Andrew Thomas was right.

That was the concession offered by Ben Cleveland. He said his teammate hit the nail on the head when describing the Bulldog right guard and his ever-present hunting knife to reporters during an interview at SEC Media Day.

"Oh yeah,” Cleveland said. “Everybody’s got to have one.”

Yes, Thomas drew a few chuckles when asked about Cleveland last month in Hoover, Ala. He's battling Cade Mays for the starting job at right guard.

“He’s a goof ball,” Cleveland said. “He always keeps us entertained for sure.”

In the video seen below, Thomas joked about Cleveland and his ever-present knife, which he claimed the Toccoa native used for hunting, grooming, and just about any other task imaginable.

When asked if he had any ammunition against Thomas that he’d like to share, Cleveland shook his head.

“He walks a pretty straight line. There’s nothing you can really say to get back at him,” said Cleveland, who only smiled when asked for more details on his personal blade.

“Growing up, you always had a knife in your pocket, and that’s how it happened, transferring to college,” he said. “I stick to it. I carry one wherever I go.”

“So, you pick your teeth with it?” a reporter jokingly asked.

“Oh yeah, you ever get something stuck in your teeth and don’t have a toothpick?” Cleveland said. “I didn’t bring it up, because I’ve got to go change, but I know y’all wanted to see it.”

Dan Lanning can’t predict what kind of production he’ll get from freshman linebacker Nolan Smith.

However, one thing he does know, effort will never be an issue.

When asked about the Savannah native and former standout at IMG Academy, Lanning said he saw signs early on that Smith was going to be a coach’s dream.

“One thing coming in with guys, you want to make sure it's not just about stars. I think coming to college is a humbling experience for any person, so Nolan handled that the right way. He's really eager to learn, he's extremely bright and smart,” Lanning said. “He's one of those guys who signed the signing day papers and then the next day is like, ‘Coach, where's my playbook at?’ That's Nolan, and he's great for our room, he motivates our guys, he plays really hard, and you can overcome a lot of young mistakes when you play hard. And that's what's exciting probably about Nolan.”

So far in fall camp, Smith (6-foot-3, 235 pounds) is picking up right where he left off in the spring, when he showed Lanning and head coach Kirby Smart that he’s ready to play an integral role.

With Brenton Cox no longer part of the program, Smith joins Jermaine Johnson, Walter Grant, Adam Anderson, Azeez Ojualri, and Robert Beal as one of only six scholarship players currently competing at the position, virtually assuring he’s to be a key part of the equation for the Bulldogs come fall.

“I don't know if you guys know it's Shark Week, but Nolan Smith, we’re calling him Hammerhead now, because of the way he likes collision runs,” Lanning said. “But there's some really good competition; we’ve got some guys in there that are working really hard but at this point, you know that it's still wide open.”

Tyrique Stevenson is another freshman who continues to draw raves from Lanning.

In fact, Georgia’s DC practically gushed when asked about the young cornerback who apparently is pushing for early playing time.

“Tyrique Stevenson’s a playmaker and one of the things, you go back to talk about havoc, when you put guys out in the field, there's guys that do their assignments and then there's guys who create production,” Lanning said. “What we want our guys to do is both. Tyrique Stevenson is a guy who was extremely productive this spring, and as he continues to become more disciplined with his eyes and more disciplined with his play, he's going to be a guy who can do both for us, and we're very excited to see the plays he can make. You go watch practice, you watch that guy for a little bit, you’re saying, ‘Holy moley, we got a ballplayer,’ and that's what he is, so we’ve got to do a good job of coaching and getting them ready to go out there and play.”

Stevenson and junior college transfer DJ Daniel are currently working behind Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell on the depth chart at cornerback.

“I know Jordan Davis is in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. Nolan Smith is making insane progress, doing what he’s coached to do . . . All the freshmen D-linemen are being very coachable and taking what we give them.” – Cleveland on defensive players who have impressed him.”

...The Bulldogs worked out in full pads for the first time this camp, practicing for two hours at the team's facility at the Woodruff Practice Fields.

...Cleveland said that he's working extensively at right guard.

...Matt Landers, Demetris Robertson, and Tyler Simmons worked as the first team wide receivers during drills Tuesday.