ATHENS – Kirby Smart has a vision of what the Georgia football offense could look like this season, but certain things still need to crystallize when the Bulldogs open fall camp on Monday.
The biggest questions, for starters (quite literally), are what quarterback will be under center and how the offense will explode from there.
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“We are now much closer to being able to have a vision and understanding, “Smart said on Sunday, asking how the Georgia reload is going after UGA lost its starting backfield and lost three offensive linemen from last season’s team to the NFL.
“The key for us: who is the quarterback, who can lead the team, and what gives us the best chance to get the ball to the players in space.”
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The favorites
The top two quarterback candidates entering camp are the two most accomplished, Wake Forest graduate Jamie Newman and USC transfer JT Daniels.
Newman has shown a large arm and brings great mobility to the table.
Daniels was known for accuracy and field vision at USC.
Smart stated that he does not exclude redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, freshman Carson Beck or redshirt junior Stetson Bennett, either.
No one on the team has selected them for the season, Smart said, including those five supporting quarterbacks.
“That room will be very competitive, and we’m excited to see where it goes,” Smart said. ‘Those guys, each of them, have been in a competitive room before.
‘Jamie [Newman] competed at Wake Forest. JT [Daniels] had to compete where he was. Carson [Beck] will be in one of the most competitive rooms he has ever been in. D’Wan [Mathis] was in the room last year. Stetson [Bennett] has been a part of that.
“Competition is part of the process.”
Air attack
New attacking coordinator Todd Monken is known for his “Air Raid” attack, and Smart made it clear that he is still open to doing what it takes to place points on the scoreboard.
When NFL backs D’Andre Swift, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel were in the backfield the past few seasons, football made a lot of sense.
But there’s new offensive talent on the roster, an influx of talent at receiver and veteran Florida State tight end Tre ‘McKitty.
Smart wants to maximize talent and highlight the scoreboard.
“I believe in everything you have to do to win, we want to get the best footballers we can on the field,” said Smart. “We want to be able to score points.”
And with Monken, whose NFL set Tampa Bay offense franchise records in 2018, this crime seems well taken care of.
“He’s very demanding, he has an expectation of what it should look like in his job,” Smart said. “What he likes to do is try to do each individual job better than the next man.”
It’s up to the quarterbacks, young and old, to take to the coaching staff.
“For a quarterback more than anything, you want to be coaches on the right track, and you want to be developed,” Smart said. “Part of the development is taking reps, practicing.”
Newman has recovered from a sprained foot that limited him during the ongoing part of offseason workouts in July.
Daniels stays in a protective knuckle string, keeping himself completely removed from Smart’s definition, even when he takes reps.
Looking good
Smart sounds confident.
“We have not laid a path, we have not put on a helmet,” he said. ‘I’m excited about what the boys are capable of doing and doing.
“I could only see it when you go out on the field and see some good, young, talented players who are capable of picking things up.”
Smart will choose the quarterback who makes the offensive most effective – whatever it takes.
“Those guys will be judged and evaluated every day on how they command the huddle, how they respond to an interjection, what they do when they create a bust,” Smart said. “Do they make the right checks? Do they make the right decisions? Can they use their feet to extend plays?
“All of those things will be used to judge and make the best decision for whoever gives us the best chance of winning.”
Each of the quarterbacks will have a chance to display attributes in the coming weeks.
“It will be important that we figure out what each of those individual strengths and weaknesses are,” Smart said. “And what we can improve over the next four or five weeks to find out who the best man for the job is.”
Georgia, by SEC guidelines, in any case cannot put on full pads until its fifth team practice.
The Bulldogs have 40 days to get into 25 practices leading up to the opening game on Sept. 26.
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The SEC Network will open Monday at 3 a.m. Monday from the opening opponent of each team at the Paul Finebaum Show, with the full schedule released at 7 a.m. on the SEC Now show also on the SEC Network.
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