ATHENS — Kirby Smart has a physical Georgia football team that sounds ready to handle the opening game moments, but the head coach made it clear there’s much, much more to work on.

Smart, the Bulldogs’ ninth-year head coach, knows building depth and shoring up team weaknesses are critical elements to building another national championship team.

“We’ve got good mental toughness, (and) we’re in a good spot in terms of physicality,” Smart said at this Tuesday press conference. “They’ve grinded, but we’re not where we need to be by any means.”

Georgia opens the season at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 against Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Smart sounded confident in his UGA team, acknowledging progress is being made.

“Scrimmage One to Scrimmage Two, progress was good,” Smart said. “I saw things I needed to see in terms of tackling, and playing better without the coaches on the field — all the things you look for in young players to see them grow.

“There’s a small body of guys that have played a lot of football here that I know can go out there and execute, (and) then there’s a larger body of new players that have to prove that, and I thought we had more guys execute without the coaches on the field Saturday and push through the heat.”

And yet, there are still plenty of boxes left to be checked, some more controllable than others.

Here are some key takeaways from Smart’s Tuesday press conference:

Star attraction

Tykee Smith, in hindsight, was perhaps one of the most underrated defenders in the nation and left big shoes to fill for sophomore Joenel Aguero.

Smart expressed confidence in Aguero, who he said is processing information faster this season but is still making strides on communicating calls and adjustments better.

Emerging tackle

Sub-elite play at defensive tackle was an issue in 2023, and with projected starter Warren Brinson limited of late and former 5-star DT Jordan Hall out indefinitely, the emergence of Christen Miller at the position is key.

Smart said he wouldn’t say any young players have “flashed,” clearly unsatisfied, but he noted Miller’s progress and the importance of his availability.

“I think he is an every-down player in that room, (and) I think he’s shown that even last year,” Smart said. “We had the luxury of some depth, so we didn’t have to play him every down. We got to rotate him and play him, but he’s been much more dependable, reliable.

“Available might be the best word because he’s been doing a good job of staying healthy and working.”

Depth at receiver

Smart has been harping on Beck establishing a better rapport with non-starting receivers, well-aware attrition will take its toll and depth could prove pivotal as it did last season when Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey limped into the SEC title game.

The head coach made it clear just how much of a priority that really is, asking rhetorically, “Is chemistry with your number ones more important than developing your number twos? …. At the expense of chemistry, we want to have depth, and we’ve done a really good job pushing the envelope with London (Humphreys), Michael Jackson, Sacovie White, Nitro Tuggle, Jaden Reddell (and) Colton Heinrich, making sure they’re on the same page as Carson.

“Sometimes when you do that, (develop the twos,) you might lose a little continuity or rhythm because you don’t have your top guys in there.”

Run it back

Smart said explosive sophomore Anthony Evans has “done a good job” in the return game, but he added there are several other candidates to contribute in a return game that has been less than spectacular of late.

“Sacovie (White) continues to get better, (USC transfer) Michael Jackson has done it, Malaki (Starks) has done it through high school, (Trevor) Etienne does it in terms of kickoffs (and there’s) Dillon Bell, Cole Spear, Cash (Jones) … Nate Frazier. We’ve got a lot of guys back there that catch kicks and punts.”

For kicks

Smart says sophomore Peyton Woodring has been “great” on his placekicking, adding that he appreciates not having the stress of having a kicker competition leading up to the opener.

Key injuries

Tailback Roderick Robinson (turf toe), receiver Colbie Young (hamstring), linebacker Smael Mondon (foot) and defensive tackles Warren Brinson (Achilles) and Xzavier McCleod (abdominal strain) are notable contributors who are banged up.

RELATED: Connor Riley provides thorough injury update from Kirby press conference

Robinson’s injury is the most notable for the opener, as there’s a possibility Trevor Etienne will be suspended for the opener on account of an offseason traffic incident while Branson Robinson continues his comeback from last fall’s significant knee injury.

Brinson, the projected starter beside Nazir Stackhouse on the interior defensive line, is expected to be ready to play in the opener, but his burst off the snap will be worth keeping an eye on.

Young, a 6-foot-3 transfer from Miami, could be missed — particularly in the Red Zone — in a reloaded receiving corps where Carson Beck will be looking for new targets.