Georgia football News and Notes for Tuesday

Gunner Stockton’s growth and Ryan Puglisi’s knee were both subjects of conversation during Kirby Smart’s final press conference ahead of next week’s G-Day game.

As first reported by UGASports, Puglisi has been limited recently in practice due to an issue with his knee. Fortunately, the news does not appear to be serious.

"Ryan is dealing with a little bit of a knee injury. It’s not a significant injury. He’s had it before, since high school. It has been bothering him. He’s been able to throw. He hasn’t been able to go out and be mobile and run,” Smart said. ‘His knee has been bothering him. We’re hopeful to get him back today. If not today then probably Thursday. He’s had to miss out on some reps. But he’s been in on everything, all the walk-throughs and mental stuff."

Smart also likes the improvement he’s seen from Stockton, who’s finally showing the consistency the Bulldogs need.

“Gunner has done a good job. I’ve seen growth in Gunner. I thought he had a couple of mistakes in the scrimmage, but he also played with much more consistency,” Smart said. “I’ve seen this progression with Gunner that like, he’s getting better each and every practice. The bowl practices were great for him.”

Stockon played the entire second half of Georgia’s Orange Bowl destruction of Florida State.

“The ability to play in that bowl game was awesome for him. He's gotten better. He's getting a feel for our system. He's a really good athlete. He has, every now and then, a mistake you can't have at that position,” Smart said. “The good thing is, you can ask him after the play, and I always ask him what did you see, what was the coverage? He gives the right answer. So, he's seeing the right things. But he's got to continue to develop and grow. That's a hard position to play. He's still trying to master that position.”

The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the nation’s top punter. but Bulldog Brett Thorson said he hasn’t given the trophy a thought.

“Not really. It’s not something I look into. The season is still five/six months away, so I’m definitely not thinking about that or individual accolades,” said Thorson, who returns to his native Australia in May to work with his coaches at ProKick before returning to Athens

“I just want to be the best and most consistent punter I can be. The rest comes with being a good punter. So, I’ll just be going about my business and not even worry about those things. I don’t even know if we punt enough to be eligible for it.”

Thorson confirmed the UGASports report that he had to apply for a waiver from the NCAA to return this year as a result of the two years of study he did in Australia before coming to the United States.

“I had to put in a waiver at the end of last year with studying in Melbourne because, obviously, that’s where my Division I eligibility started,” Thorson said. “I had two years of study back then that we had to put a waiver in, with Covid playing a role in that and affecting me getting over here.”

Fortunately, the NCAA agreed.

Thorson was granted two more years of eligibility, including one for Covid.

“(UGA) put that in, and thankfully it got approved around December. So, yeah, I have two more years that were granted,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve got to get through this year and hope I don’t get kicked out or walk out the door if I screw up.”

Senior safety Dan Jackson offered some clarity of his status.

Although he’s still technically a walk-on, NIL is making up the difference, enabling him to attend class.

“That’s basically my standing and how I’m getting my school paid for,” Jackson said.

Smart had this to say about last Saturday’s scrimmage at Sanford Stadium.

"Yeah, I thought the first scrimmage was a really good energy level, intensity—like, intent to go prepare to scrimmage. It was not a lethargic, like, ho-hum (scrimmage),” he said. “The players had good intentions, good energy. Sometimes it's a different time to start for the scrimmage than our typical practice times of 2:30, and 3:30, so I always worry about us starting fast and having good energy. We had that.”

The Bulldogs will hold their second scrimmage on Saturday ahead of G-Day, set for April 13 at 1 p.m.

“From scrimmage one to scrimmage two starting really yesterday but today, we're moving toward how much can we improve from scrimmage one to scrimmage two,” Smart said. “You usually see immense improvement in guys that just got here, because they're not as nervous. It was their first practice in the stadium. So I'm hoping to see some of that growth this week and into Saturday."

…On wide receiver Arian Smith: "I think when he decided to come back, I said, 'Look, I want there to be a purpose with you coming back. Like, where are the areas of growth?' We've done some things during special teams period,” Smart said. “He's been a really dominant special teams player, and he knows that. He loves that. He embraces that.”

… Smart doesn’t typically offer flowers based on what he sees in practice and scrimmages. He did so when asked about wide receiver Dominic Lovett. “There's been some days that Dom's been really dominant out there. You could say, 'Is that because Tykee (Smith) and Bull (Javon Bullard) aren't out there covering him, so he's making more plays? Or is that just Dom's more comfortable in the offense and he's winning at a higher rate?’”

… Dillon Bell continues to step up his game. “He’s taken on a lot more of that Rosemy, Ladd role of being the guy that’s the workhorse in that group that never complains, is really physical, practices hard, sets a standard for the others,” Smart said. “I think him, RaRa (Thomas), Arian (Smith), Dom (Lovett), all have taken ownership of that.”

…Sophomore outside linebacker Damon Wilson is growing at a promising rate. “He’s getting better. Have I seen the jump that I want to have? He’s right where he needs to be and is supposed to be. He’s not ahead of schedule, and he’s not behind,” Smart said. “He’s growing at a rate I’ve seen a lot of outside backers grow, whether it was Nolan, Azeez, all these guys that have come through here. He’s gotten better each and every year.

…Sophomore wide receiver Colbie Young is still adjusting to Georgia’s offense. “I don’t think you can judge his skillset on one on ones when he goes against DBs,” Smart said. “You don’t really judge his skillset in a scrimmage right now, because he’s trying to figure everything out. It’s not from like a freshman standpoint, it’s from a familiarity standpoint. I’m pleased with where he is. He’s really a hard worker.”