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Georgia football will be a third of the way through spring practices on Thursday when it holds session No. 5. There's plenty of room for growth for this year's Bulldogs, according to coach Kirby Smart.
"A long way from good," Smart said Tuesday night when he met with reporters for the first time since the Bulldogs hit the practice fields this spring. "We are a work in progress. We have the least amount of players who have gone through spring practices since I've been here. ...We have a very young, inexperienced group. We really can't practice to our standard because they're all tired."
Smart said the staff has to do a better job getting players in shape and to simplify things so players aren't spending too much time thinking instead of doing.
Here are five things we learned from Smart and more than a half dozen players that were also made available. That, at Georgia, is a supersized media availability.
A day after ESPN’s spring football schedule didn’t include the April 12 G-Day being televised, Smart said scheduling issues is the reason.
“It was more about being in control of what time,” Smart said. “We like to have recruits there, we like to have prospects. It’s a big event. We like to have official visits. We wanted to control the timing of it more and be able to play at our pace and not have to worry about the constraints of being inside a (TV) window.”
Smart said he wants to have a spring game, but if injuries hit one position hard that could change.
“We’re very deficient at a couple of positions,” he said. “If we lose one or two or three, it would convert into some kind of controlled practice, some kind of other format.”
Oscar Delp is back for his senior season after the tight end’s production took a slight dip last season from 24 catches to 21 and from 284 receiving yards to 248 and his touchdown catches remained the same at 4.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Delp was considered by some as an NFL prospect before last season at a position where the Bulldogs produced Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington recently.
“Last year there were times when I had one foot out there door and I was just thinking about things I shouldn’t have been thinking about,” Delp said. “It just kind of hurt me in ways I didn’t think would happen. …I kind of struggled with looking at my phone too much when I shouldn’t have been looking at it, looking at things people are saying about me about potential things. I’m not saying I was planning on leaving or anything, but I’d be lying if I didn’t hear those things.”
Now he can try to go out with a better season.
“I know what kind of player I am, what kind of season I can have,” he said.
Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson had a lot of snaps between them for Georgia.
The safeties are now preparing for NFL careers and sophomore KJ Bolden is in line to hold down one starting spot.
There’s plenty of guys to choose from to play back there with him.
“Nobody is really standing out,” Smart said. “KJ’s there and he continues to bulk up and get a little bit bigger and be able to take care of himself and tackle like he needs to in terms of size.”
Jacorey Thomas, Southern Cal transfer Zion Branch, UAB transfer Adrian Maddox, Miami transfer Jaden Harris and freshman Todd Robinson from Valdosta are competing at the position.
Star nickel back Joenel Aguero has also taken some snaps at safety and Harris and Kyon Jones are also working at Star, Smart said.
“It’s a lot of people but the solid foundation that Malaki and Dan provided is not there,” he said.
Bo Walker, Georgia’s only scholarship freshman running back, is making a good early impression
“Bo’s doing a nice job,” Smart said. “Bo’s very bright. He’s had some really good runs. He’s had some mistakes. What I like about Bo is he’s very teachable and very coachable and he’s got natural rush instincts.”
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound four-star played his senior season at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee.
“He’s a great kid,” sophomore running back Nate Frazier said. “He works hard. He’s just learning as he’s going.”
Georgia lost four offensive line starters but returns players who got some spot starts as well.
One has stood out lately to defensive lineman Jordan Hall.
“Just by the last two padded practices Micah, of course, he’s kind of made a name for himself,” Hall said referring to 6-4, 330-pound fifth-year senior guard Micah Morris who made five starts last season. “Today was the first day of counter so you know how that went? Having to meet him pulling. That was fun.”
Hall laughed and smiled as he said that. He also said redshirt freshman Michael Uini took first-team reps.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football spring football: Smart on G-Day, Oscar Delp, Bo Walker
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"A long way from good," Smart said Tuesday night when he met with reporters for the first time since the Bulldogs hit the practice fields this spring. "We are a work in progress. We have the least amount of players who have gone through spring practices since I've been here. ...We have a very young, inexperienced group. We really can't practice to our standard because they're all tired."
Smart said the staff has to do a better job getting players in shape and to simplify things so players aren't spending too much time thinking instead of doing.
Here are five things we learned from Smart and more than a half dozen players that were also made available. That, at Georgia, is a supersized media availability.
Smart on G-Day and it not being televised
A day after ESPN’s spring football schedule didn’t include the April 12 G-Day being televised, Smart said scheduling issues is the reason.
“It was more about being in control of what time,” Smart said. “We like to have recruits there, we like to have prospects. It’s a big event. We like to have official visits. We wanted to control the timing of it more and be able to play at our pace and not have to worry about the constraints of being inside a (TV) window.”
Smart said he wants to have a spring game, but if injuries hit one position hard that could change.
“We’re very deficient at a couple of positions,” he said. “If we lose one or two or three, it would convert into some kind of controlled practice, some kind of other format.”
Oscar Delp had 'one foot out there door' in 2024
Oscar Delp is back for his senior season after the tight end’s production took a slight dip last season from 24 catches to 21 and from 284 receiving yards to 248 and his touchdown catches remained the same at 4.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Delp was considered by some as an NFL prospect before last season at a position where the Bulldogs produced Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington recently.
“Last year there were times when I had one foot out there door and I was just thinking about things I shouldn’t have been thinking about,” Delp said. “It just kind of hurt me in ways I didn’t think would happen. …I kind of struggled with looking at my phone too much when I shouldn’t have been looking at it, looking at things people are saying about me about potential things. I’m not saying I was planning on leaving or anything, but I’d be lying if I didn’t hear those things.”
Now he can try to go out with a better season.
“I know what kind of player I am, what kind of season I can have,” he said.
Second Georgia Bulldog safety spot by committee
Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson had a lot of snaps between them for Georgia.
The safeties are now preparing for NFL careers and sophomore KJ Bolden is in line to hold down one starting spot.
There’s plenty of guys to choose from to play back there with him.
“Nobody is really standing out,” Smart said. “KJ’s there and he continues to bulk up and get a little bit bigger and be able to take care of himself and tackle like he needs to in terms of size.”
Jacorey Thomas, Southern Cal transfer Zion Branch, UAB transfer Adrian Maddox, Miami transfer Jaden Harris and freshman Todd Robinson from Valdosta are competing at the position.
Star nickel back Joenel Aguero has also taken some snaps at safety and Harris and Kyon Jones are also working at Star, Smart said.
“It’s a lot of people but the solid foundation that Malaki and Dan provided is not there,” he said.
Hello, Bo Walker
Bo Walker, Georgia’s only scholarship freshman running back, is making a good early impression
“Bo’s doing a nice job,” Smart said. “Bo’s very bright. He’s had some really good runs. He’s had some mistakes. What I like about Bo is he’s very teachable and very coachable and he’s got natural rush instincts.”
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound four-star played his senior season at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee.
“He’s a great kid,” sophomore running back Nate Frazier said. “He works hard. He’s just learning as he’s going.”
Micah Morris pops in padded practice
Georgia lost four offensive line starters but returns players who got some spot starts as well.
One has stood out lately to defensive lineman Jordan Hall.
“Just by the last two padded practices Micah, of course, he’s kind of made a name for himself,” Hall said referring to 6-4, 330-pound fifth-year senior guard Micah Morris who made five starts last season. “Today was the first day of counter so you know how that went? Having to meet him pulling. That was fun.”
Hall laughed and smiled as he said that. He also said redshirt freshman Michael Uini took first-team reps.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football spring football: Smart on G-Day, Oscar Delp, Bo Walker
Continue reading...
