ATHENS — Georgia is known for producing NFL players and no position has been more prolific — in terms of numbers — than tight end.

Eight former Bulldogs are scattered across rosters in fall camp, most notably, Las Vegas star Brock Bowers.

Bowers’ collegiate and NFL success has raised the profile of the position at UGA and the value of development under assistant Todd Hartley. That likely explains why UGA is stacked at the position with players who might otherwise have signed or transferred elsewhere to play immediately.

“You go year by year, you probably had some good depth in there where you felt good about two to three tight ends that could go into games and really contribute, you’d feel good could play SEC winning football,” Hartley said on Wednesday.

“I would say this year it might be four to five that you have in there that can do that.”

Hartley said each of UGA’s tight ends have their strengths, and the team will look to utilize each player best in its schemes while working to develop them all-around.

The tight ends who excel in all phases of the position — route-running, pass catching, run blocking and pass protection — are known as “Jokers” because of the flexibility they can provide in the offense.

“The options they can provide your offense are limitless, because as a defense, how do you defend that guy?” Hartley said. “Are you going to put a (defensive back) on him and then he’s going to block you at the point of attack. Are you going to put a linebacker on him and then he can beat you in the slot one-on-one.

“So offensively, even in recruiting, I try to find guys who have traits that can give us value at multiple positions, so you try to have a room full of those guys that are Jokers.”

The fact UGA has so many capable of starting at the position is anomaly of sorts in this NIL era where money can help lure players from back-up positions to starting slots.

Jaden Reddell

Hartley used third-year Georgia tight end Jaden Reddell as an example of a player who valued his relationships and developmental upside at UGA over a faster payday.

“He trusted that relationship and what we told him in recruiting and he waited his turn, and all he did was just go to work …,” Hartley said, “and now after two years of not worrying abut where I should go, how much money should I make, all the stuff people concern themselves with that are distractions that can take you away from being the best player you can possibly be, he didn’t listen to any of them.

“He trusted in the process, he grinded it out and now now he’s got in position to help us in a significant role this year. Let’s be honest, that’s rare nowadays, right?”

Elyiss Williams

Players who are 6-foot-7 and 255 pounds that can move like UGA second-year tight end Elyiss Williams are rare, too.

“Obviously physically gifted … ,” Hartley told UGAsports.com “He runs so smooth, so effortless for a guy his size and length. He takes hard coaching, and kids who take hard coaching usually see optimal growth.”

That’s what has happened for senior Lawson Luckie, who in an effort to be more well-rounded is adding weight in an effort to weigh 245 pounds.

Lawson Luckie

“In order to sustain in our league at the point of attack for multiple plays in a row, he had to add more weight and he had to get stronger, and he really attacked that,” Hartley said. “In the past, his game, he’s really good at running routes and catching passes and being that slot tight end, that move tight end for us.

“(Now) he can go multiple plays in a row at the point of attack where we can say, ‘Hey, he’s not just a move tight end, he’s a Joker,’ he can do it all.”

Hartley noted second-year tight end Ethan Barbour as a player who tries to do it all even beyond the field by leading his teammates.

Ethan Barbour

“He obviously had a catastrophic injury,” Hartley said. “Think about that, he broke his ankle Game Two (last season) and he worked so hard he started the Sugar Bowl. That says a lot about that kid’s determination to come back with that resiliency and response to something bad that happened in his life.

“You want him around the players to be contagious to get them fired up about football, and physicality …. he is the definition of grit in my mind because of the things he’s went through and the way he goes about playing the game.”

Freshman Kaiden Prothro has opened eyes with the way he plays the game, too, to the extent UGA looks to get him on the field immediately.

Kaiden Prothro

“He didn’t play tight end very much at Bowdon High School, he was a receiver, (but) based off his frame, his length, we project him to be a really good tight end … down the road,” Hartley said.

“It doesn’t mean he’s not a tight end right now, but his skill set is that he can run routes and he can catch passes and he has a good catch radius, but for his long-term development he’s probably drafted as an NFL tight end.”

Hartley said it’s UGA’s job to get Prothro and others in position to maximize their NFL Draft stock, “but in the short term we also want to showcase what he does well, and maybe that is in the slot (at receiver), or maybe that is a little bit at tight end.”