Can Terry Godwin Be an Impact Freshman for the Dawgs?

By John Buhler | Jun 14, 2015

ATH Terry Godwin (Callaway, Hogansville, GA) enters his freshman year at the University of Georgia with tremendous promise. Godwin is one of two five-star recruits in the UGA Recruiting Class of 2015 along with DT Trent Thompson (Westover, Albany, GA). Thompson expects to compete right away for a starting spot on Tracy Rocker’s defensive line. Can Terry Godwin be an impact freshman for the Dawgs in 2015?

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Godwin comes to the Dawgs as the number 1 athlete in the country, the number 4 high school player in Georgia, and the number 28 overall player in the nation, according to the 247 Sports Composite (0.9871 Rating). Terry also plans to play baseball for Georgia as he was a late-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in this year’s MLB Draft. So Godwin epitomizes what an athlete is. But how does he contribute right away in the UGA WR corps?

Former RB’s Coach Bryan McClendon moves over to WR’s Coach after Tony Ball relocated to LSU this winter. Brian Schottenheimer comes to Athens from the St. Louis Rams to keep UGA’s pro style offense intact as longtime OC Mike Bobo now leads the Colorado State Rams. So both his position coach and his offensive coordinator, like Terry Godwin, will be in new roles at Georgia this fall.

A major reason Godwin stuck with Georgia over Alabama and Auburn after Bobo left is that Schottenheimer coached Godwin’s favorite player at the next level: Rams WR Tavon Austin, formerly of WVU. Godwin says to have patterned his game after Austin’s and can’t wait to break big plays in space for Schotty. Schottenheimer will like Godwin’s athleticism, versatility, and ball skills as likely a slot receiver for the Dawgs.

I see him as an Isaiah McKenzie type of receiver in the slot more than as a vertical threat like Malcolm Mitchell or as a possession receiver like Chris Conley, now with the Kansas City Chiefs. Mark Richt won’t redshirt Terry Godwin. I mean who redshirts five-stars unless their buried on the QB depth chart?

Godwin should showcase his big playmaking ability for Georgia in some capacity this fall. He’ll have an impact similar to what TE Jeb Blazevich and OLB Lorenzo Carter had last season, as a solid rotational player as a freshman with big upside heading into his sophomore season. Terry Godwin needs to hit the weight room (6 ft, 168 lbs.) before he can become an AJ Green, Mohamed Massaquoi type of outside playmaker. The secondaries in the SEC are notoriously physical.

While I love Godwin to make plays in space in 2015, don’t expect him to play like an Amari Cooper type of receiver right away. And that’s okay because he’s only a freshman. He’ll improve, I promise. Whether he’s on the gridiron or on the diamond, I’m looking forward to Terry Godwin showcasing all his athletic ability for the Red and Black these next few years.

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