When a true freshman gets playing time for the University of Georgia football team, they are almost always a great player.

Kirby Smart prefers not to start freshman. In the past, the head coach has said that the program usually only does it out of necessity. Almost every true freshman starter under Smart has gone on to be a star and an NFL Draft pick. 

Georgia has a couple of true freshmen starting this season, and one of them continues to get better and has shown star potential. Wide receiver Craig Dandridge is leading the Dawgs in receiving yards just seven games into his collegiate career. 

The former four-star prospect was a late riser in the recruiting rankings, but had enough respect in the state of Georgia. The Dawgs had a lot of turnover at receiver this offseason, so there were snaps for the taking. 

Dandridge made a very good early impression on his coaches and teammates. Senior tight end Lawson Luckie told the media this offseason that Dandridge held him accountable in one of his first practices back in December. 

Fellow wide receiver Sacovie White-Helton has gotten serious playing time for the first time this year. As he competed with Dandridge for playing time in the offseason, he was still very complimentary of the youngster.

“Craig (Dandridge) is definitely very, very explosive,” White-Helton. “He, as of right now, he’s one of the top freshmen right now doing what he needs to do, and we all believe in him.”

Even coach Smart called him a pleasure to work with. 

Dandridge has 17 catches so far this season for 310 yards and a touchdown. His production and role is not surprising based on everything we heard of him and saw from him before the season started. 

Insiders at practice buzzed about him all offseason. He followed that up with a strong performance at Georgia’s spring game. Then, in media viewing periods of practice in August, he was clearly working with the starting wide receivers. 

He has been the player that has been targeted deep down the field more than anyone else on this team. He has receptions of 61, 43, 40 and 30 yards this season. He was the most targeted wideout when Georgia trailed Auburn this past weekend. Gunner Stockton went to him on multiple third downs at Alabama the previous week. 

Freshmen wide receivers getting this type of playing time and turning it into this type of production usually make it to the NFL. The two most successful example have been George Pickens and AD Mitchell. 

Dandridge has proven it already as a young leader, and is arguably Stocktoin’s favorite target so far this season.