."
McConkey started seven of Georgia's 15 games last season and continually placed his versatility on display. He had receiving and rushing touchdowns in consecutive possessions during the 62-0 shellacking of Vanderbilt in Nashville and racked up five catches for 135 yards and a 60-yard touchdown in the 34-10 win at Auburn.
There were also punt returns of 34 and 28 yards against Charleston Southern and a 32-yard touchdown catch in the Southeastern Conference championship game loss to Alabama, a result the Bulldogs would avenge more than a month later in Indianapolis. That most of McConkey's big plays involved teaming with former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett routinely proved that last season's Bulldogs were much more than their plethora of top-100 national recruits.
McConkey is listed at 6-foot and 185 pounds on Georgia's spring roster after being listed at 175 upon his arrival. He admits the 2020 measurement was a bit generous and that he has put on between 20 and 25 pounds, but Smart said that aspect to his development is far from over.
"We want him to make more explosive plays and to take care of his body," Smart said. "In the summer, he needs to lift and put more muscle mass on. He is usually in really good shape, but it is more of a matter of protecting himself. He can get beat up because he is not a really big guy, and the more he can protect himself and grow and be explosive and run after the catch is what we need out of Ladd.
"He has to work on being able to be a really good perimeter blocker when we are throwing the balls to the outside, but he is going to be explosive and a playmaker."
McConkey is well aware of the checklist that Smart has for him, adding there is a leadership element as well.
"We had so many good leaders leave last year, and they kind of showed us the ropes and how to do it," McConkey said. "We're trying to follow in those footsteps. Nothing is given around here. Coach Smart talks all the time about having to earn everything."
Steen picks Tide
Tyler Steen, a starting tackle for Vanderbilt the past three seasons before entering the NCAA transfer portal in January, announced Tuesday on social media that he will play this year at Alabama as a graduate student. The 6-5, 315-pound Steen also visited Kentucky, LSU, N.C. State, Virginia UCLA before picking the Crimson Tide, who have tackle vacancies after losing Evan Neal and Chris Owens from last season's team.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.