Kelee Ringo's road to this point hasn't followed the path anyone expected.

The No. 2 corner in the Class of 2020, Ringo missed all of his freshman season as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery. Instead of getting his feet wet, he watched from the sidelines.

Ringo's opportunity has now arrived. He's doing his best to make the most of it.

"I think Kelee’s a really good player that works really hard," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. "I’m excited to see his future. His performance (against Clemson) could have been better."

Ringo played 44 out of 65 defensive snaps against the Tigers. He recorded one tackle in his action.

He also recorded a pair of pass interference penalties against Clemson. Most egregiously, Ringo tackled a Clemson receiver in the end zone to set up a first and goal for the Tigers in the fourth quarter.

Smart hopes game experience will help Ringo improve. He has the talent, he just needs the reps to go along with it.

"I’m excited to see him play because I think some people are going to go after him because of the pass interference calls," Smart said. "I’ll be honest with you, he’s one of our best ball skill guys, go up and attack the ball. I hope he gets an opportunity to do that."

Ringo's teammates also appreciated seeing him take the field for the first time. Senior linebacker Channing Tindall called his performance "wonderful."

Tindall said that early on during the rehab process, Ringo got "down-ish and up-ish" at times. Last fall had to be hard on a player who came out of high school with plenty of hype and expectation.

Junior outside linebacker Nolan Smith saw what Ringo went through last season. Even though he didn't get game experience, he went against players such as George Pickens, Kearis Jackson, and Jermaine Burton once he was cleared to practice.

Smith thinks Ringo doesn't necessarily need more experience to improve. He just has to keep developing that trust and connection with his teammates.

"We keep him composed and we keep him feeling good, just making him believe you’re not the only one out there," Smith said. "You don’t have to make every play yourself. There are 10 guys that are playing around you. No matter what, we fly to the ball and we all play together."

For Tindall, the answer is simple. The Bulldogs often emphasize focusing on themselves and controlling what they can control. That's what has gotten Ringo to this point, and it's what can help him as his first season as a contributor wears on.

"That’s something that we really harp on, just being the best version of who we can be, not worrying about anybody else, what’s going on," Tindall said. "That’s how you become the best is by worrying about yourself and what you can do. He really took that in effect. The results showed."