Georgia Bulldogs

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Justin Scott-Wesley enjoyed his first taste of success in Georgia’s last game. But asked Thursday evening to name a potential breakout performer, Bulldogs offensive coordinator Mike Bobo selected the sophomore receiver as a player to watch this fall.

“He had a great spring,” Bobo said at the UGA Days event in Augusta, “one of our most improved receivers.”

Scott-Wesley entered the lineup in the Bulldogs’ Capital One Bowl win against Nebraska only after Malcolm Mitchell left the game with a concussion sustained while returning a kick.

To that point in his first season as an active college player, Scott-Wesley had caught passes only in mop-up duty against Florida Atlantic and Georgia Southern. But he hauled in three balls against the Cornhuskers -- including two long passes that pushed the ball into Nebraska territory, one of which was a 31-yard gain on Georgia’s go-ahead touchdown drive at the end of the third quarter -- and concluded a career-best performance with 67 yards.

That performance propelled the young receiver into spring practice, Bobo said.

“I think the confidence level he gained from playing in the bowl game when Malcolm Mitchell went down with a concussion, he caught three passes -- two big third-down conversions -- and him making those plays in a game gave him confidence to carry over into spring ball and get better and make that next step,” Bobo said.

Blessed with sprinter’s speed -- in fact, the former Georgia high school record-setter will compete in the 100-meter dash for Georgia’s track team on Saturday evening at the SEC championships -- Scott-Wesley was a project for the Bulldogs’ coaching staff when he arrived on campus in 2011. Bobo credited receivers coach Tony Ball for molding an SEC-ready receiver out of a player who initially had much to learn about the finer points of his position.

“He can absolutely fly, but he was not a football player,” Bobo said. “He was very raw, and coach Tony Ball does an outstanding job with our receivers and coaching the little things and the details and has really refined this guy’s game to where I think he’s going to have a breakout year.”

Scott-Wesley made some noise last spring, as well, but barely dented the receiver rotation until the very end of the season. He concluded his redshirt freshman campaign with six catches for 135 yards and one touchdown, so it’s far too early to say that another strong spring means he has arrived.

However, Bobo points out that it was a sign of progress -- which is exactly what he wanted to see from a developing player in the spring.

“That’s what you’re looking for and really looking for in the whole offense is taking that next step,” Bobo said.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

2012 record: 12-2

2012 conference record: 7-1 (first, SEC East)

Returning starters: Offense: 10; defense: 4; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners: QB Aaron Murray, RB Todd Gurley, CB Damian Swann, WR Malcolm Mitchell, OLB Jordan Jenkins, OL Kenarious Gates, OG Chris Burnette, ILB Amarlo Herrera

Key losses: OLB Jarvis Jones, LB Alec Ogletree, S Shawn Williams, S Bacarri Rambo, NG John Jenkins, CB Sanders Commings, WR Tavarres King

2012 statistical leaders (* - returner)
Rushing: Gurley * (1,385 yards)
Passing: Murray * (3,893 yards)
Receiving: King (950 yards)
Tackles: Alec Ogletree (111)
Sacks: Jones (14.5)
Interceptions: Swann * (4)

Spring answers
1. Safety starters: With 2011 All-Americans Rambo and Williams completing their college careers, the Bulldogs entered the spring with two big holes at safety. It appears sophomore Josh Harvey-Clemons and January enrollee Tray Matthews have all but claimed the starting positions, however. Harvey-Clemons was named the Bulldogs’ defensive MVP of spring practice, and Matthews generated the most buzz of anyone this spring with his ability to deliver crushing hits. Georgia’s inexperience along the back end of the defense is not ideal, but the two youngsters could become a pleasant surprise.

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Editor’s note: Over the next two weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each of Georgia’s position groups at the end of spring practice. Today we examine the tight ends:

Returning players/stats: Arthur Lynch, Sr. (12 starts, 24 catches, 431 yards, 3 TDs); Jay Rome, So. (one start, 11-151, 2 TDs); Ty Flournoy-Smith, So. (no catches)

Newcomers: Jordan Davis, Fr. (ESPN No. 15 tight end, expected to enroll this summer)

Key storyline: As with Wednesday’s receiver to watch, Chris Conley, Georgia tight ends Lynch and Rome started to play a much larger role in the passing game in the second half of last season once injuries created opportunities for more balls to come their way. Now established in the passing game, Lynch and Rome could build on last season’s 582 combined receiving yards by getting off to a quicker start as receivers this fall.

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Editor’s note: Over the next two weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each of Georgia’s position groups at the end of spring practice. Today we examine the wide receivers:

Returning players/stats: Malcolm Mitchell, Jr. (nine starts, 40 catches, 572 yards, 4 TDs); Michael Bennett, Jr. (three starts, 24-345, 4 TDs); Chris Conley, Jr. (three starts, 20-342, 6 TDs); Rantavious Wooten, Sr. (15-187, 2 TDs); Rhett McGowan, Sr. (one start, 12-150, 1 TD); Justin Scott-Wesley, So. (6-135, 1 TD); Blake Tibbs, RFr. (redshirted in 2012)

Newcomers: Tramel Terry, Fr. (ESPN No. 89 overall prospect, No. 9 athlete, enrolled in January); Jonathon Rumph, Jr. (ESPN No. 7 junior college prospect, No. 1 juco wide receiver, enrolled in January); Reggie Davis, Fr. (ESPN No. 294 overall prospect, No. 45 wide receiver, expected to enroll this summer); Uriah LeMay, Fr. (No. 48 wide receiver, expected to enroll this summer); Rico Johnson, Fr. (No. 122 wide receiver, expected to enroll this summer)

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ATHENS, Ga. -- Hutson Mason is not a rookie, but he felt like one in some ways during Saturday’s G-Day game.

After redshirting last fall -- his third season in college -- to gain a year of separation between himself and fourth-year starting quarterback Aaron Murray, Mason had to shake off some jitters entering his first competitive game in a year.

“Coming into this, I was treating this like a game for me because it’s been so long that I’ve really emotionally and mentally been like, ‘Hey man, this is game day,’ ” said Mason, who led the Black team to a comeback 23-17 victory over the Red. “I wanted to kind of see how my body would react being out there with 40,000 people. It’s not quite like game day, but you kind of get your body back into that feeling and getting ready.”

It was not a perfect day for the redshirt junior. The Black punted on his first three drives and he scrambled and threw an interception to freshman linebacker Reggie Carter at midfield on his fourth.

“I thought that the pick earlier was the worst decision that I’ve made at Georgia, but definitely this spring,” Mason said. “That was just pathetic. I’ve got to throw the ball away.”

But Mason improved as the day progressed. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jonathon Rumph in the second quarter and drove the Black to two field goals in the fourth quarter to provide the six-point margin of victory.

Mason completed 16 for 27 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“We slung it around today pretty well and we had a juco guy in Rumph, so he doesn’t really know what he’s doing,” Mason said. “So I was really just happy for the guys to step up and make the most of their opportunities when they needed to.”

G-Day all-stars: Every spring game has its surprise standouts.

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