ATHENS — Kirby Smart might as well set up orange and white barrels behind the Georgia front seven, because the secondary is under construction to an extent like few others.
Five Bulldogs worked out at the UGA Pro Day on Wednesday, leaving third-year safety Lewis Cine as the only returning starter.
To Smart’s credit, he has thrown every available resource into improving the secondary including former South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp.
Muschamp unofficially joined forces with Georgiat during bowl week before he was officially named an “analyst” last month, but the title seems beneath the value he will bring.
Smart said Muschamp will help “coach the coaches,” and with his expertise as a former Georgia defensive back and secondary coach, that means another set of eyes in the area most in need of immediate development.
The Bulldogs opened spring drills on Tuesday with returning players taking repetitions with the ones and the twos, just as Smart had indicated they would.
Junior Ameer Speed, second-year players Kelee Ringo, Jalen Kimber and Daran Branch all looked to make the most of their opportunities, aware that early enrollees Nyland Green and Javon Bullard will push once comfortable with the scheme.
Smart hinted UGA could turn to the NCAA transfer portal or look for talent via graduate transfer in the secondary.
“We want to recruit, develop, and work to get the best football players we possibly can in here,” Smart said. “I don’t think the guys that come out of the portal have issues or problems, that’s just not our normal protocol. It’s not what we want to build our program based around. It’s a need-based deal.
“We have needs- defensive back is a spot that we’re thin at. We think that we have very capable, good young players in the position, but we don’t have a lot of experience.”
Cine said he’s there to play the role of “older brother” to help the young defensive backs around him. The Bulldogs are in a major reload mode with five defensive backs from last season’s team bound for the NFL.
Cine said new UGA secondary coach Jahmile Addae has gotten off to a fast start with the players.
“He knows when to settle down and chill, and he knows when to crank it up,” said Cine, who had the benefit of NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders being on his high school coaching staff.
“Seeing (Addae) today, he cranked it up at a very high level. Celebrating with the guys when we’re making plays, enjoying the process. Most coaches sit back and tell you good job.
“This guy ran from one side of the field to the other side of the field. If that doesn’t get you hyped up, I don’t know what will.”
Great cornerback play is what will get Smart, Muschamp and Addae hyped up, because that could very well be what propels Georgia football to its first national championship season since 1980.
Georgia spring football
Things learned from first practice, with Connor Riley
Monty Rice shares how Kirby Smart leads, UGA improves
Jamaree Salyer shares thoughts on left tackle Amarius Mims
Dell McGee pledges to play the best back, not necessarily most experienced
Georgia football facing more expectations than ever before
Matt Luke explains Georgia O-Line Shuffle ahead
Georgia needs at CB so glaring, ‘everyone’ being considered
The case for Carson Beck as backup quarterback
Georgia QB JT Daniels has ‘gunslinger moxie’
Rising star Lewis Cine leads secondary
