Kirby Smart Talks Stetson Bennett, Depth Chart, and new coaches

The Georgia football program began spring practice this week and the team had their first practice in pads on Saturday. Preparation for the 2022 college football season is really starting to ramp up and head coach Kirby Smart met with the media to talk about where the Bulldogs stand after one week of practice. Here is what the head ball coach had to say:

Kirby Smart on Dominick Blaylock's Return

"He's doing well, he's been pretty consistent. The offseason program was good for him in terms of getting confidence, change of direction, doing some things well. I think he would be the first to tell you he is still rusty but he is so confident with the ball in his hands and catches the ball really well... He brings some veteran experience, really right now anyone at wide receiver with experience is a veteran because we don't have many guys with experience there but he's done a tremendous job. [Balylock] never complains."

Kirby Smart on Defensive Back Room

"Receiver and [defensive back] we have never in seven years been this thin, ever been this thin. And you can point a finger and blame anywhere you want but it's the life of a college football coach now. You don't have depth, you don't have it anywhere. It's easy to leave and go places, those guys are a little more higher maintenance in terms of thinking of themselves and they expect to play right away and they are quicker to go so it's certainly a position of concern for us in terms of recruiting and development at the skill position.

Kirby Smart on What Stetson Bennett Can Improve Upon

"Make better decisions. We were late over the middle a couple of times with balls and late in the season. He would be the first to tell you he didn't play perfect, he made some really good plays for us with his feet, with his legs, with his decision making, but you just wanna take out some of the bone head throws, some of the bone head mistakes that he has made from time to time. It's easy for him to say he didn't have the opportunity to correct those mistakes because the guy was taking 3s [reps] at this time last year. He wasn't getting a lot of reps, he got a lot of work fast and we still feel like he is still showing progress."

Kirby Smart on Jalen Carter

"Jalen's a good football player, he's taking a role in Tray [Scott's] room of being an example for others and Devonte [Wyatt] and Jordan [Davis] did as fine of a job and really Travon [Walker] in that same category along with Julian [Rochester], they set a standard of work ethic, whether it's [Carter], [Logue], whoever's gonna control that but Jalen is certainly talented and you have to push and be willing to push yourself and put in a great effort in practice because really that's what set Devonte Wyatt apart. He played himself into a really good player. He was not that player when he got here. He was not that talented of a player when he got here. He worked himself to that. He lost weight, he got stronger, he got quicker, he wasn't the player year one, two, and three that he was four and five and we would like to have the same thing with Jalen. [Carter] was a very talented player as a freshman and sophomore but we would like to get more out of him "

Kirby Smart on DB coach Fran Brown

"He's very charismatic and you really gotta spend time with Fran to get to know Fran and Fran has done a tremendous job in establishing relationships. It was very evident when you talk to people who have worked on the staff with him about his charisma. I was very pleased with how hard he works, relationships with the players, he's relentless in recruiting, the guy communicates so well and pushes so hard, I think he's going to be a really good coach, I think he's a rising star in this profession because of the energy he puts into it. He's very coachable, he does what you ask, and if he doesn't know what to do he asks, and that's important. It's just as important to ask when you don't know as it is to know. He's been really good thus far in that area."

Kirby Smart on New Coaching Additions

"I think they are trying to figure where they are going right now. We got a lot of drills and a lot of things going on at practice so they are still getting their feet wet, they've had four days to figure out where they are going, how we do it, what the expectation is. What I like about all of them is they are enthusiastic and good leaders. I want their players to take on the personality of the coaches and there certainly have been great energy out of those coaches. We gotta get a little more energy out of players when things get tough in practice but that's the responsibility of the coaches and I am very proud and pleased with what those guys have done."

Injury Report

WR, Arian Smith (leg)

TE, Brock Bowers (Shoulder)

TE, Darnell Washington (Lower Leg)

OL, Tate Ratledge (Foot)
OL, Jacob Hood (Ankle)
OL, Griffin Scroggs (Shoulder)

LB, Rian Davis (Quad)
LB, Smael Mondon (Shoulder)
LB, CJ Madden (Labrum)
DB, Tykee Smith (Knee)

The annual G-Day game is set to take place on Saturday, April 16th. Giving fans their first chance at seeing how the Georgia Bulldogs will look heading into the 2022 season.

This will be the second spring game since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020; the global pandemic outbreak forced Georgia and programs around the nation to miss the opportunity to conduct spring practices and the traditional spring game in 2020. After a national championship-winning 2021 season, Georgia has some major holes to fill on its depth chart.

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