Georgia football preseason practice report: Observations of the Bulldogs' first session
The message from Kirby Smart this summer was clear that he didn’t need to worry about complacency with his team coming off a national title since a lot of the current players had smaller roles last season.
It was crystal clear the Georgia football coach and his staff weren’t complacent on a hot Thursday with his team holding its first preseason practice on a 91 degree afternoon.
The first sound heard during the two open periods was Smart yelling “horse****.”
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Two separate assistant coaches dropped profanities of their own to accentuate a point to their players during a drill.
Here are some observations we actually saw with our eyes:
--On this day, Tate Ratledge, coming off a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the opener last season, was lined up as the starting right guard and Devin Willock was at left guard. The tackles were Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon and center was Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.
The second team line from left to right: Earnest Greene, Xavier Truss, Warren Ericson at center, Dylan Fairchild and Armarius Mims at right tackle.
“Tate has been great,” Smart said earlier. “He's worked really hard at his conditioning. Ron feels like he's in a position where what we did in summer training would have been tougher on him coming off the injury than actual football practice. So the football practice piece should relieve some of that. Now, the strain and effort to push off and double teams, as we put on pads, may increase that. But he's in a good spot.”
--The quarterback behind starter Stetson Bennett were what you would expect: Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton. Big Darnell Washington blocked my view at one point so I had to move a few steps away.
--Ladd McConkey and AD Mitchell were the first two wide receivers in a drill followed by Kearis Jackson and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Jackson Meeks and Dom Blaylock and then walkons Braxton Hicks and Parker Jones and George Vining and Luke Bennett.
Jackson made a nice turning catch near the end of the viewing periods.
--Looking at the DBs, Kamari Lassiter tipped a pass from assistant Fran Brown for an interception in a drill and Nyland Green followed with a nice pass breakup.
--Safety/nickel Tykee Smith practiced without limitations. Walk-on wide receiver Mekhi Mews was in a black non-contact jersey but made a catch in one drill.
“I wouldn't say he's 100 percent,” Smart said of Smith, the West Virginia transfer who sustained a torn ACL after returning last season. “But he's doing everything we've asked him to do. And may not be completely cleared for live tackle just yet. That'll be up to Ron and how comfortable he feels with or without his brace. It's gaining confidence in those things. He's doing all the drills without limitation.”
--Tight end Ryland Goede is back out practicing in a regular jersey after being sidelined for part of the spring.
We’ll leave you with one more Smart soundbite to his players on his microphone: “Is this a walk-through?”
The answer to that would be no.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football preseason: Observations from the practice field
