For 28 members of the 2024 Georgia football team, Tuesday will be their first spring practice with the program.

More than half of Georgia’s 2024 signing class also got a taste of Georgia football practice in December for the team’s game against Florida State. Players such as cornerback Ellis Robinson, tight end Jaden Reddell and quarterback Ryan Puglisi have already made headlines with how they’ve impressed teammates. In total, 22 of Georgia’s 28 signees will be practicing with the team this spring.

“They’re lost, they’re overwhelmed, they’re high character, they’re very intelligent, they’re hard working, they’re out of shape, they’re winded, they’re enamored, but they won’t be in the spring,” Smart said of this group during the early signing period. “So I can’t wait to coach them.”

In total, Georgia will have 22 freshmen on campus this spring. The Bulldogs have always ranked near the top of the country in the number of early enrollees and that is the case once again in 2024.

Then there are the new arrivals via the transfer portal. Georgia brought in seven players via the portal, with tight end Benjamin Yurosek being the only addition who won’t arrive until the summer.

Georgia will have three new wide receivers in Colbie Young, Michael Jackson III and London Humphreys, along with promising running back Trevor Etienne on the offensive side of the ball. Xzavier McCleod was a welcome addition on the defensive side of the ball and Jake Pope figures to compete for playing time at the safety position.

Thanks to the transfer portal programs like Georgia have much more roster turnover. The Bulldogs saw 19 scholarship players leave via the transfer portal, with most of them being players who logged multiple years in the program.

That makes spring practice all the more important for getting players up to speed on the way Georgia operates. Both those who were playing high school football last fall, or in the case of Etienne and Humprheys playing against Georgia.

Some newbies will pick things up quicker than others. Tight end Lawson Luckie and wide receiver Dominic Lovett did so last year, earning rave reviews throughout spring practice. CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson both had positive moments on G-Day. They ultimately ended the year as Georgia’s starters at inside linebacker.

Obviously, wide receiver and running back will be two positions to watch. Not just for the transfers, but what freshmen like Chauncey Bowens, Sacovie White and Nitro Tuggle might be able to offer.

Reddell and 5-star safety KJ Bolden will also draw plenty of attention, given how successful Brock Bowers and Malaki Starks were early in their respective careers.

With Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith all off to the NFL, the defensive backfield will be an area where Smart will be extra eager to see early progress.

“You know, they’ll have growth to do,” Smart said. “They’ll have to grow up, but we’re in need at that position. We’re under our — what I call our ‘quota.’ We’re under our quota there, and they’re going to get thrust into some opportunities to get to go out there and play and compete. But they all have toughness. They all have speed.”

Georgia won’t have its first game until Aug. 31. There’s still plenty of time for players to develop into contributors.

But how quickly these new faces adapt to the intensity of a Georgia football practice will give Smart a much better idea of where things stand with his roster as the 2024 season inches closer.

Georgia football 2024 early enrollees

Georgia football 2024 transfers who will play in spring practice