ATHENS - Georgia’s first preseason practice arrived Wednesday, and even without pads, Kirby Smart made sure the message was clear: the Bulldogs were going to work with an edge.
Smart pushed physicality from the start, setting up early drills with defenders matched against skill players - defensive backs on wide receivers, linebackers on running backs. Through the indoor facility, he kept hammering the same point. The team didn’t reveal much in the 25-minute viewing window, but it did offer a first real look at this fall’s roster and a few early clues about where things stand.
One of the more noticeable details came from the quarterbacks, and it had nothing to do with throwing motion. Every quarterback, along with offensive coordinator and position coach Mike Bobo, was wearing a mustache.
Bobo’s stood out most, drawing a comparison to actor Sam Elliott. It looked like a deliberate bonding move inside the room.
On the field, Gunner Stockton was first among the quarterbacks, with Ryan Puglisi working as the second option during drills. The backup job remains unsettled, and a later-August scrimmage is expected to play a major role in deciding it.
There were also a few roster absences worth noting. Dante Dowdell is still away from the team while recovering from an ATV accident, and that leaves Georgia without a bigger, bruising back for now. Depth in the backfield already looks like something that could matter all season if Dowdell can’t make it back.
Dwight Phillips was the first running back to work with Stockton during passing drills, a detail that fits Georgia’s need for a pass-catching option out of the backfield. His speed makes that role appealing. The bigger question is how he handles pass protection.
At receiver, Thomas Blackshear made a clean play in an open-field wrap-up drill by forcing cornerback Demello Jones to miss. Blackshear is one of five second-year wideouts trying to carve out a larger role this fall. Smart also had to correct Talyn Taylor at one point for not finishing through contact.
The tight end group continues to look like one of Georgia’s deepest units, and Jaden Reddell has clearly made progress. Smart pointed to praise from the strength staff, saying, “We had strength coaches get up yesterday in front of the team,” Smart said of Reddell.
“They’ve spent more time with our team than anyone on our staff has over the last, let’s call it four months, I don’t know, end of April, May, June, July, they spent more time with our team than anyone. He was one of four players singled out by them for work ethic, intensity, PFE, buying in.”
Freshman Kaiden Prothro is also one of the more important newcomers to watch, especially as a pass catcher. But compared with the veterans in that tight end room, he still looks lighter.
Lawson Luckie is now at 245 pounds, and Elyiss Williams, Ethan Barbour and Reddell are all bigger. That size gap helps explain why Prothro spent so much time in the slot during spring work.
Georgia also showed some movement along the defensive front. Isaiah Gibson was working with the defensive line after spending last season at outside linebacker, while Gabe Harris was with the outside linebackers. Freshman PJ Dean was also grouped with the outside linebackers.
Inside linebacker Zayden Walker, limited this offseason by a shoulder injury, already looks the part physically. His upper body has clearly filled out. With Chris Cole and Justin Williams in the mix, Glenn Schumann’s inside linebacker room is loaded with former 5-star talent.
Kyron Jones was out there, but not quite full speed. The fourth-year defensive back is still working back from the foot injury he suffered last season.
Smart said, “He’s been ramping up after kind of a resting period, and he’s been increasing, increasing as the summer goes,” Smart said. “But he’s still not at a - it’s not that he’s not 100% healthy.
He’s not taking 100% of a normal practice day’s reps.”
Khalil Barnes also stood out for a solid wrap-up on freshman Craig Dandridge, and Barnes already looked comfortable in his first year at Georgia.
Special teams got a notable chunk of time, too. Smart spent about 10 minutes on punt work and made it clear how much he values the unit.
He said everyone who plays on punt gets drafted, and he pointed out that four freshmen were on the punt team last season. He also singled out Prothro and fellow freshman Ryan Mosley.
The first punt team Georgia used Wednesday included London Humphreys and KJ Bolden as the gunners. Other names spotted there were Chris Cole, Jaden Reddell, Quintavius Johnson, Terrell Foster, Will Snellings at long snapper, Michael Uini, JJ Hanne, Lawson Luckie and Drew Miller as the first-team punter.
Georgia also had Sacovie White-Helton and Craig Dandridge handling punt returns, with Zachariah Branch having filled that role last season.
Not everyone was available. Along with Dowdell, Georgia did not spot Amaris Williams, Justice Fitzpatrick or Tre Shields at practice. Williams and Fitzpatrick are coming back from ACL injuries, while Shields’ status was not known.
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Georgia Is Bringing A First-Time Look Fans Will Want To See
Georgia is set to turn heads on Sept. 12 when it takes the field against Western Kentucky in an all-white look that has never been used in school history. The uniforms will feature white helmets, jerseys and pants, a clean break from the traditional red and black that usually defines the Bulldogs, and the unveiling already has a little extra buzz thanks to KJ Bolden and Lawson Luckie modeling the jerseys and offering their first reactions to the change.
For fans, the appeal goes beyond a uniform tweak. Georgia has long leaned on its classic identity, so a first-time alternate like this adds a little curiosity to an early kick, especially with a 12:45 p.m. ET start giving the new look a prominent stage. Whether it becomes a one-off novelty or something fans start asking for again will depend on what it looks like under the lights, but for now it is one more detail worth watching when the Bulldogs line up against Western Kentucky. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Fall Camp Opens With One Lingering Injury Concern
Georgias fall camp opened with the usual August mix of optimism and caution, and Kirby Smarts first injury update gave a clearer picture of where the Bulldogs stand as work begins. Defensive back Kyron Jones remains in the mix after a foot injury, though the staff is easing him along, while defensive end Gabe Harris and center Drew Bobo are expected to work through camp with limited reps after recent surgeries. It is the kind of early-camp management that has become routine for a team expecting to be in the thick of the national conversation again.
The more notable holdover is running back Dante Dowdell, who has been improving since an ATV accident but has not yet rejoined the team. For Georgia, the timing matters because fall camp is when depth charts start to take shape and every missed practice can matter, especially at spots where the Bulldogs need continuity. Smart did not sound alarmed, but the lingering question is how quickly the roster can get back to full strength before the real competition of camp starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]