Kelee Ringo 'figuring things out' as defensive leader

There's a time and place for players to hold each other accountable.

That scenario, at least in UGA head coach Kirby Smart's view, is not late in the fourth quarter while Georgia is holding a 27-0 lead. That's when redshirt freshman corner Kelee Ringo showed some frustration with a teammate who blew a coverage.

Smart gave Ringo a stern talking to on the sideline after the incident. While not pleased with Ringo's outburst, he sees the former five-star growing into the player he can one day become.

"He’s still figuring things out," Smart said. "He has leadership qualities, but you’re talking about a defense full of some alpha males now. He’s still figuring all that out. He’s learning how to lead and set an example."

The seeds of Ringo's leadership began to be cultivated last year. He missed the entire season with a shoulder injury and did not play or practice. During that time, he observed and tried to learn as much of the Bulldog defense as possible.

There's only so much learning that can be done without actual playing experience. Ringo has combined both ingredients this year, as he's appeared in all eight games and started the last five.

"Knowing what you’re talking about in every situation—it definitely takes time and more reps," Ringo said. "I feel like, as we’ve been progressing throughout the season, I’ve been able to enhance that throughout my game and also enhance my leadership skills, speaking to my teammates and leading them in the right direction."

Senior linebacker Channing Tindall's favorite memory of Ringo came in the second game of the season against UAB. The redshirt freshman launched himself skyward and came down with his first collegiate interception against the Blazers.

Tindall has seen the work Ringo has put in to reach this point. He said Smart "stays on him" as he pushes Ringo to succeed, and Ringo responds with the work ethic of a much more experienced player.

Ringo also tries to hold his teammates accountable as a veteran would do. Against Florida, he did just that.

"Kelee had smash rules, so when they run a smash, he doesn’t take it. He takes the next guy," Smart said after the game. "He did the right thing. He just didn’t respond the right way to it. He was upset at the guy that did wrong. I’m not going to let him get on other players. That’s the coaches’ job to do. Kelee’s great; he handles criticism well. He understands he did the right thing. He just handled it the wrong way."

Ringo agreed he handled the situation the wrong way. He said the team has a standard to live up to, and his frustration mounted as the Gators moved the ball late in the game.

Execution aside, that moment shows Ringo is beginning to develop into a leader on Georgia's defense. With all the experience the Bulldogs are set to lose on the back end after this season, that's a welcome sign for Smart and company.

"I’m proud of Kelee. Kelee’s come a long way," Smart said. "I’m very pleased with where he’s come. I’m proud of the way he works. He’s gotten a lot tougher, contact tough, and he’s gotten a lot smarter in terms of understanding our defense. But he still has a ways to go. He will be a leader on this team, because he’s going to be a guy that has a lot of experience."