Kirby Smart made it clear where Georgia faces the most questions entering fall camp.
The Bulldogs have to replace three starters in the secondary, with Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith all being drafted in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
What makes their departures all the more significant for Georgia is that they were multi-year contributors.
“They’re tough losses,” Smart said at SEC media days. “We got some good young players in the secondary. It’s going to be really important they grow up fast. They are going to go against a really high tempo offense in Clemson to start. Our job is to prepare them. Get to go against a really good offense day in and day out with Carson Beck, so I’m excited about the guys we have in that room.
“They’ll step up to play. We have some experience in the safety position between Dan (Jackson) and Malaki (Starks), but it will be nickel position and the depth at those positions that’s really critical.”
Smith manned the nickel position for Georgia last season, leading the team in tackles and interceptions. Joenel Aguero and Jacorey Thomas are seen as the top two replacements for Smith as fall camp begins next week.
Georgia is a little more set at corner, as Daylen Everette returns. He started 14 games for Georgia a season ago. Julian Humphrey and Daniel Harris also played key roles for Georgia last season. They’re not as inexperienced as either Aguero or Thomas.
Freshman Ellis Robinson was Georgia’s top-ranked defensive signee last season, as he was the No. 1 ranked cornerback in the country. Smart though tabbed a different freshman to make an early impact for the Bulldogs.
“I think KJ Bolden has a chance to really help us out,” Smart said. “He’s athletic, he’s intelligent. He comes from a really good high school program. He got 15 practices in spring, and he approaches every practice like a veteran. So, where he is right now is probably ahead of where Malaki was at that time, and Malaki was able to play as a freshman. So, I’m excited about what KJ is going to do.”
Bolden, like Robinson, was a 5-star signee. Both players went through spring practice and have quickly picked up the defense.
The recent history at safety has shown it’s perhaps an easier position for freshmen to play than cornerback. Tyson Campbell was the last true freshman to start for the Bulldogs, doing so back in 2018. Starks started 14 games as a freshman during the 2022.
He made a leaping interception in Georgia’s first game that season, which was in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That is the site of this year’s game against Clemson.
“If you’re flat-lining, people who are consistently growing are going to pass you at some point, and the goal is not to get passed, just keep growing,” Starks said on the culture at Georgia. “I feel like especially on defense there’s nothing you can’t get better at, nothing you can’t keep growing in, so that’s the goal is just to keep growing day by day.”
Bolden’s path to the field was opened up after the dismissal of David Daniel-Sisavanh. While it may be exciting to some to see Bolden, Daniel-Sisavanh had starting experience for Georgia and was in his fourth season in the program.
Georgia will learn a lot about its defensive backs in the month of August, due to fall camp and the season-opener against Clemson being set for Aug. 31. ABC will broadcast that game, with it being set for Noon ET start.
