If Georgia’s offensive skill positions were an investment portfolio, most financial advisors would recommend greater diversification.

Although the Bulldogs have the depth and talent at running back to make any college football team jealous, they are precariously thin at receiver with no legitimate star at the position.

Georgia’s leading receiver in 2016 was Isaiah McKenzie, a 5-8, 175-pound slot receiver whose 633 yards more than tripled his career output. For all of the big plays that McKenzie provided for the Bulldogs, he still finished just 16th in the SEC in receiving yards.

Now, McKenzie is off to test his mettle in the NFL, leaving Georgia to replace its most productive receiver for the third consecutive season.

There are a few players with breakout potential, including Terry Godwin, Riley Ridley and Javon Wims, but the receiver who might emerge has yet to even play in his first college game.

Jeremiah Holloman, the No. 18-rated receiver prospect by the 247Sports Composite, is the only member of Georgia’s tantalizing class of incoming receivers who enrolled early, and he’s already making quite the impression.

“He’ll have a learning curve to go through. He’ll learn the sets and the different plays, but I’m excited about his work habits,” Kirby Smart said at his opening press conference for spring practice. “He’s one of the hardest workers out there with those mid-year guys. He doesn’t really care what other people think. He doesn’t look around at the other guys. He’s focused on, ‘I’m going to give you all the effort I can.'”

Coming from Nick Saban’s culture at Alabama, Smart places greater importance on physicality and effort at the receiver position than Mark Richt did.

Midway through the fall, rumors began to surface that Godwin was in Smart’s doghouse. The sophomore receiver, who many expected to become a legitimate No. 1 option, was reportedly not giving the type of effort in the run game that Smart deemed necessary.

If that was indeed the case, then Smart’s early praise of Holloman should not go unnoticed. His work ethic has captured the eye of the coaching staff, but the 6-2, 195-pound receiver has plenty more to offer.

“He’s also a guy who’s got good size, a very physical, strong kid,” Scout.com regional recruiting analyst Michael Clark told Saturday Down South about Holloman. “Physically, he’s probably ready to play, and I have no doubt that after he goes through spring practice, he’ll probably have a chance to get on the field next fall.”

Not only does Holloman have the size that Georgia has been missing in recent seasons, but he was clocked at 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash at “The Opening” last summer. Holloman isn’t just a big body with limited complementary traits, a description that could apply to some of the Bulldogs’ JUCO receivers over the years, he has the potential to become a well-rounded impact player.

In the short term, Holloman should offer the ability to stretch the field for Jacob Eason. Holloman averaged 16.5 yards per catch as a senior and 19.8 yards per catch as a junior.

While he has the size and speed to make plays downfield, Holloman’s film is full of short routes that he turns into big gains. His physicality is apparent in the open field, and Holloman’s vision makes him a threat on screen passes.

There might be a reason Smart has been so complimentary of Holloman. Watching his high school tape drums up memories of a former Alabama receiver named Julio Jones.

“I think the biggest thing he brings is the toughness factor,” Smart said of Holloman. “I think one of the things that stuck out on his tape, everybody talks about the catches and the sides, but he’s physical. That’s the demeanor that we need, a guy that’s going to go out there and hit you and hat you up. I really like that about the guy.”

Before he became the well-rounded NFL superstar that he is today, Jones’ calling card was a physicality that made it extremely difficult to guard him one-on-one. Now, obviously, Jones is a generational-type talent, but Holloman possesses similar qualities, which is a good place to start.

For a program that has exactly one 1,000-yard receiver in its history — Terrence Edwards in 2002 — that’s a comparison that should generate excitement. Holloman will likely never produce like Jones did, but if he can tap into his potential, he could one day surpass Edwards’ receiving record of 1,004 yards.

The Bulldogs have a need for a physical receiver who can gain leverage while the ball is in the air and force defenders to give him their attention. Somebody Eason has enough confidence in to throw 60-yard jump balls, even with a safety looming. That is the type of player Holloman can become.

It’s unlikely that Holloman is that player right out of the gate, but he’s already doing the most important thing to help him breach the rotation.

“He’s not afraid to try hard,” Smart said. “When you get that as a player, that’s a good trait.”

For now, that’s the best compliment the freshman receiver could get. As the fall progresses, however, Holloman’s investment in that hard work could generate some very real returns for the Bulldogs.

William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.