kirby smart quarterbacks injury updates michigan

The first question of Monday’s press conference for Georgia coach Kirby Smart was about the quarterback position. Smart was asked directly if quarterback JT Daniels was getting any work with the first team.

Smart side-stepped the question and instead of speaking directly about Daniels, the Georgia coach shared his thoughts on the quarterback room as a whole.

“We don’t disclose that information, we just talk about who is doing their job and all four of those guys have been doing a tremendous job,” Smart said. “Brock (Vandagriff) has been doing a tremendous job giving us a good picture on the scout team end. Stetson (Bennett) and JT and really doing a good job simulating the offense that Coach (Todd) Monken wants to do. Like I talk about all the time, we’re going to play the guy who gives us the best chance to win.”

Bennett started the last nine games for the Bulldogs, the most recent of which was a 41-24 loss to Alabama. Bennett threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns in the game. He was also intercepted twice, one of which was returned for a touchdown. It marked the second-straight year that Georgia lost 41-24 to Alabama with Bennett at quarterback.

Daniels started three games this season, including the season-opening win against Clemson. He began the year as the unquestioned starter for the Bulldogs but injuries to both his lat and oblique have limited his availability this season.

He returned to the field against Missouri, but Daniels has not started a game since Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 25.

Smart was asked about Daniels a second time in his press conference, as Smart proceeded to discuss his confidence level in Daniels in the event that he is thrust into the game against Michigan.

“JT’s done a tremendous job in all our practices, and all our work or being able to be effective, and understand what we have to do offensively, and of making decisions,” Smart said. “We get to see him go, sometimes against the two defense, sometimes against the one defense, depending on what we’re working on. And he’s done a good job of doing that.”

Despite the loss to Alabama and the never-ending questions around the quarterback position, the Bulldogs still made the College Football Playoff and will take on the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 31 in Miami.

Whether Smart ultimately makes a quarterback change won’t be announced at a press conference. As he said on Monday, he’s going to play the quarterback that gives Georgia the best chance to win. Against Alabama, that was Bennett with Daniels not seeing the field at all.

Smart also provided updates on the Georgia injury situation. The coach did reveal that wide receiver Ladd McConkey has missed some practice time. Georgia expects him to be back for the game against Michigan, but McConkey was in a boot last week with a lower-body injury.

McConkey caught 28 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns for the Bulldogs this season. Those are all the most on the team by a wide receiver. McConkey is one of just three wide receivers to play in every game this season for the Bulldogs, with freshman Adonai Mitchell and former walk-on Jaylen Johnson being the other.

Smart did provide an update on George Pickens as well, as he aims to see an increased snap count in the College Football Playoff. Pickens, who tore his ACL in March, played just 12 snaps in the loss against the Crimson Tide.

“He is still not 100 percent. George is working really hard but we see him every day,” Smart said. “Getting to see him every day, he is working back to get that way but he is not there. But nobody is. There is no person on Earth that comes back from an ACL and is back out there and running the same speed, confidence and breaks that you would usually have.”

Smart stressed that it is going to take time for Pickens to nail down some of the finer points of the Georgia offense as he gets back up to speed.

The Georgia coach also noted that Jamaree Salyer and Chris Smith were back practicing. Salyer continues to deal with a foot injury that forced him to miss the final four games of the regular season before returning against Alabama.

Smith meanwhile missed two games with a knee injury. He was able to play against Alabama but was limited in the week before the game. Smart noted the senior defensive back is still limited in some capacity because of the injury.

Georgia will continue to practice in Athens this week before arriving in Miami on Sunday. The Bulldogs and Wolverines play on Dec. 31, with the game scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start time.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart press conference

More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation