2010 Heisman Hopeful Countdown: No. 9 Georgia WR A.J. Green

in Heisman Watch by Asher Feldman — August 12, 2010 at 2:10 pm | 2 comments

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 season preview, we will be breaking down our ten favorite Heisman hopefuls to get you ready for this season’s edition of the Heisman Watch.

Here’s our No. 9 selection, Georgia junior wide receiver A.J. Green.

The hype was tremendous for A.J. Green’s sophomore 2009 season. Yet his production went down and the Bulldogs struggled against the cream of the SEC crop.

So what was missing for Green and the Bulldogs?

Well it seems like the loss of two NFL rookie standouts, quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno probably had a lot to do with the struggles of both Green and Georgia.

It’s not to say that Green’s 808 yards and six touchdowns were a complete failure. In fact its not an unfair assumption to say that without Green, the Bulldogs would have lost at least two more games than they did in 2009. Heck, he even blocked a field goal attempt against Arizona State that preserved a 20-17 Bulldog victory in Week Four.

Plus, Green was unable to play in three of the Bulldogs’ regular season games, including a matchup with FCS Tennessee Tech. If he had played a full slate of games, Green could have easily eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in ’09.

Now a year older and looking to exceed both his sophomore output and shocking freshman contribution (963 yards and eight touchdowns) Green will once again have to rely on an untested quarterback to deliver him the ball when he’s open — probably redshirt freshman Aaron Murray — if he wants to make a national impact.

Of course with Green’s athleticism many balls that would be uncatchable for most of the nation’s receivers are fair game for Green, which could not only help out his statistical line, but also boost the confidence of whoever is entrusted with getting him the ball.

Bottom Line: Health for the Bulldogs will be of the utmost importance, but especially for Green, who will need to shine in all of the Bulldogs’ games if he wants any shot at the Heisman as a wide receiver.

A good statistical season from Green will mean that the Bulldogs have found a solid option at quarterback, and if that’s the case, the Bulldogs could be on their way to the SEC Championship Game. If all of these things can fall into place, Green could be well on his way to New York City for the Heisman presentation.

←2010 Heisman Hopeful Countdown: No. 10 Oregon RB LaMichael James

2010 Heisman Hopeful Countdown: No. 8 Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett →

Tags: 2010 college football season A.J. Green featured georgia bulldogs heisman hopefuls Heisman Watch wide receiver