Kirby Smart got exactly what he wanted on Sunday at Sanford Stadium: heat, speed and a whole lot of teaching points.
Georgia practiced for two hours in a blazing sun that pushed the heat index above 100 degrees on the field, and the Bulldogs’ tempo, energy and effort showed up even if the offense was still very much in early-camp mode. More than 1,600 subscribers to UGA’s “Glory Glory” media website watched it unfold, with the school asking that no videos, photos or written notes be taken from the scrimmage.
Smart made sure nobody in the stadium could miss the coaching. His voice carried through Sanford Stadium - and even out onto Sanford Drive - as he worked the microphone he uses every practice to push, correct and needle his players.
“Full-speed, you gotta go, go, quick, quick, quick!” Smart said during drill work preceding limited scrimmage action with players in helmets and shoulder pads. “The only way you get a real picture is full speed.”
That approach showed up in a sequence involving tailback Jae Lamar. Smart first corrected the freshman after he bounced a run outside.
A few moments later, Lamar cut back upfield between the tackles and ripped off what was arguably the most explosive rushing play of the day. Smart’s reaction came just as quickly in the other direction.
“Where in the hell was the middle safety?”
There was plenty for Georgia to sort through after a practice like that, and that’s the point. The Bulldogs still have three more weeks of work before the game-week build to the season opener at 3 p.m. on Sept. 5 against Tennessee State.
The schedule ramps up fast after that, with Western Kentucky coming to Athens at 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 12, a road trip to Arkansas at noon on Sept. 19 and then a home game with No. 9 Oklahoma on Sept.
The Sooners look like the first opponent with a real chance to test No. 3 Georgia. That’s part of why Smart is leaning into the grind now, trying to make August harder than anything the Bulldogs will see once the games start.
Safety KJ Bolden said that’s the standard around here.
“Coach Smart is going to push you to your limit every day, he’s going to get it out of you,” Bolden said at the team’s opening fall camp press conference last week.
“I tell all the recruits, if you don’t love football, if you’re not really bought into it, don’t come here if you’re about NIL. Don’t come here if you really don’t care about football and growing as a person and as a man.”
On the field, Gunner Stockton looked like a quarterback who has taken another step physically. He appeared thicker and more athletic than he did last season, after putting in offseason work aimed at helping his durability.
Stockton has already climbed to a No. 7 Heisman Trophy finish and helped Georgia beat Alabama in the SEC Championship Game last season, but practice against this defense is a different kind of test.
Georgia’s secondary made life tough on him all day. The Bulldogs’ receivers had a hard time creating separation, which left Stockton with very little room for mistakes. Ellis Robinson IV, the 2025 FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, jumped a throw for one of at least three interceptions on the day.
“Gunner don’t force it,” Smart said after that play.
Later, he added, “We’re about 0-for-30 over 30 yards” as Georgia’s defense took away the deep ball and looked like the sharpest unit on the field.
Smart has said in the spring and again at the start of fall drills that Georgia needs more explosive plays, and he keeps coming back to the run game as the foundation for that. On Sunday, there were signs there. Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips and Bo Walker all found some success behind an offensive line that looked as physical and effective as advertised.
The passing game was less steady. Landon Roldan made a strong grab with Jontae Gilbert draped all over him, but he also dropped two passes. Smart had a line ready for the heat and the ball security issues alike.
“This is the temperature we need … “
He also joked about the kind of excuse a player might try to sell him.
“I can’t catch coach, because my hands are wet from sweating.”
London Humphreys kept showing up, working both on offense and special teams and flashing all afternoon. Smart has already talked about Humphreys’ leadership and effort, and seeing it in person for two hours backed that up. The No. 16 was everywhere.
Freshman tight end Kaiden Prothro also had a strong day catching the ball and handling the conditions. The five-star newcomer, ranked No. 35 overall in the nation by the 247Sports composite, is viewed as someone who can line up at tight end or in the slot.
The practice moved fast enough that it was hard to track everything. Smart even had two live scrimmages going at once on opposite ends of the field.
At one end, Bolden knocked down a Stockton pass. At the other, backup quarterback Ryan Montgomery connected impressively with Jaden Redell and Tyler Williams.
Chris Cole was impossible to ignore too. The preseason All-SEC linebacker made an interception in coverage and later added a QB pressure as a blitzer. Defensive tackle Josh Horton, the Miami transfer, kept bringing effort every time he was on the field, collecting at least one pressure while sprinting on and off during substitutions.
Georgia took a four-minute break in the middle of practice and went into the locker room to cool off. Smart, though, kept the pressure on from the microphone late in the workout.
“Ask yourself, what kind of shape you are in?”
Near the end, senior kicker Peyton Woodring answered with three made field goals, including a 50-yarder.
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