Finally, football season is upon us.
Well, at least preseason camp is. Although Georgia and its players have been busy with summer workouts since the beginning of June, Friday marks the first official day of fall practice.
Unless you’ve been living in Katmandu for the past six months, then you know there’s plenty of hype revolving around this Bulldog team, which many expect will contend for a spot in the playoffs.
Still, as always, there are some questions that Georgia must answer. While we’ve already addressed many of those over the past weeks and months, it does not hurt to have a refresher course.
How will the offensive line shake out?
Amarius Mims will get a look at left tackle, as will Xavier Truss and Broderick Jones. However, barring something unforeseen, when the Bulldogs open fall camp, it would qualify as a big surprise if Jamaree Salyer is not the player manning the post. But who will be there in the season opener?
Clemson has a veteran and talented defensive line, and you’d expect that coach Matt Luke is going to want his most experienced player protecting the blind side of quarterback JT Daniels.
The trio of Mims, Truss, and Jones will each receive a ton of work, and if one of the three steps up, it won't be a surprise to see one of the trio allow Salyer to move inside, which is where it’s expected he’ll play in the NFL.
Otherwise, the Bulldogs will enter camp with a fairly good idea of who is going to play where.
Assuming Salyer is the man at left tackle, that will put Justin Shaffer at left guard, with Tate Ratledge the favorite at right guard and Warren McClendon at right tackle. At center, Warren Ericson appears to have the edge, but with camp yet to begin, it’s way too early to rule out Sedrick Van Pran.
What will the wide receiver rotation look like?
George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock remain on the shelf, and it’s unclear when either will be able to be a factor.
Nevertheless, there’s no shortage of talent at wide receiver. The question is, who rises to the top?
Arik Gilbert is going through a crash course learning the system. Although there’s still much he has to learn, coaches are expecting the LSU transfer and former tight end to play a huge role.
Jermaine Burton, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Arian Smith, and Kearis Jackson are other names Bulldog fans quickly recognize. All four spent part of the summer recovering from respective injuries, but per Kirby Smart at SEC Media Days, will be ready for the start of fall camp.
Redshirt freshman Justin Robinson and freshman Adonai Mitchell both enjoyed excellent springs, gaining the trust of Daniels.
Early enrollee Jackson Meeks, redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey, and walk-on Jaylen Johnson are three other names to watch.
How will the secondary shape up?
Smart swore to everyone that not a single spot in the secondary has been nailed down, and that each of his defensive backs will receive equal opportunities.
Coach-speak? Yeah, although one has to figure Smart feels much better about his charges following the additions of Tykee Smith and Derion Kendrick.
Although it technically still amounts to a puzzle, Kendrick certainly figures to hold down one of the two spots at cornerback. This makes for one of the more obvious storylines when the Bulldogs open against his former team Clemson, in Charlotte.
The other cornerback spot will be fascinating to watch. Ameer Speed, Kelee Ringo, and Jalen Kimber are expected to vie for the starting job. Speed has really come on strong, and at 6-foot-3, he has the length coaches love.
Ringo, meanwhile, has freakish athletic ability, but there are still areas he needs to improve, while Kimber certainly has the knack for the position and could win the job.
Nyland Green and Kamari Lassiter also have a bright future, with Lovasea Carroll still learning the ropes after moving over from running back.
At safety, Lewis Cine and Chris Smith appear to be the favorites, with Tykee Smith the possible favorite to take over at Star.
The former West Virginia standout will be pushed by returnee Latavious Brini, who will double at both safety positions, along with William Poole, Dan Jackson, Javon Bullard, and David Daniel.
Who are the true freshmen to watch?
There are several options to choose from, but from the information we’ve gathered, three names have created the most buzz.
We’ve already spoken about Amarius Mims, who Jim Donnan has described as one of the most impressive-looking offensive linemen he's ever seen. Mims may not win a starting job out of the gate, but it will qualify as a surprise if he hasn't nailed one down by the end of the season.
Tight end Brock Bowers should fit in nicely, and as we saw during G-Day, has the ability to stretch the field. He’s going to play a lot.
Ditto for wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. We heard JT Daniels praise the true freshman over the course of the spring, and sure enough, Mitchell showed out during G-Day, finishing as the leading receiver. Look for more opportunities to come his way.
Others to keep an eye on include cornerback Nyland Green, along with linebackers Smael Mondon and Xavian Sorey.
What will Jahmile Addae's coaching style be?
You hear the term “players' coach” thrown around a lot, and apparently, it also applies to Addae, who takes over for Charlton Warren, who took the defensive coordinator’s job at Indiana.
Hopefully, Georgia media will get a peek for themselves should Kirby Smart open up portions of practice. Otherwise, the press, like fans, will have to wait until the opener against Clemson to find out.
We know he knows how to coach.
A former Mountaineer all-conference safety, Addae returned home to WVU in January 2019, after serving as the defensive backs coach and assisting with several special teams phases at Minnesota in 2018. His punt return unit finished No. 1 in the nation (22.3 yards per return); punt return defense was No. 2 (1.11 y/r); and the kickoff return unit finished No. 26 nationally (23.4 y/r).
Along with safeties coach Dontae Wright, Addae helped coach a West Virginia secondary that led the Big 12 in pass defense, giving up just 159.6 yards per game through the air. The second-lowest mark was Iowa State at 237.3.
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