Quarterback JT Daniels didn't sugar coat his answer when asked about the loss of George Pickens, and what it means to Georgia’s chances of competing for a national championship.

Of course it doesn't help.

But when Daniels looks around the Bulldogs’ receiver room, he still sees plenty of talent. That includes players not named Jermaine Burton (knee) or Arian Smith (wrist).

“There’s no denying that we do want to win a natty. I think we have the team to do it. Obviously, losing George doesn’t help you—losing an elite, top-tier receiver doesn’t help you—but it’s a great team. Coach [Kirby] Smart has done a really good job of instilling a team standard and a team DNA that a lot of guys have really gotten accustomed to,” Daniels said. “There are a lot of good things going for the team. As much as you hate to lose George, there are just things we’ve got to focus on, and things we’ve got to develop, because we have the team to do whatever we want.”

Daniels, who spoke with reporters for almost 12 minutes Tuesday, reminded those on the Zoom call that receivers aren't the only ones capable of catching the football.

Georgia’s tight ends and running backs have ten fingers, too.

“The running backs have been great, and the tight ends have been exceptional as well. Fitz (John FitzPatrick) has received a lot of praise for the way he's worked and how much better his ball skills have gotten,” Daniels said. “Darnell (Washington) has obviously developed a lot; that whole tight end room has done a great job. Zamir (White) has gotten better breaking in and out of his routes. (James) Cook, Kenny (McIntosh), and (Kendall) Milton are all great route runners.

“All the other receivers that I’ll talk about, they’ll come in and work, whether it’s special teams, whether it’s at receiver—they run their butt off all day, and they’re all getting better.”

Early enrollee Adonai Mitchell has opened some eyes.

“I’m definitely a fan of AD. One thing I can say that jumped out to me initially when he first got here, and I had my throwing sessions with the receivers—he was a consistent show. He was there every time and liked to run. He’d get his conditioning in,” Daniels said. “Talking about how he plays, he’s got great twitch and is going to develop to become a great young player. We’ve just got to let him take his time and learn the system and do his thing, and I think he’ll be a good football player.”

One of Georgia’s taller receivers, the 6-foot-4 Mitchell caught 49 passes for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns as a high school junior in 2019.

Daniels said heralded freshman quarterback Brock Vandagriff has been anxious and willing to learn.

“He asks a lot of questions,” Vandagriff said. “He asks to go over stuff with me. He wants to learn, and it’s great to see, just overall for the quarterbacks. It’s just a great room.”

Daniels said all four quarterbacks are each great friends.

“Instantly we’ve had a great connection. We really have a great quarterback room where everyone’s really good friends, and really genuinely help each other,” Daniels said. “Every time, after a series in practice, a series in the game, I go to Stetson (Bennett) and Carson (Beck), ask them what they saw. It was the same thing when Stet was in. It’s the same thing that Carson has done when he comes and asks me stuff.”

Add defensive back Christopher Smith to a growing list of individuals who've been impressed with freshman tight end Brock Bowers.

“He’s a smart route runner, and he’s got a good amount of speed,” Smith said. “There were a couple of times he broke some ankles on me; I had to speed it up to catch him, because I didn’t know he was that fast.”

Smith’s comments were the second statement about the early enrollee from California, after head coach Kirby Smart noted the youngster’s work ethic during a recent interview.

“Brock’s a great player, real level-headed,” Smith said. “All he wants to do is work and compete; just like everybody else.”

Smith chuckled when a reporter asking a question about Lovasea Carroll struggled to correctly pronounce his name.

“We always call him LC,” Smith said of Carroll, who signed with Georgia as a running back, but has switched to cornerback this spring.

Smart has called the move a “spring experiment,” although it’s looking more and more like this will be his new positional home.

“He’s making the transition,” Smith said. “He’s going through the growing pains like everybody else when they first get here, but he’s one of those guys who's always working. He’s never going to give up. He’s definitely still working.”