ATHENS — Georgia will have its second scrimmage on Saturday. It’ll be the last big practice of fall camp and double as a serious tune-up for the opener against Clemson.
“Going from last week into this week, we just want to see everybody be freer, be looser, play the game like how they want to play and just be physical and tough and outcompete and out-hustle and be everything that our defense wants to be,” Georgia outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss said.
With that in mind, there will be opportunities for everyone to make a name for themselves and potentially carve out roles for the upcoming season. A number of players have already done so this fall camp, but as head coach Kirby Smart has often said, the scrimmages represent a great opportunity.
Below are five players we think need to have a strong scrimmage, with the season-opener just around the corner. The Bulldogs take on Clemson on Aug. 31, with the game set for a noon ET kick.
Trevor Etienne: The Florida transfer running back has been praised often for how he leads the running back room. But in terms of on-field play, freshman Nate Frazier and redshirt sophomore Branson Robinson have generated more buzz this fall.
Redshirt freshman Roderick Robinson is dealing with a toe injury at the moment, which puts more on the plate of Etienne. A strong scrimmage would only further solidify his status as Georgia’s top running back.
Anthony Evans: Georgia feels good about what it has at the top of its wide receiver depth chart with Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell and Arian Smith. Behind that trio though, Smart has stated a desire to build better depth in the wide receiver room.
“There is not the depth around Carson (Beck) at the skill positions that there have been at the past,” Smart said. “That puts more pressure on him to feel like he’s got to be perfect.”
You could go with any of the three transfer wide receivers that Georgia brought in, but we’re interested in seeing what Evans can do. He seems to have a grip on Georgia’s punt return job and his speed should help Georgia open up the offense in ways they’ve discussed doing so this August.
Christen Miller: Injuries have dominated most of the discussion around this position group in the fall. Warren Brinson is dealing with an Achilles injury, while Jordan Hall is likely to miss time as he deals with stress fractures in both of his legs.
With those two limited, Miller has already seen an increased role in the Georgia defense. If he’s able to take another step and show that he can be a disruptive player in the middle of the Georgia defense, it would go a long way in assuaging some of the concerns about this position group as the season draws near.
Jalon Walker: It wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that Walker is playing well for the Georgia defense. The question, as is always the case, is where is Walker doing most of his damage?
Is it at inside linebacker, where he spends most of his practice time and his NFL future is? Or at outside linebacker, where the Bulldogs aren’t as deep and that was true even before Chambliss picked up a hamstring injury.
So long as Walker continues to practice well, he’ll find himself on the field for Georgia this fall. The Bulldogs are unquestionably a better defense when he’s on the field. The question just becomes how do you get the most out of a player who can do so many things well?
Daniel Harris: Smart made it clear he wants to see his defensive backs make more plays. That’s hard to do against someone like Beck, but the ask is still there.
“We don’t have a lot of proven playmakers,” Smart said. “They have to prove it by how they play. They have to have better eye control, got to tackle much better. We did not tackle very well. We didn’t run to the ball and punch the ball out to the level we need to.”
Harris is battling Julio Humphrey and Ellis Robinson for a starting spot opposite Daylen Everette in the Georgia secondary. Odds are that position battle will continue into the season. But if one of those three were to have a strong scrimmage, it would go a long way in shoring up Georgia’s biggest defensive question mark.