ATHENS — Georgia football is holding its second spring scrimmage at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, and it’s a safe bet Kirby Smart will be looking for answers.
The Bulldogs lost four of their fop five pass catchers from a season ago, and there’s intense competition going on at several positions.
Georgia will have three remaining spring practice sessions left including the annual G-Day game at 2 p.m. next Saturday.
Here are three of the most pressing questions to be answered
Fourth man in WR rotation?
Between Smart and quarterback Jake Fromm it’s clear that leading returning receiver J.J. Holloman and speedsters Tyler Simmons and Demetris Robertson have had good spring camps.
It would seem Matt Landers is the favorite in the four spot, but Smart has said he wants more consistency out of the lanky sophomore.
Redshirt freshmen Kearis Jackson and Tommy Bush are looking to impress, as is junior Trey Blount, before four new receivers arrive following spring drills.
Recruits Dominick Blaylock, George Pickens and Makiya Tongue will look to make an immediate impact, along with Miami transfer Lawrence Cager.
Linebacker hierarchy
Georgia has recruited the position well, and there are plenty of young stars pushing to replace returning players.
The buzz on 5-star early enrollee freshmen linebackers Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean is strong, to the extent one of the returnees could be out of a spot they were counting on.
Brenton Cox and Robert Beal didn’t help themselves with off-field issues, but as Natrez Patrick has shown, players can recover from off-field incidents and earn starting jobs under Smart.
Senior Tae Crowder looks to anchor the linebacking corps and Monty Rice has a good deal of experience, but new DC Dan Lanning has a priority on playmakers.
Adam Anderson and Quay Walker are returning players that will need to continue to step up for the Bulldogs to be at their best.
Walter Grant, who started at outside linebacker last season, has been taking snaps on offense. That’s an indicator of just how competitive the linebackers room has been.
Offensive philosophy
Smart has a defensive background, and his first three seasons he has mostly been dealing with a relatively inexperienced quarterback under center.
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That changes this season with third-year starter Fromm having a complete understanding of the offense and new coordinator James Coley having a more liberal mindset toward the passing game.
But just how far Smart allows Fromm and Coley to go will be determined by how much trust the offense can earn in scrimmages and practices.
Georgia will always be able to run the football, Smart has made that clear.
But it remains to be seen just how far the Bulldogs run-pass play call could swing to the pass game, particularly with D’Andre Swift, James Cook and Brian Herrien having proven they are effective receivers out of the backfield.
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