Is More Malcolm Mitchell a Good Thing?

Why wouldn’t you want Malcolm Mitchell on defense too?

At Valdosta (GA) High School Malcolm Mitchell was a shutdown defensive back getting attention from most of the larger local programs, but when Rance Gillespie took over the Wildcat program, the first thing he did was borrow Mitchell for the offense. Mitchell soon was making highlight catches and taking short hitch routes to the house. UGA suddenly began recruiting Mitchell for wide receiver instead of cornerback.

When Valdosta teammates Jay Rome and Malcolm Mitchell each committed to the University of Georgia’s Dream Team, many people were excited about Rome, but it would be Mitchell that made his presence felt from the first game last year against Boise State. Mitchell caught three passes for 64 yards against the Broncos and showed off the speed on a 51-yard score. He also carried for 18 yards in the Georgia Dome. He would go on to huge game against Tennessee, a big score against Auburn and a seven-catch outing in the bowl game. In eleven games he caught 45 passes for 665 yards and four scores. He would have had a fifth had he held on to a pass against LSU, but we won’t go there. Mitchell also snagged a two-point conversion against Michigan State.

And now he wants to take his talents to the defensive side of the ball after Georgia was hurt by suspensions and expulsions earlier this off-season. Mitchell will split time between offense and defense, much like his senior year of high school.

This should be a no-brainer, right? A guy that WANTS to play both ways in Athens ala Champ Bailey? Yes please. Remember, though, that Mitchell missed three games, including the Florida game, one year ago with a hamstring injury. He was “moved” to offense as the team was trying to replace AJ Green. Now he will move to defense to replace Brandon Boykin and the recently departed. He can no doubt do it, but should he?

Any Georgia fan will want to see a playmaker like Mitchell on the field as much as possible; however that same Georgia fan should also want Mitchell to be healthy when on the field. You hope he doesn’t stretch himself too thin. If anyone can do it on this Georgia squad, it is Mitchell. Here’s hoping he stays healthy. If so, Todd Grantham will be able to enjoy a new toy much like Mike Bobo did one year ago.