Safety-Star post-spring recap
As we continue our post-spring position breakdowns, we move over to safety and star, where, like cornerback, there are questions about depth.
Projected starters Lewis Cine and Christopher Smith at least provide some cushion.
Between the two, Cine and Smith have 17 starts. Cine started 10 of Georgia’s games last fall, with Smith starting the final five in place of Richard LeCounte, who spent the remaining part of the 2020 campaign recovering from his motorcycle accident.
After that? Well . . .
With the transfers of Tyrique Stevenson (Miami) and Major Burns (TBA), along with the losses of LeCounte and Mark Webb to the NFL, the Bulldogs have some questions, once they get past Cine and Smith.
Head coach Smart hopes he has addressed the star position with West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith. After that, Latavious Brini, William Poole, walk-on Dan Jackson, and freshman David Daniels appear to be the primary remaining options.
What we knew
It’s Cine’s time to shine.
Indications are, he’s about to do exactly that. Cine started all 10 games last fall, finishing second on the team with 49 stops, one for lost yardage, and 12 pass breakups.
A 12-tackle game in Georgia’s win at South Carolina stands as his career-high. During G-Day, he intercepted a pass, returning it 15 yards.
In the conversations we’ve had with Cine over the course of the spring, he said he’s ready to take the mantle from LeCounte as far as being the leader of the Bulldog secondary. While he may not be the most vocal, his work ethic and desire to be great are areas his teammates would do well to emulate.
What we learned
Brini has shown he can be a valuable contributor in the secondary.
Bulldog fans didn't hear much from the Miami athlete his first two years with the program, but last fall he became a more consistent player, seeing action in seven of Georgia’s 10 games.
He ultimately earned his first career start in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, responding with five tackles, including two for lost yardage, as well as a pass breakup.
At 6-2 and 210 pounds, Brini spent much of the spring at star, and at G-Day contributed five tackles.
However, with the impending arrival of Smith, Brini could see more time at safety as the West Virginia transfer is expected to see most of his playing time at star.
What we're waiting on
There are a couple of things.
We’ve already mentioned Smith, who is expected to play a key role, but who else might Kirby Smart have in mind?
Although cornerback would certainly seem to be a spot Smart would look to address via the transfer portal, adding another safety—especially in light of losing Burns—would not come as a surprise.
As for Smith, word is he’ll be used primarily at star. Assuming that happens, it would allow Brini to see more action at safety, along with Poole and the freshman Daniels.