Kamari Lassiter Reflects on His Starting Debut for Georgia
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Georgia's defense dominated Oregon on Saturday, allowing three points and never allowing the Ducks to sustain momentum. Their impressive performance was amplified by the sheer number of inexperienced starters they trotted out.
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter was among those newcomers, getting his first taste of meaningful game action after mainly playing in mop-up duty during his true freshman season a year ago.
Lassiter played field corner exclusively for Georgia on Saturday, tasked with covering the wide side of the field. Georgia's coaching staff believes in his ability to cover ground and play in open space, indicating his talent.
Head coach Kirby Smart offered an interesting nugget during his media availability on Tuesday. He shared that the sophomore texted him ahead of the Oregon matchup, saying, "Coach, I'm really locked in."
Smart confirmed that Lassiter's work habits reflected his message. The former four-star defensive back out of Savannah, Ga., by way of Tuscaloosa Academy generated buzz over the offseason as a potential breakout player for the Bulldogs on defense. But even after winning the starting job, he is taking his preparation seriously. Smart detailed his observations of Lassiter's first week of preparing as a starter.
"I can see it in meetings, by the questions he asked. You know when somebody's ready to play because of the way they practice. He was very intentional about his practices, when you looked at him, his eyes were in the right spot, he asked the right questions. Kamari is a kid you're going to have to just beat, because he's not going to beat himself. He is a great kid."
- Kirby Smart
Reports from fall camp confirm that Georgia will continue to rotate corners as the year progresses. They have too much depth not to get their young talent on the field, but currently, Lassiter and Ringo will get the lion's share of game reps.
Simply put, Georgia feels comfortable with the consistency Lassiter brings every week. He prepares like a professional and exemplifies a popular mantra, "chop wood, carry water."
Lassiter isn't one to marvel at personal successes. Instead, he plans to return to the drawing board and correct his mistakes, a work ethic that should carry throughout a young defensive back room.
Georgia made Lassiter available to the media on Tuesday, as he continued to exemplify what the Bulldogs look for out of their players. Despite an encouraging performance, Lassiter downplayed his impact when asked how he played.
"I played okay. I feel like I can do a lot better, though."
He explained that his expectations don't solely apply to himself. While Lassiter was excited about how the defense performed, he emphasized that they played well in game one of twelve; they haven't earned anything yet.
"From here, we have to keep finding ways to get better. We can't get complacent. It was a confidence booster because we have been putting in work all offseason and summer, so to see it come to fruition, it is a good feeling. We can't just sit on that. We need to keep getting better."
- Kamari Lassiter
Georgia's current focus is on finding ways to defeat its next opponent; however, its broader vision is crystallizing. Programs have been building infrastructures designed to sustain excellence in the post-Nick Saban era of college football.
Despite climbing the mountaintop and taking out their most prominent foe, the Bulldogs are no different. Smart continues to build a strong culture, and contributors such as Lassiter further his cause.
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