What We Learned About Georgia Football Team From First Scrimmage
Georgia's first scrimmage of the season is in the books and thanks to Kirby Smart's comments and information we've gathered from our sources, we've learned quite a bit about where the football team stands less than a month before they head to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on Sam Pittman's football team.
Kirby not happy with how far behind they are
Obviously this offseason was different than any before. Not having spring practice has affected almost everybody, but Georgia especially. Having to install a new offense in a condensed preseason has been tough enough, add on to that they are working in several new quarterbacks and you've got yourself some issues.
"We’re behind. I don’t know that I’ve ever come out of a first scrimmage and felt good. I’m happy we got to scrimmage, to be honest with you, just between the injuries and COVID going on with different teams and different programs, the social injustice issues we’re dealing with in our country, and our players are dealing with the thoughts of all those things. I’m really proud and happy we were able to scrimmage, but just looking at the scrimmage as a whole— we have a long way to go."
There's a three-headed QB Battle
We expected there to be a heated quarterback battle between transfers, Jamie Newman and JT Daniels during camp. What we didn't quite expect was the camp that D'Wan Mathis continues to have. He's flashed his more than impressive arm strength throughout his time in Athens, but sources have indicated he's continued to make plays during camp. All three were mentioned running with the one's Saturday by Kirby Smart.
"Jamie [Newman] operated with the 1s, and JT [Daniels] operated with the 1s. D’Wan [Mathis] got a red area series with the 1s, as well. The reps came out pretty balanced. Stetson had a bit fewer because we had seen his stats a lot more and know more about him because of his time spent with us last year."
1 vs 1 was Competitive
Anyone that's ever played competitive football knows that early in the season, and especially in the first scrimmage of the season, oftentimes the defense is dominant. They rely less on the continuity of the unit as a whole and much more on intensity and effort. So, when Kirby Smart says that competition between the two first units was extremely competitive and fairly even that says a lot about where this offensive unit stands with less than a month before their first game.
Marcus Rosemy is the real deal
One source described Marcus Rosemy as "legit", went on to say that he snagged several balls over defenders during today's scrimmage. We've compared the freshman from St. Thomas Aquinas as the closest thing to George Pickens that there is on the roster. He's as physically impressive as any of the freshman wideouts and he possesses the ability to make the same "wow" catches on the outside that Pickens has become known for.
Jackson, Robertson, Pickens Consistent
Kearis Jackson continues to be a name that the Georgia coaching staff is raving about. We told you a few weeks back that Jackson's versatility, leadership, and work ethic were going to be a major factor for Georgia this season and he's continued to prove that throughout camp. Demetris Robertson flashed today as well according to Smart, and of course, George Pickens remains consistent as a playmaking threat for this Georgia offense.
Still no separation at QB
According to Smart, no one quarterback has separated themselves from the others. And reading through Smart's comments, that may not be something they ultimately decide any time soon, at least publicly. JT Daniels is still not fully cleared, though he's a full participant at practice and scrimmages. Smart says that fully cleared to him is when a player can go through a full game and be tackled. So, we won't know Daniels' status until the first game.
Though Smart did say that it's hindering the development of the quarterbacks as a whole.
"I don't think we're ready to say where the quarterbacks are in terms of the development and which guys step it up. The biggest issue with the quarterbacks is the number of reps, you can't prepare four, five or even three quarterbacks, so that makes it tough."
There's a battle at right tackle
We've stated here on Dawgs Daily on SI.com that for the most part, four of the five positions on the offensive line are pretty much set, Jamaree Salyer, Justin Shaffer, Trey Hill, and Ben Cleveland have been running with the ones throughout camp. It's right tackle that is still at this point a question mark. Owen Condon had a good week and finished it off with a great scrimmage according to Smart. Warren McClendon has been the odds on favorite leading up to camp and throughout camp and according to Smart, Tate Ratledge has flashed since the pads have come on during camp.
That's not surprising to hear about Ratledge. The Rome, Georgia product is a physical football player that loves competition.
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