ATHENS — Kendall Milton and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint were two of the biggest names in Georgia’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class of 2018 and could be on the verge of breakout seasons.
Both Milton and Rosemy-Jacksaint have flashed the sort of potential that led to them having overall national rankings of No. 54 and No. 55, respectively, coming out of high schools.
Coach Kirby Smart believes it’s time each will realize that potential and sent both Milton and Rosemy-Jacksaint out to talk to media following Thursday’s practice, the fifth of 15 this spring.
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“I feel great putting on the pads and getting out there with my brothers,” said Milton, whose carrying a noticeably leaner frame at 220, the better to diversify his power between the tackles with added agility and route-running skills.
“It’s competitive, it’s physical, and it’s always a good time
Milton, who hails from Clovis, Calif., just outside of Fresno, has played in 15 of a possible 25 games the past two seasons, dealing with a sprained knee each campaign.
Zamir White and James Cook carried the load the past two seasons, leaving Milton with just one career touchdown on his 91 carries for 457 yards along with 3 catches for 27 yards over the past two years.
Kenny McIntosh enters spring atop the depth chart but it seems likely Milton will split the reps with him with Daijun Edwards also getting work.
“I’m very hungry, especially the past two years with the timing of the injuries,” Milton said. “I was starting to do pretty good, and then they happened.
“I’m grinding this offseason …. I’m trying to identify the reads a little bit better and coverages better and fix little things in my game that can show huge improvement on the field.”
Rosemy-Jacksaint, like Milton, has been limited by injuries, most notably suffering a broken ankle against Florida his freshman season.
Rosemy-Jacksaint has appeared in 19 of 25 games and has 11 career catches for 156 yards and 1 touchdown in an offense that shuts down the passing game with big leads and doesn’t provide wideouts with a ton of targets.
Rosemy-Jacksaint, who played prep ball at powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., sounds desperate to get back on the field and contribute after less-heralded recruits Adonai Mitchell and Ladd McConkey passed him on the depth chart for starting positions.
“Whatever we’ve got to do (as receivers), we’ll perform no matter what the task is,” Rosemy-Jacksaint said. “I’ve worked on my speed and I want to get a lot more flexible.”
Smart has talked about the shortage at receiver after the transfers of fellow 2018 signees Jermaine Burton (Alabama) and Justin Robinson (Mississippi State).
Rosemy-Jacksaint, like Milton, is positioned to be among the key players stepping into larger, more pivotal roles for Georgia.