ATHENS — Kirby Smart has made it clear on Monday that he’s not completely comfortable with the Georgia football team’s depth in a couple position groups.

Smart didn’t come right out and say which groups, but it’s pretty clear: RBs and DTs.

Injuries and a potential suspension has the running back ranks thin against one of the best front sevens in college football.

Smart has yet to announce if Florida transfer Trevor Etienne will play, but he’s indicated power back Roderick Robinson continues to be hampered by a turf toe injury.

The defensive line, meanwhile, will be tested by an offensive line with three returning starters and more than 100 combined starts.

The interior defensive line was a question mark to begin with, and that was before former 5-star Jordan Hall was lost with a leg fracture and projected starter Warren Brinson was slowed earlier in fall camp by an Achilles-related ailment.

So while Georgia looks good on paper as a 13.5-point favorite, Smart realizes the noon kickoff with Clemson could come with challenges.

Here are 3 other key takeaways from Smart’s press conference on Monday:

The Matt Luke factor

Luke, Clemson’s offensive line coach, has been inside the war room in Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall as a member of Smart’s staff as recently as three seasons ago and knows the ins and outs of Smart’s defensive philosophy.

To boot, Smart noted, Luke’s Clemson offensive line has experience and grit, along with a downhill tailback in Phil Mafah.

“Their (offensive line) has got more starts than ours,” Smart said. “They’ll play with toughness, effort. I’m sure he’ll add some wrinkles to their offense, but he’s a really good football coach.”

Carson Beck Confidence

Smart said in the spring it was “time to let the Cat go play” where the gifted Beck was concerned, and he expounded on that on Monday.

“I was pretty comfortable with Carson last year, to be honest with you, because he’s seen a bunch of live bullets in practices,” Smart said of his preseason All-American quarterback. “When you’ve got a guy that’s been in your program as long as he has and done as many drills and pickups and blitzes and third downs.

“I mean, the guy, that was not my biggest concern last year, and it wouldn’t be my biggest concern this year in terms of his ability to execute, to understand what defenses are trying to do. He’s seen most of it. It’s more about can he elevate the people around him in this game?”

Souped-up Mykel Williams

Georgia has a defensive weapon in Mykel Williams, and the Bulldogs can unleash him from virtually any angle on any given player.

Williams, at 6-5, 265 pounds, is what’s known as a “hybrid” player, capable of lining up at defensive end, defensive tackle or outside linebacker — just like he did last season.

“I think that’s more of a souped-up answer that he’s playing a different position,” Smart said, suggesting too much has been made of Williams’ getting more snaps at OLB.

“He’s not really playing a different position. He’s got the versatility to be able to go out and be an outside linebacker because he’s a really good athlete.

“He can cover and play people, but it’s one of the best qualities. The most rewarding quality is rush, and we want him to be able to rush.”

Supporting Dabo

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney beat Nick Saban two out of three times in national championship games, and he did it from a school and conference with far less resources.

But many in the national media — some the same that choose to overlook Smart’s great achievements at Georgia — take aim at Swinney for not getting more transfers on the Tigers’ team.

Smart, while a fierce recruiting and coaching rival of Swinney, supports the Clemson head coach’s philosophy.

“I’m like Dabo,” Smart said. “If I could keep my entire roster, my roster, I’d be all for keeping my roster, my roster because I believe in the kids we sign, I believe in the kids we recruit, and I want to grow them to get better.”

Home field advantage?

Smart is 5-5 in games played in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, winning three of the past four times he’s brought Georgia there, but losing the most recent trip to Alabama (27-24) in the SEC Championship Game.

Still, the UGA ninth-year head coach shrugged off the notion that his program’s familiarity with the facility or its layout provides any sort of advantage.

“Hard to say, that’s about five minutes’ worth of value,” Smart said. “Once the game kicks off, nobody’s thinking about where they are, they’re thinking about the person they’re playing against.”