Snap impressions of mid-year enrollees
Javon Bullard has had a close-up view of transfer defensive back Smoke Bouie and so far he likes what he sees.
Early impressions of Bouie, along with other mid-year players were on the agenda of reporters during Georgia’s first week of spring practice.
“He’s a very handsy player; I love watching him; he’s really hands-on with the receivers, very physical at the point of attack,” Bullard said of the Texas A&M transfer. “He’s quick, he’s agile, he moves well, and I think he’s going to make a great fit for our team.”
Exactly where, however, remains unclear.
Head coach Kirby Smart and defensive backs coach Fran Brown are careful not to pigeonhole players into one specific position.
Heading into Saturday’s third practice, Bullard said that’s exactly the case.
“We all kind of move around, so there’s really no designated spot where he’s played, really,” Bullard said. “He’s played at the star, he’s played at the corner position, so he’s going to continue to be like that until he learns more.”
Smart agrees.
“(Bouie) is a guy that I've known a long time,” Smart said. “Since ninth grade, he's been coming up here to camp. We've known a lot about him, and we're looking forward to seeing him go compete in a secondary with a lot of open spots.”
Freshman defensive backs AJ Harris and Justyn Rhett have also caught Bullard’s eye.
“AJ is a very, very competent player, he has that defensive swag you kind of got to have in this league,” Bullard said. “All these guys are good athletes, just like Justyn Rhett. He’s more of a quiet guy, but he’s surprised me with some extreme athleticism; they just need to keep learning and continue to make plays.”
Considering he’s also working at the star, Bullard has also had a good look at slot receiver Dominic Lovett, who caught 56 passes for 846 yards and three touchdowns last year at Missouri.
“Dominic is like my little brother. He’s one of the first guys I saw when I came back; we were in the locker room and chopping it up,” Bullard said. “He’s very quick, very fast, he’s really good getting out of breaks, and runs really great routes.”
Mississippi State transfer RaRa Thomas is another newcomer looking to make a positive impression.
Although his tenure at Georgia got off to a difficult start following an arrest on misdemeanor family battery and felony false imprisonment, the latter and most serious charge has since been dropped.
"I think their experience. When you talk about Dom and RaRa, they're guys that have competed in our league, they've caught a lot of passes in our league, they've been very productive in our league, and it was a position where we were losing several players,” Smart said. “We needed to be able to help our quarterbacks. Quarterbacks need some weapons to throw to, and those guys do that.”
Up front, freshman offensive lineman Monroe Freeling is getting some early opportunities.
“He’s really athletic, which really surprised me. I think a lot of times you see a taller, muscular guy, you may assume they're a little bit stiff,” center Sedrick Van Pran said. “But honestly he's a really, really good athlete; he moves really well, cuts well, does a tremendous job, and is really strong, so I'm really proud of the work he's coming and putting in.”
