Here is the Sept. 21 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
Smart: Leadership could improve
Although Georgia is off to an exceptional start to the 2021 season, head coach Kirby Smart said more could be done from a leadership perspective.
Smart would like to see a greater presence from Georgia’s go-to players on the roster, especially as the season gets tougher.
"It's up and down. There are days it could be better; there's some days it's really good and it's a work in progress,” Smart said. “In terms of player-led leadership events, and conversations, it's never as good as I want it to be. It's never as bad as the worst it's been, so that's a hard measuring stick. It's day-to-day, and it's something we are constantly trying to grow,” Smart said.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 and sit at No. 2 in the country. Still, it’s evident Smart is seeking to motivate his team by stating the Georgia leaders should step up more when the coaches aren’t around.
“You develop leaders, you develop them on what you do in the offseason, how much time you spend on investing in them as a staff, and on an individual basis with each player, letting them know what's important,” Smart said. “You get that in return on investment with the time they spend with the team and when they lead the team when you're not around. We're probably not where we need to be in that regard, but it's something we'll always work on."
We’re talking about practice
For the first time since 2019, the media were allowed to catch a glimpse of Georgia’s football practice. UGASports.com brought a sizable crew on site to report what happened, including what they thought of injured receiver George Pickens (ACL) running routes.
Injury update
Tight end Darnell Washington (foot) and defensive back Tykee Smith (foot) appear to be getting closer to a return to the football field. In fact, there’s a chance the two could make their first appearances of the season Saturday against Vanderbilt.
“We haven’t ruled out this weekend,” Smart said. “They were running at the end of last week, weight-bearing, running on their own, so we thought all along this would be the target.”
Smart also revealed that receiver Dominick Blaylock, who was close to returning from last year’s ACL tear, suffered a hamstring injury that has set him back.
“Dom’s dealing with a little bit of a hamstring. He was dealing with it last week,” Smart said. “We felt he was really close, we thought he was actually ahead of Kearis (Jackson) in terms of returning, but he had a little hamstring I guess early last week.
Speaking of Jackson, Smart said he is “probably 90-95 percent” recovered from his injury. In addition, Smart said linebacker Rian Davis underwent surgery on his quad, which will force him to miss the remainder of the season.
Former five-stars are breaking out
Outside linebackers Adam Anderson and Nolan Smith arrived at Georgia with great expectations. While it took a little longer than expected—a lot of that having to do with playing behind Azeez Ojulari—the two pass rushers are off to a fantastic start of living up to the billing they came to college with in 2021.
"He has something to prove; I have something to prove," Anderson said. "We’re not doing it just for ourselves or for the team. We’re doing it for every other dude that’s stepped in that room, the great players that came out of there like Davin (Bellamy), like (Leonard) Floyd or Lorenzo (Carter)."
Anderson and Smith have combined for 5.5 sacks in three games. Regarding Anderson in particular, Smart said he’s seen a maturation process take place over the past year.
"I’ve seen it since being here. From year one, they don’t have a clue," Smart said. "Year two, they’re still trying to figure it out, what do I do, I don’t want to do this; to year three, oh, so this is how you’re supposed to do it. He’s in that year where it’s like, I understand what I’m supposed to do, and I understand why it’s important to do it that way."
Film don’t lie
Dayne Young and Brent Rollins broke down the tape from Georgia’s win over South Carolina and noticed an offense that has improved with open-field blocking.
“Again, perimeter blocking is not necessarily about being physically dominant, but more so positioning and effort,” Rollins wrote. “Through three games, John FitzPatrick (76.8 PFF run blocking grade) and (Brock) Bowers (73.3) are numbers one and two among the regular contributors in run-blocking grade. Justin Robinson, on the other hand, is next to last with a 38.7 run block grade, just above Jermaine Burton's 38.4.
Recruiting notes
Blayne Gilmer offered up a number of recruiting updates, including an important one on linebacker Enai White (Imhotep Institute Charter School/Philadelphia). Another update happened to be the latest of where things stand with class of 2023 quarterback Arch Manning (Isidore Newman/New Orleans).
Air Swift
Big Play Stokes
Replay
Outside the Vent
The state of Georgia is producing some great talent in the class of 2024.
Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is the new betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
Should Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker be a Heisman Trophy candidate?
Is BYU making a case for the College Football Playoff?
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