Georgia’s first fall scrimmage gave Kirby Smart a chance to send a message, and he did not waste it.
The Bulldogs held their first scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday, and while the defense was widely viewed as the winner, Smart made sure the unit knew it still had room to grow. That included openly calling out defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann during the work, a move that fit right into Smart’s push to keep Georgia from getting comfortable with the early success it has built in camp.
That was the point. Georgia’s defense has been strong throughout fall camp, but Smart clearly wants more than a good August.
He wants urgency, and he wants his group chasing the next level instead of settling for what it has already shown. Calling out Schumann in the middle of the scrimmage was one way to keep that edge sharp.
It also speaks to the standard Smart is trying to restore. Georgia’s defense was the engine behind the Bulldogs’ national titles in 2021 and 2022, when the unit was one of the best college football has seen in recent memory.
The offense did its part, but the defense was the identity. Georgia has not been back at that level since then, and Smart is pushing to get it there again.
That’s why the praise for fall camp comes with a warning label. Yes, the defense has looked good.
No, that does not mean the job is anywhere close to finished. It is still just camp, and Georgia has not proven anything yet.
The caution is easy to understand after last season. Georgia’s defense was not the version fans had grown used to seeing in 2025, and the biggest issue was pressure. The Bulldogs finished last in the SEC with 20 sacks, and the lack of disruption showed up in the College Football playoff loss to Ole Miss, when Trinidad Chambliss had too much time and too much freedom against the defense.
The secondary had problems of its own, too. Georgia gave up too many shots over the top, and while better pressure would have helped, the back end was beaten too often for comfort.
So even with encouraging signs in camp, the Bulldogs still have to prove it when the games count. Until they do that, there’s reason to stay guarded. In just under three weeks, fans will get their first real look at the defense, and that’s when Georgia will have the chance to show that last season’s issues are behind them.
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