G-Day Preview: All eyes on the newcomers

G-Day

WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m.

WHERE: Sanford Stadium

TV: ESPN+/SECNetwork+

Spring games are for freshmen and newcomers. They always are.

While fans attending Saturday’s G-Day game will no doubt be excited to see returnees such as quarterback Carson Beck, they'll also receive their first looks at heralded newcomers like KJ Bolden.

Kickoff Saturday is set for 1 p.m. and fans not attending the game can catch it online at ESPN+.

Georgia’s class of freshmen defensive backs has been well-documented.

Along with Bolden, fellow first-year players Ellis Robinson IV, Demello Jones, and Ondre Evans have each received plenty of long looks, and during Saturday’s G-Day game between the Red and Black squads, fans can see how much each has learned.

“They’re first-spring players. They’re talented players and everything they were advertised to be in terms of being good football players,” said head coach Kirby Smart, who along with Robinson, sees Bolden as a contributor on special teams.

“They’re instinctive, they learn well, and they have toughness,” Smart said. “I think both of them will contribute on special teams, because they can run, hit, tackle. I’m excited about those guys.”

But how much will they contribute?

That obviously remains to be seen, although questions of secondary depth certainly point to each receiving early playing time.

However, Smart offers a cautionary tale to those expecting either of the four to immediately succeed in two-deep roles.

“The expectation of the outside world is they’re going to set the place on fire, but we have good football players here,” Smart said. ‘They’re going to compete with those guys and hopefully earn some ability to play and playing time."

That includes Bolden, who has opened eyes at safety, including those of Malaki Starks.

“He’s very athletic, very smart, just like all the young guys that came in with him,” Starks said. “They all have talents that they possess. He’s like a sponge. He just wants to soak up all the knowledge and information. You see him in meetings, he’s always writing stuff down. The thing that’s shocked me the most, I think all the freshmen have that. They’re all in the meetings, and they’re all writing stuff down. I think that class is going to be very good.”

Getting Bolden onboard was one of the more interesting follows for those interested in Bulldog recruiting.

Originally committed to Florida State, Georgia’s pursuit of the former Buford standout paid off when he made Smart a happy man by choosing the home-state school.

“As far as KJ’s recruitment, I don’t see kids as committed to other places, because they’re not. They’re not signed. I just know that we recruit good football players,” Smart said. “We evaluate every player the same whether they’re committed or not. If there’s interest and conversation from them, and there are visits where they come to your campus, you just stay very consistent.”

Staying the course ultimately paid off.

As a result, Bolden will be on the field for the Bulldogs, where he and Georgia’s other freshmen and newcomers will have the opportunity to shine in front of the home crowd at Sanford Stadium for the first time in their careers.

“We were consistent with KJ, the recruitment never stopped, and I told him that from the day he committed to the day he came to us, we’re not going to stop recruiting him, because we think he’s a great kid from a great family and a really, really good football player,” Smart said. “He and Ellis have a chance to make us much better in the day and age of college football where you better have depth and players. When these guys leave, they’re going to have opportunities to play."

Fans attending best pick up a copy of the roster. With a total of 23 early enrollees, plus transfers Trevor Etienne, Xzavier McLeod, Michael Jackson III, Colbie Young and London Humphreys, there will be plenty of new names to learn.