Georgia doesn't open spring practice until March 18, so we'll use the next few weeks to look ahead to those all-important workouts and preview what to watch once the Bulldogs get started.
Today we continue a series where we examine five position groups with room to improve. After touching on the inside linebackers, offensive line, outside linebackers and safeties, today we conclude the series with the cornerbacks, who struggled last season while rotating several players into starting positions.
1. Cornerback
Battling for No. 1: As much as the safeties irritated Georgia's fans last season, the cornerbacks were just as maddeningly ineffective, if not more so. A year after leading the team with four interceptions, Damian Swann failed to pick off a single pass in a disappointing junior season. He led the team with eight pass breakups but failed to become the lockdown corner it looked like he had the potential to be during his first season as a starter. The other cornerback position was a revolving door with Brendan Langley opening the season as a starter before becoming a player that opposing quarterbacks targeted. Shaq Wiggins started eight of the last nine games, but there were times where the undersized freshman was a liability. Sheldon Dawson also started a game, although he was burned repeatedly in that game against Georgia Tech before the Bulldogs mounted a comeback to win in double overtime.
Strength in numbers: On one hand, Georgia used a number corners during the 2013 season, so there are plenty of players with on-field experience. On the other hand, the group didn't exactly impress. Swann, Wiggins, Langley and Dawson will all be back -- and it will be the second season of actually contributing for all of them except rising senior Swann. Naturally it's a reasonable expectation that some of all of them might improve upon a rocky first season, particularly with new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt coming aboard to coach the group. Th Bulldogs also have Devin Bowman, a rising junior, as a member of the group.
New on the scene: It would not be a huge surprise to see signees Malkom Parrish or Shattle Fenteng jump into the mix immediately at corner. The super-athletic Parrish was the No. 77 overall prospect in the ESPN 300, and Fenteng was the No. 3 overall prospect in the Junior College 50 and the top cornerback. The Bulldogs also have Reggie Wilkerson and juco transfer Kennar Johnson coming off redshirt seasons. Wilkerson, an early enrollee last season, might have played a role if not for a season-ending knee injury that he suffered during summer conditioning workouts. Also, as we mentioned on Thursday, Shaquille Jones and Dominick Sanders have the versatility to play either cornerback or safety depending on need.