Will Alabama explosive freshman wide receiver continue breakout tradition vs. Georgia?

Alabama football’s freshman wide receivers and breakout games against Georgia go together like peanut butter and jelly.

The Crimson Tide have developed their fair share of talented wide receivers, who starred as true freshmen in Tuscaloosa. Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Ryan Williams all made impacts as true freshmen and did not have to wait for an opportunity to get on the field when they first donned the crimson and white.

This group of wide receivers also shares another glowing similarity. They had big games against the Georgia Bulldogs as freshmen.

Jones kicked off this tradition when he pulled in five receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown in 2008 when the Tide defeated the Bulldogs in Athens in one of the most monumental wins of the Saban era. Cooper one-upped Jones in 2012 in the SEC Championship Game when he had 128 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions as a true freshman. Ridley left his fingerprints all over the 2015 Alabama vs. Georgia game when he had the best game of his short career to that point, when he caught five passes for 120 yards and one touchdown.

Who can forget Smith being on the receiving end of 2nd & 26?

Waddle burned the Bulldogs for 113 yards and one touchdown in 2018, and Williams was the latest Tide freshman to make the Bulldogs look foolish, pulling in six receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown against Georgia last season.

Is Lotzeir Brooks next up?

Brooks has come on strong for the Tide in recent weeks.

“Lotzeir’s built up a lot of momentum here in the last three weeks to four weeks,” Kalen DeBoer previously said while discussing Brooks. “He had a nice spring ball and made some plays on Saturday. And so, you know, got some confidence in him. Made guys miss and made big catches on third down. In the first game, he played with some aggression on some special teams plays that we were hoping for, and he came through. ”

The New Jersey product started against ULM when Ryan Williams was out with a concussion. He pulled in four receptions for 48 yards against the Warhawks. When Williams returned against Wisconsin, Brooks still saw his fair share of targets, finishing the game with 2 receptions for 30 yards.

The 5-foot-9, 191-pounder is an explosive wideout who can create separation at the top of routes, explode after the catch and even go up and get the football in jump-ball situations.

Brooks’ best days are definitely in front of him, and the Crimson Tide would benefit from one of those better days coming against Georgia in Athens.