For nine early enrollees taking part in Georgia’s on-campus practice for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Ohio State, this is an invaluable opportunity.
Although all nine had to go through the mandated acclimated period, just getting on the field for their first taste of college football is an asset that will serve each well once spring practice begins.
“They jump in and get them going. They certainly help us in terms of at this time of year you have injuries, you have guys out,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “We've had multiple guys that have been in and out of practice. It gives you depth. It gives you the ability to go two-spot. It gives you the ability to get a better look. Let's be honest, some of these guys are really high athletes that are fast that have a twitch.”
Although the nine early enrollees are not allowed to take part in practice once the Bulldogs arrive in Atlanta on the 26, there are still plenty of lessons each is able to learn.
Players taking advantage of the opportunity include tight ends Pearce Spurlin and Lawson Luckie, and defensive end Gabriel Harris. Others include wide receivers Anthony Evans III, Yazeed Haynes, and Tyler Williams, linebackers CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson, cornerback A.J. Harris, and defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett.
All nine players have been practicing with the team for the better part of the week.
“They have to get in school. Once they're accepted, that trumps the signing,” said Smart, explaining why they did not have to wait until Wednesday’s early signing day to take part.
“Once they do that, it's not really about the signing for them,” he said. “They still have to sign, but that's not what makes it binding for them.”
Smart said the effort is certainly worth it to make that happen.
“There are parts they can't do, and there are parts they're learning on, but they will be so much further and better when the spring comes because of getting comfortable at practice, going out there, and knowing where I go to after flex, what do I do next?” Smart said. “I've been really excited for those guys that have practiced with us.”
The majority of the remaining part of the class will arrive in early January before classes begin.
“I don't know what we ended with. 18 or 19. We may end up with 18 or 19 this year. I think last year we set a record for the number of midyear enrollees,” Smart said. “It's not because we put an emphasis on that. It's because the percentages are going up of kids that are doing that. They don't want to fall behind.”
Georgia’s head coach has historically not been afraid to play true freshmen, as long as they show they’re capable of getting the job done.
“There’s this mass movement to come early, get started, get my degree on the way, get some 12, 15 hours towards my degree in a simpler time, which is the spring. That's the trend,” Smart said. “I certainly like it because your roster turns over faster, so they're not really freshmen by midseason the next year. They're like sophomores, and you can flip your roster faster that way.
"But it's not the be all, end all. There are some kids that are going to come in June for us that I think are really good players that because they went to a certain high school, they couldn't come in here.”
