Per team policy, head coach Kirby Smart doesn’t allow his freshman players to speak to the media, but that doesn’t mean he eschews complimenting their play, if truly deserved.

That’s certainly true when it comes to wide receiver Dominick Blaylock.

Through four games, the freshman from Marietta has blossomed into one of Jake Fromm’s more dependable receivers, coming into Saturday night’s game at Tennessee (7 p.m., ESPN) with nine catches for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“First of all, he's put himself in a situation to be successful because of how hard he works. He goes out to practice every day, and his level of practice standard is the same as his game standard. I mean, he plays so hard in practice,” Smart said. “He does everything you ask; he's a very assignment-oriented guy. He has a knack for getting open. He understands coverages and route structure. He understands our offense.”

He’s also versatile.

Although he’s just a freshman, Blaylock can play multiple positions at receiver, a fact that should assure him even more reps as the season moves along.

“He can go outside and play. He can play inside. And he does a really nice job of doing that. He's even become better as a blocker and more physical, as he's in the weight room and continuing to lift,” Smart said. “I love the way he works. He never complains. He just goes out there and puts his best foot forward each and every day, and we need him to continue doing that, because it's a position that we've been light at, and he's a position guy that can help us at the wide receiver spot.”

His numbers are impressive.

Although his nine receptions may not jump out at you, Blaylock does lead the Bulldogs in two categories: receiving yards (179) and average per catch (19.9).

“Dom is a kid who doesn’t kind of flash you about anything, but he’s really good and sneaky at everything. He’s a guy who’s very polished at what he does. He came in as a really smart, intelligent kid, and he does a really good job of getting open and catching the football,” Fromm said. “You don’t really think about it; he just always gets open. Hopefully he continues to do that and does it again on Saturday.”

Blaylock has excelled on big stages before.

During the U.S. Army All-American game back in January, Blaylock scored a pair of touchdowns for the East squad, that coming off a stellar prep career at Walton High that saw him account for over 3,500 yards in total offense and score 52 touchdowns.

Rivals ranked Blaylock as the 55th-best player in 2018 after he played receiver, running back, and Wildcat quarterback.

“We knew it in recruiting, because we had him in camp. He came in and competed and worked really hard in camp. And he had done it on Friday nights. He went on some of the biggest stages there were on Friday nights and played against the best teams in the state, and he performed well,” Smart said. “He was usually the best player on the field. And they used him very well. They put him at Wildcat quarterback; he returned kicks; he got the ball in the slot. You knew he was a playmaker by the way his coaches used him. And he took on all those roles in high school, so you felt like he would be able to do the same thing in college. Anywhere he's gone, he's been one of the most competitive people on the field, and he's continued that trend at our place by outworking people and just busting his tail.”