With the door for consistent playing time in the secondary finally wide open, Ameer Speed could easily have had mixed feelings when Derion Kendrick decided to transfer from Clemson.

Instead, the fifth-year senior said of Kendrick that he could not be more excited to have the former Tiger as a teammate. Knowing how he’s expected to make Georgia’s secondary all the stronger, Speed was all for it.

“We’re all here to make each other better. When DK first came in, we welcomed him with open arms,” Speed said during a Zoom interview Tuesday. “We’ve all been there for him, and he’s been there for us. He’s got a lot of experience, and having that experience will help all of us out. It was never a competition—we’re all helping each other out.”

Speed deserves respect for waiting his turn.

When your former teammates include the likes of DeAndre Baker, Eric Stokes, and Tyson Campbell, finding consistent reps doesn’t come easy.

Although Speed saw extensive action for the Bulldogs, most of it came on special teams.

Even with the addition of Kendrick, that figures to change this fall. With Stokes and Campbell both in the NFL, the opportunity for defensive reps that Speed has long waited for is finally here.

“It’s crazy. As you get older, the thought process just evolves. I forget I’m an 'old head' sometimes,” Speed said. “I’m just allowing myself to get better every day. But the big thing has been, as I become older, I just became more demanding of myself. I realized I have to do this, I have to do that not to sell myself short.”

That philosophy appears to be paying off.

Along with Kendrick, Speed will highlight a cornerback position that also includes redshirt freshmen Jalen Kimber and Kelee Ringo, along with true freshmen Nyland Green and Kamari Lassiter.

While sources say that Ringo has been impressive thus far in fall camp, Speed singled out Lassiter when asked about Georgia’s other young cornerbacks.

“Kamari is taking that next step,” Speed said. “He’s real twitchy and flies to the ball. I can’t wait to see him get his shot.”

Speed has certainly caught the eye of defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.

In a recent interview, Lanning said the Jacksonville native “has been working extremely hard,” noting that Speed is repping at both corner and Money.

“We’ve got great competition there, and certainly, nobody’s moving out, so we’re going to see how it continues to develop throughout the fall,” Lanning said.

According to Speed, his approach has been a simple one.

“I’ve just been using every day to get better—as a team, as a player, as a brother, and as a person,” he said. “We’re just taking it step by step. I'm not letting stuff get too heavy.”

Apparently, having Will Muschamp as an on-field assistant is helping to keep the mood loose.

“Coach Muschamp is awesome. He’s done a really good job. He and Coach Smart are funny, because their energy is so much alike,” Speed said. “Coach Muschamp really gets us to laughing. We enjoy having him around.”