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Isaiah McKenzie: Lingering Injury Concerning For KR/WR?

By John Buhler

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Isaiah McKenzie, better known as the Human Joystick to Dawg Nation, has missed most of fall camp due to a lingering hamstring injury.

McKenzie was a high school teammate of fellow sophomore, RB Sony Michel at the American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida.  Georgia Bulldogs HC Mark Richt liked Isaiah McKenzie’s return game so much when UGA was recruiting Michel that Richt offered Isaiah a scholarship to come to Georgia without ever making an official visit to Athens.

-= Related: Sony Michel Ready For Big Things In 2015? =-

As a true freshman, Isaiah McKenzie served mostly as a return specialist for the Dawgs with 230 punt return yards and 309 kick return yards on only a combined 30 returns.  Isaiah helped in the offensive game plan with 145 all-purpose yards on 13 plays from scrimmage.

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    • McKenzie earned All-SEC 2nd Team Preseason Honors for his play last season as a return specialist.  This season, Isaiah McKenzie expected to contribute more in the receiving game.  Now that often-injured WR Justin Scott-Wesley is likely heading for medical retirement, will I-Mac recover in time before Saturday’s home opener to become the Georgia Bulldogs’ number two receiving option behind Senior Malcolm Mitchell?  Should Dawg Nation be worried?

    With a hamstring injury like McKenzie’s, it is imperative that he continues to rest so that he will not further injure himself.  His obvious quickness and agility are major factors why Mark Richt and his staff will not rush him back to the field.  Georgia has likely been cross training other players in the return game should Isaiah McKenzie not be able to play in the first couple of games this season.

    Georgia can survive the first two games of the season against ULM and Vanderbilt without an electrifying return game.  Mark Richt can put a Logan Gray, Rhett McGowan type of returner to strictly fair catch punts.  While it’s not exciting in the least bit, it’s a decent strategy for the Georgia Bulldogs to use if they are not confident in their backup returners’ abilities to gain positive yardage after the catch.

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    Where Georgia may feel McKenzie’s absence the most if it extends into the regular season is in the WR corps.  Georgia losing a ton of catches to graduation (Chris Conley and Michael Bennett) as well as JSW’s probable medical retirement.  Though Malcolm Mitchell is a veteran, he too has a long list of collegiate injuries.  Does that mean true freshman WR Terry Godwin will play major snaps this fall while I-Mac slowly works his way back into the UGA wideout rotation?

    The Georgia Bulldogs can survive without Isaiah McKenzie’s presence on the field for a little while, but once Conference Play becomes a weekly affair, Georgia will need its electrifying return man back making jaw-dropping plays with the football in his hands.  Six days, folks.  Go Dawgs!

    Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Defensive Line to Use Heavy Rotation

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