Georgia Football News and Notes for Monday

Kirby Smart was asked during Monday’s press conference what excited him the most about this year’s Georgia football team.

His answer should please fans.

“The maturity level. The approach they're taking to their work,” Smart said. “We had an offseason workout program, and a spring practice, which I was very pleased with. We had summer workouts, which I was very pleased with.”

Smart was also pleased with the way his team dealt with Mother Nature, specifically some of the hottest temperatures he can ever recall while preparing for a season-opener.

“We had camp that wasn't our very best camp, but we also had tougher circumstances than we've ever had in camp. I can say that we've had better practices, but we never had 110-degree heat either,” Smart said. “I'm very excited about every day you go to work with this group, they're fun to be around, because they actually listen to what you say and try to do it as you say it. That's important. Who you are intangibly is really important, and they've done a great job with that. Now, still got to transition it to the field with games."

Tight end Brock Bowers offered the following as an example of the maturity that Smart spoke of.

“We went running in the summer and nobody was complaining,” Bowers said. “Everyone was just focused on the goal and what we had to accomplish. That’s one of the examples that I saw this summer.”

Center Sedrick Van Pran said he and his offensive line teammates have spoken about many different ways to honor the memory of Devin Willock. Exactly how that will be, however, remains to be seen.

“We’ve talked about a bunch of different things. Nothing is really set in stone. It’s kind of hard to, I guess, fully commemorate someone that you came in here with. When you do it, you want to make sure you’re doing it right,” Van Pran said. “Something like that has to be organic, it has to be natural, so when it hits you hard and when it feels right for everybody and you have that conviction, then that’s what it is.”

Saturday’s game against UT-Martin will be the first without Willock, who along with football staffer Chandler LeCroy, passed away in a tragic car accident in January.

Last week, the Big Ten conference announced it would implement a rule that states each school must release a mandatory injury report before each game is played.

In the SEC, LSU has announced it will do the same, despite the fact the conference has no such rule in place.

But should that occur, Smart said he’d have no problem.

“I'm for whatever helps curb the gambling issues,” Smart said. “I think it's a major issue in all of sports, with the states now taking on more and more gambling; the tax revenues that states are able to get; the pressure that they put on student-athletes sometimes trying to get information, which I have no proof that happens, but it certainly scares you.”

Smart admitted he often worries about the pitfalls and the fact it’s one of those areas that coaches are basically rendered powerless to control.

“That's an area that's hard to police for us as coaches, because outside of this building, what they come in contact with, what information they may or may not share is scary,” Smart said. “But as far as uniform injury policy, I would have no issue with that. I always defer to (Greg) Sankey and the leadership of our conference, because he does such a good job of seeing it from 10,000 feet and not from the view of just one coach.”

Smart’s current policy on injuries is to respond when asked.

“I don't have a whole lot to hide. If you want to ask me about it, I will tell you. I can never say sometimes whether they're going to play in the game or not because I don't know,” Smart said. “Often, I don't know right up until the game sometimes, because we're trying to make every player available, we can and we don't know the most accurate information. If there was a standard reporting procedure that was more uniform, it would probably make it better, but you're not going to make the people go away who still want to go dig, find and ask questions, and try to find a competitive advantage.”

…Smart said he still has not decided who will be the starting field goal and extra-point kicker, or who will handle kickoffs. Junior Jared Zirkel and freshman Peyton Woodring continue to compete for the jobs.

“We haven't come to the conclusion what we'll do there,” Smart said. “Obviously the punting duties are sealed up, but the kickoff and field goal-kicking duties will be decided probably shortly.”

…When asked to offer a player that might be under the radar and fans should keep an eye on, star Tykee Smith offered redshirt freshman cornerback Julian Humphrey as an option.

…Speaking of Smith, he also said wide receiver Mekhi Mews was going to “show the world” what he can do.

…Smart said he’s pleased with the competition he’s seen at cornerback. “We've got a group of cornerbacks. Kamari (Lassiter) has been going a little over a week in practicing and taking reps. He's been in a black jersey some, but that's more precautionary. We know he can hit and tackle. He's a really physical tackler. He's been able to tackle in individual drills. He's been great,” Smart said. “The other guys have all competed there and had really good competition between Nyland (Greene) and A.J. (Harris) and Julian (Humphrey) and Daylen (Everette). They've all taken reps and gotten work there. I don't know that we're ready to say anybody has stood out beyond somebody else. And we'll have practices this week that are game speed, game-like. We make the determination this week or determination in the game. But staying healthy and all those guys have done a good job.”

…Sedrick Van Pran on nose guard Nazir Stackhouse: “He’s ridiculously strong and deceptively quick.”