NASHVILLE — When addressing the media on Monday, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz ran through just about the entire roster as he previewed Missouri’s team for the upcoming season.

But he also spent a bit of time talking about one player who won’t suit up for Missouri this fall. That would be Dominic Lovett, who transferred from Missouri to Georgia this offseason.

Lovett was Missouri’s leading receiver and an All-SEC player in 2022. While Drinkwitz is excited about the direction of his team, there’s no doubt he probably wishes Lovett was still on it.

“Yeah, there’s no replacing Dominic Lovett,” Drinkwitz said. “Dominic Lovett is his own player and has his own unique characteristics and competitive spirit, and wish him the best in his new opportunity.”

Lovett was one of three transfers Georgia added from the transfer portal this offseason that will be on scholarship this fall. Smoke Bouie, of Texas A&M, and Rara Thomas, from Mississippi State, also came from SEC backgrounds. But neither impressed as much as Lovett did this spring.

There’s still plenty of time before Georgia takes the field for its first game but it’s clear Lovett has quickly fit in with Georgia’s culture. He’s best positioned to make an early impact for the Bulldogs.

“He’s going to push you,” Missouri defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine said. “He’s a great athlete himself. Going against somebody that is already good is going to make him better.”

Lovett caught 56 passes for 846 receiving yards for Missouri last season. One of his better games came against Georgia when he caught six passes for 84 yards for Missouri.

The Tigers came closer to beating Georgia than any SEC team last season, as Missouri held a double-digit lead on the Bulldogs in the second half before falling 26-22.

“You know, last year, close doesn’t count, so I don’t really care about how close we played this team or that team,” Drinkwitz said when asked about the Georgia game. “That has nothing to do with what we’re trying to accomplish this year. What matters to us is the details and execution to finish on the right side of the game, and so the only thing I learned about our team is that we’re resilient in the face of adversity.”

Abrams-Draine is excited to face off against Lovett when Missouri visits Georgia on Nov. 4. The two squared off in practice often but the Missouri defensive back recognized how different things will be facing off as opponents.

As for why he’s confident Lovett will succeed in Georgia’s ultra-competitive environment, Abrams-Draine knows what Lovett is like as a person.

He’s confident the Georgia wide receiver is committed to doing all the right things to help his new team. He’ll team with Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers to form one of the more potent pass-catching trios in the SEC.

The Bulldogs will have a new quarterback and offensive coordinator entering the 2023 season. Having someone like Lovett will make things easier for Mike Bobo and whoever ends up starting for Georgia during the 2023 season.

“He works hard,” Abrams Draine said of Lovett. “Not everyone shows what they do in the offseason, but he works hard. He’s dedicated and he’s committed to being great.”