Todd Hartley on his Georgia tight end group

Todd Hartley has had Georgia blood pumping through his veins his entire life.

He grew up in Gray, Ga. as an avid Bulldog fan. His coaching career began at Georgia as a student assistant under Mark Richt.

Now, Hartley is entering year five at his alma mater. The special nature of that bond isn't lost on him on or off the field. In speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Hartley noted that there are north of 20 Georgia alumni working in the program.

"What that illustrates is Georgia's willingness to welcome people back," Hartley said. "The university's willingness to say it's not a four-year decision, it's a 40-year decision. I'm not just going to take care of you in your time in Athens, but it does have the ability to help you find a career. It also shows recruits and parents that once you leave Athens, a lot of people want to come back to Athens. It's a great place to raise a family, build a career; it's a great place to go to school. You guys know this. There is no place like this anywhere in the country."

Recruiting is something Hartley has taken pride in during his time in Athens. He has built arguably the best tight end room in the country, landing recruits such as Darnell Washington, Brock Bowers, Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie, and Pearce Spurlin during his time in Athens.

Hartley credited the recruiting prowess of head coach Kirby Smart and the power of the Georgia logo as factors that have helped him on the trail.

"The fact that you’ve got Georgia on your shirt, you’ve got Coach Smart as your head coach, that makes the job not as hard," Hartley said. "But I think the thing that we do a good job of here at Georgia is investing in relationships. I think we do a great job of getting to know them as people and not just as prospects, as players. I think that’s where we win out most times. People appreciate the genuineness that we have. We’re real. We tell them how it is. Some like it and some don’t, but most people appreciate how open we are with them.”

Hartley stated what the entire world has come to know. Bowers is an extremely talented tight end who can do anything you ask of him on the field.

But what makes Bowers truly unique in the eyes of his coach is everything you don't see on Saturdays.

"The kid is the hardest worker I've ever met," Hartley said. "He'll be the first one to breakfast. He'll be the first one in the training room to get his ankles taped. He'll be the first one in the meeting room. He'll be the last one to leave the field. If we do a 10-yard sprint, he'll be the first one to win the 10-yard sprint. If we do a 30-yard sprint, he'll be the first one to win the 30-yard sprint. You get the point I'm making."

Bowers wants to answer every question in the meeting room. He wants every rep on the practice field. Hartley said when he tries to get Bowers to back off for other tight ends to get their shot, he gets "pissed off" and wonders what he did wrong.

It's those younger tight ends that Hartley believes will end up being Bowers' true legacy as a Bulldog.

"He set a standard of how to practice at tight end. He set a standard of how to watch tape at tight end," Hartley said. "The best thing for Oscar Delp is seeing how Brock Bowers does it. The best thing for seeing Lawson Luckie and Pearce Spurlin is seeing how Brock Bowers does it. Hopefully long after he's gone, the legacy he's left stays for many years about how you're supposed to work, how you're supposed to approach each day, and how you become a pro, man. Because that guy is a pro in everything he does, and hopefully that leaves a lasting legacy."

Delp stepped into the spotlight in last year's Peach Bowl win over Ohio State. The freshman replaced Washington after he went down with an ankle injury in the first half.

Washington filled a huge role as a blocker for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons. Delp, meanwhile, is someone who played more receiver in high school and had to learn the intricacies of playing the tight end position in college.

Now, Delp knows the void left behind by Washington's departure for the NFL. Hartley is very happy with what he's seen as Delp looks to take on a bigger role in 2023.

"The growth he's had from spring to summer to now has been exponential. I'm very proud of how hard he's worked," Hartley said. "He knows he has the potential to fill that void. So he had to attack his blocking technique, his run game fundamentals, his pass game fundamentals. And he has done that. When he came in, that's where he lacked the most. From where he was when he came in to where he is now, I am very, very pleased with how hard he has worked to get to this point.”

Hartley's 2023 freshmen have taken two different paths to their first fall camp.

Both Luckie and Spurlin enrolled early in January. But Spurlin suffered a collarbone injury in his third practice and missed the rest of the spring.

At 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Spurlin is another receiver-tight end hybrid in the mold of Delp. Hartley saw some nerves in Spurlin as he anticipated the transition from receiver to tight end. But since coming back from the injury in the summer, he has embraced his new role.

Luckie, on the other hand, took advantage of his reps and had a great spring. Hartley said the freshman from Norcross was able to "show that he was able to potentially do something for us in our offense."

Overall, Hartley likes what he's seeing from the newest additions to the tight end room.

"I’m very excited, I’m very pleased with how both of them have performed to this point,” Hartley said.