Tuesday marks the official first day of spring practice, but the two-time defending national champions have already been hard at work.

Winter workouts have been part of the grind since January, and the fact Georgia will be hitting the field for the first of 15 spring practices culminating with G-Day is merely an extension of the preparation that has already begun.

It is, however, the first time the team will be on the field as one for an official practice session since the January tragedy that claimed the life of teammate Devin Willock and football staffer Chandler LeCroy.

Before practice begins, head coach Kirby Smart will address the media as a whole on Tuesday at noon for the first time since after the national championship win over TCU. He spoke recently with ESPN’s Mark Schablach about the accident.

It’s going to be a busy first week.

Georgia will hold its annual Pro Day on Wednesday at the team’s indoor practice facility with representatives, scouts, and coaches from all 32 teams expected to be in attendance.

The Bulldogs will hold practice every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday leading up to G-Day at Sanford Stadium on April 15.

There are plenty of spring storylines fans will no doubt be anxious to follow.

Mike Bobo begins his second stint as Georgia’s offensive coordinator after Todd Monken left for the Baltimore Ravens, and one of his many orders of business will be choosing a starting quarterback this fall.

Carson Beck is the presumed favorite after serving as the top backup to Stetson Bennett last fall, although nothing is set and Bobo is expected to give equal opportunities to Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton to win the job.

Don’t expect a final decision to be made until sometime in fall camp, but it’s obvious all three will need to be at their best over the next month to give themselves a chance.

Beck spoke to UGASports in Los Angeles about his journey and the opportunity that now stands before him.

“It’s been a long three years, so I’d say one of the words we used to describe it is patience,” Beck said. “It’s hard having patience when you’re a quarterback because only one person can play, but every single day, I try to go to practice and learn something new and try to get better in some way, shape, or form.”

Beck knows that will not mean a thing when spring practice begins. If he’s going to be Georgia’s starting quarterback in 2023, he’s going to have to earn the job.

That certainly seems true after a recent statement by Smart when asked how much mobility would play a role in his decision.

Beck can move around the pocket and picks up yards with his legs. However, both Vandagriff and Stockton have better mobility.

After watching how Bennett’s ability to run benefited Georgia’s offense, it would seem that’s going to need to be part of the equation for whoever is the Bulldogs’ quarterback come fall.

“I definitely put a heavier weight on mobility because of Stetson,” Smart said. “I don’t know if it changes the criteria; it definitely puts more weight on mobility, and that’s a really important factor.”

Smart offered more perspective when pressured further on the subject.

“I mean, like a scale of 1 to 10, if Stetson is an 8 in mobility, you probably can’t win without a 6 or a 7,” he said. “You’ve got to have somebody who can step out of the way and avoid things with athleticism.”

Of course, quarterback won’t be the only competition going on.

In Smart’s eyes, spring practice is ALL about competition, and like always, starting jobs will be up for grabs at some key spots.

Up front, the Bulldogs have to replace both starting tackles with Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon moving on to the NFL. At running back, Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards, and Branson Robinson are back, with Andrew Paul on track with his rehab after tearing his ACL during last season’s second fall scrimmage.

There are new faces at wide receiver where RaRa Thomas (Mississippi State) and Dominic Lovett (Missouri) will go through their first official practices with their new team.

It’s already been an eventful offseason for Thomas, who recently had his felony charge of false imprisonment dropped and has entered a pretrial diversion that will result in a misdemeanor charge of family violence expunged from his record.

Having that relief no doubt will allow Thomas to focus on spring as he and Lovett are expected to play big roles for the Bulldogs come fall.

Defensively, finding capable replacements for Jalen Carter at defensive tackle, along with both starting outside linebackers – Nolan Smith and Robert Beal Jr.

Finding replacements for cornerback Kelee Ringo and safety Christopher Smith will also be on the agenda.

Spring practice will feature 18 early enrollees, many of who will have the opportunity to not only earn roles on special teams but perhaps figure into the two-deep.