Kirby Smart 'Proud' of Kamari Lassiter so Far this Season

Georgia is often described as "young" when talking about its defense. A lot of that has to do with the number of guys they sent off to the NFL draft this off-season, which resulted in new faces having to step into bigger roles. One of those players this season has been defensive back, Kamari Lassiter.

The sophomore cornerback battled it out this off-season with several other players to earn the role of being the second cornerback on the field alongside Kelee Ringo. Lassiter ended up winning the job and has held his spot on the depth chart since the start of the season. Head coach Kirby Smart discussed what he likes about Lassiter, along with how he has played so far this season.

Smart first described Lassiter as tough, competitive, a great leader and a great kid. All of which are things you want in any player. "He's played good, and he could probably tell you himself, he's got a lot of areas he can improve in," said Smart. "But he's a good football player. He tackles well, he's smart, he listens. But I'm proud of what he's done for our team.”

Just like any player who is getting a significant and consistent number of snaps for the first time in their career, Lassiter has experienced some growing pains this season. But Smart went to bat for his young defensive player. "I don't think Kamari misses many coverages. He might get beat, but there's a big difference between a missed coverage and a one on one," Smart said.

Lassiter said himself that he feels he has already come a long way since his first game this season but also knows there is always room for improvement. “I would say that starting off from game one, I had a little bit of nerves coming in with it being my first start," Lassiter said. "As the season has progressed, I’m just getting better with practice and reps, so I’ve been able to learn the defense better. I would say my progression has been pretty good, but I have a long way to go still.”

Lassiter has been a valuable member of Georgia's defense this year and will only continue to get better as the season progresses.

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