ATHENS — Much of the optimisim surrodning Georgia’s wide receiver this spring was tied to the newcomers in the room.

Six new Bulldogs arrived to help improve a position that led the country in drops last season. Two came via the transfer portal in Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch.

They’ve already played high-level football and know what the rigors of college football look like.

Four freshmen signees have gotten a taste of that this spring. And while there have been some ups-and-downs, head coach Kirby Smart has been pleased by the group’s quick development.

“Way, way, way, way, way further ahead. I mean, they’ve come a long way,” Smart said of his freshman receivers. “They were thrown into the fire. They’ve been demanded to get the call, line up. I mean, they’re ahead of where our typical freshmen are because they’ve gone with the twos. They’ve got a ways to go still. They had a little anxiety today. They had a couple plays I thought they should have made. But they’re a good group, and Tyler’s been hurt. We haven’t been able to see him much. But that young group has made some plays for us.”

Of the four freshman receivers that went through spring practice, only Tyler Williams did not record a catch on G-Day. That is because Williams had ankle surgery after the start of spring practice. A timeline for his return is not yet known.

Talyn Taylor was Georgia’s top-ranked wide receiver signee in its 2025 recruiting class. He was the first 5-star signee at the position for Georgia since it landed George Pickens in the 2019 cycle.

Taylor had 7 targets in the spring game, with freshman tight Ethan Barbour being the only player with more. Taylor did have a drop in the second quarter but finished the game with 3 receptions for 32 yards.

CJ Wiley finished with one fewer reception than Taylor, but had 47 yards on G-Day. Wiley made a spectucalr one-handed grab on a pass from Ryan Puglisi that went for a 35-yard gain.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s a big physical guy. I’ve loved playing with him,” wide receiver London Humphreys said. “He’s great at what he does, and he’s coming along a lot, too. I’ve enjoyed seeing him learn the playbook, and you just see him out there every day when something clicks, and then he’s just taken off from there.”

With Nitro Tuggle transferring out of the program, Wiley could soak up some of his reps. Georgia still has Thomas and Colbie Young at the X receiver position, but both players will exhaust their eligibility following the 2024 season. Wiley is very much the future of the position.

Of the three freshmen receivers who took the field during G-Day, Landon Roldan had the least productive day. He caught just 1 of his 4 targets for 4 yards on Saturday.

Roldan isn’t expected to contribute early, especially after Humpherys and Bell both had strong spring games. But Georgia likes the long-term upside of Roldan, whose No. 84 jersey indicates he isn’t shying away from any Ladd McConkey comparisons.

“Great athlete, a lot of potential, has a high ceiling, and I’m excited to help him grow and become the best version of himself,” Humphreys said of Roldan. “I think he has good potential.”

Georgia will add a fifth freshman wide receiver to the room later this summer when Thomas Blackshear arrives. He was a 4-star recruit from Savannah, Ga.

The wide receiver room is in better shape than it was a year ago. Not just for the 2025 season — where it might be now tough for Taylor, Wiley, Roldan and Williams to play — but for the foreseeable future as well.

“I love how every single one of them came in with their head down ready to work,” Thomas said of the group. “Not letting the stars and all that get to them. Like, I talk to Talyn every day, and Talyn just really, like, opens his ears. Allows others to talk to him and stuff like that.

“CJ Wiley — all of them, really, I like how they came in just ready to work, not thinking they’re too good, not carrying that ego with them, and just ready to learn new things."