ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart did not say if Georgia wide receiver Adonai Mitchell practice on Tuesday when asked. Instead, the Georgia coach said the Bulldogs remain hopeful to have their best outside receiver available on Saturday against South Carolina.

“Again, we are hopeful that AD is able to go,” Smart said. “Hopeful in that he can recover to the point where he can help us.”

Mitchell left Saturday’s game against Samford after the first play due to a left ankle injury. Mitchell did not practice on Monday as Smart had previously told reporters.

Without Mitchell, Georgia elected to spread the ball around to its pass catchers. Against Samford, 15 different Bulldogs came down with a reception.

On the depth chart, Jackson Meeks and Dillon Bell would see an uptick in snaps in the event Mitchell is unable to play. Bell played 42 snaps on Saturday, second only to Ladd McConkey among wide receivers.

After South Carolina, where Georgia is a 24.5-point favorite, the Bulldogs take on Kent State and then travel to Missouri. The Bulldogs will be big favorites in all three games and do not need to rush Mitchell back before he is ready.

Freshman Daylen Everette continues to do ‘good job’

With Nyland Green dealing with a hamstring injury, Daylen Everette has been thrust into an even bigger role for the Bulldogs.

Of the three cornerbacks Georgia signed in the 2022 recruiting cycle, Everette is a leg up on where Julian Humphrey and Jaheim Singletary are at this point. That was on display on Saturday, when Everette got onto the field in the second quarter of the game. He has three tackles through his first two collegiate games.

Georgia likes what it has in Everette. It just needs to get him some more seasoning, especially in the event one of Kamari Lassiter or Kelee Ringo pick up an injury.

“Daylen has done a good job. He needs to play,” Smart said. “He is a talented young man. He’s a really good corner because he’s physical and a great tackler. He really just needs experience. He hasn’t gotten much.”

Everette was originally committed to Clemson before flipping to Georgia last December. One of the big reasons Everette has gotten a leg up on playing time — in addition to being an early enrollee — is his constantly praised work ethic.

Everette spent the last two seasons at IMG Academy, one of the top high school programs in the country. His time there no doubt helped him ready for the rigors of playing at Georgia.

“Smart player, great player. Young and full of energy,” Javon Bullard said of Everette. “He comes and works day-in, day-out. He’s got one of the better work ethics. I’m excited for his future.”

Kirby Smart offers thoughts on South Carolina

It seems eons ago at this point, but there was a time when Smart was a very real candidate for the South Carolina job. Steve Spurrier’s abrupt retirement in 2015 left the Gamecocks with an opening, and the reports at the time indicated that Smart was their top target.

Spurrier’s retirement was before the 2015 Georgia football season spiraled out of control and led to the parting of ways with Mark Richt.

While Smart is Georgia through and through, he does recognize the culture that has been built at South Carolina.

“They fit the SEC culture in terms of their fanbase and their commitment to a facility and winning environment,” Smart said. “Their culture to the eastern seaboard and some of the DC area have got them a lot of players from that area because they’re the closest school by car to get there. Shane [Beamer] has done a good job there, and they will probably continue to do a good job because they recruit well.”

Related: South Carolina coach Shane Beamer: ‘Kirby Smart made me a better football coach’

That culture figures to be on full display on Saturday, as Georgia enters its first hostile environment of the 2022 season. This will also be the first time Georgia sees Williams-Brice Stadium rocking in quite some time, given the last time Georgia went to Columbia, S.C., it was during the 2020 season. Attendance was limited due to COVID-19 and the Gamecocks had just fired Will Muschamp in the midst of a 2-8 season

Sandstorm figures to be on full blast on Saturday, with South Carolina’s passionate fan base looking to make an impact on the game. To prepare for it, Georgia coaches have made things very difficult on players in practice this week.

“The crowd noise, they turn it way up,” linebacker Jamon dumas-Johnson said. “They blast it in the indoor (facility) so we can’t even hear ourselves talk.”

Georgia takes on South Carolina at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday. ESPN will broadcast the game.

Kirby Smart ‘hopeful’ about Adonai Mitchell, says freshman Daylen Everette ‘needs to play’

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