Brian Schottenheimer is going to be a busy man as he gets ready for his first season as Georgia’s offensive coordinator. On his to-do list are figuring out his quarterback, finding carries for three talented running backs (and preserving Nick Chubb) and replacing the Bulldogs’ top receivers from 2014.

An item on the list that needs to be highlighted: finding ways to get the ball into Isaiah McKenzie’s hands.

The diminutive receiver is as dangerous as they come in the SEC. At just 5-foot-8 and 164 pounds, McKenzie is a threat to score every time he gets the ball in his hands. Look no further than his three return touchdowns — two on punts, one on a kickoff — for evidence of that. Need more? How about 11 yards per offensive touch in 2014?

While McKenzie’s productivity on a per-touch basis was stunning last season — he was third in the SEC in punt return average and averaged more than 28 yards per kickoff return — he didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities. McKenzie had just 13 offensive touches as a freshman, and 43 total when you add in his punt and kick returns.

That should change in a big way this season. Malcolm Mitchell is penciled in as one starter at receiver as long as he can stay healthy, but there are plenty of catches to go around with Chris Conley and Michael Bennett both graduated. McKenzie should fit right in as a slot receiver capable of breaking big plays.

The sophomore-to-be is versatile, too. While Chubb will almost certainly take the majority of the carries at running back, it wouldn’t be wise to keep piling carries up on the rising sophomore’s odometer at the rate the Bulldogs did in 2014. Sony Michel and Keith Marshall will presumably be healthy, but Schottenheimer needs to find ways to get McKenzie the ball on handoffs, be they end arounds or sweeps, to get his quickest player out in space where he can do the most damage.

Of course, there’s a chance McKenzie could end up as the Dawgs’ top receiving threat. Unfortunately, Mitchell hasn’t had the best of luck with his knees over his college career. He tore an ACL two years ago, and re-injured the knee last year, something he dealt with all season. It’s hard to say if McKenzie’s slight frame could withstand the pounding that comes with being a No. 1 receiver, but with Georgia’s run-pass ratio tilted heavily toward handoffs, he wouldn’t have the same receiving load as, say, South Carolina’s Pharoh Cooper.

The Bulldogs will have other options at receiver: Justin Scott-Wesley, who didn’t make an impact in his six games played last year, incoming freshman Terry Godwin, and several other receivers on the roster that saw the field a season ago, like Reggie Davis and Shakenneth Williams.

None of them has the proven ability to strike like lightning the way McKenzie can. That’s why Schottenheimer needs to let the little playmaker star in a big role.