University of Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart and two chosen players will travel to Atlanta July 20, for the 2022 SEC Media Days. The annual media circus will be held at the College Football Hall of Fame.
It is only the second time since 1985 that the four-day event has been held outside the state of Alabama. Players and coaches from all 14 schools will be in attendance.
Smart will be joined by Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, Florida’s Billy Napier and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops to speak during the Wednesday portion of SEC Media Days.
Coming off their first national title in 41 years, the Bulldogs are heavily favored to win the East division next season and make a return trip to the SEC Championship. They are also slated to go back to the College Football Playoff.
Georgia wrapped up its spring practices in April. The Bulldogs have been participating in player-led workouts all summer and are now looking toward fall camp in August.
Smart stated after the annual G-Day game that this year’s team needs to find its “identity” this summer.
“We’re creeping on it,” Smart said back in April. “There was some really good accountability, in terms of holding each other accountable this spring that I was shocked by. I was like, man, there’s going to be a void in leadership, how can we create leadership opportunities, and from day one they were pushing each other, they were cheering each other on the sideline.”
The Bulldogs lost a significant amount of talent—on both offense and defense—to the 2022 NFL Draft. Players like Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Jake Camarda, Zamir White and George Pickens are going to be greatly missed.
UGA does return several key guys, though, including Kearis Jackson, Stetson Bennett, Jack Podlesny, Dan Jackson and Christopher Smith, who all had some type of leadership role last season. Even so, the Bulldogs need a few more players to step up in their shadows.
According to Smart, that is how last season’s team accomplished so much.
“I’m like, man, it’s almost like they wanted to emulate those other guys,” he said. “I’m talking about from a leadership standpoint now. They can’t emulate what some of those guys do on the field. They can emulate the standard, though, and I thought they really did that for 14 of the 15 practices (this spring).”
Smart highlighted that this past spring he saw great team morale.
“Man, I was like, dude, they had a great attitude, they worked really hard today and we made it tough, and they did it,” he said. “We’re going to have to have a little different personality. We’re going to have some grit, some toughness, because it won’t just be talent. We were really talented last year, and not that we’re not talented now, but we’re going to have to win in different ways.”
Speaking of talent on Georgia’s roster, the Bulldogs have recruited at such a high level over the last couple of cycles that they have talent all across the depth chart. There are lots of skilled players at every position.
Georgia’s offense in 2021 got better as the season went on, and that side of the ball is going to be a strong suit again this season. Bennett is going to be the starter come opening day and he will have a lot of offensive weapons at his disposal.
At the running back position, Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards return. Also, three of Georgia’s four top pass catchers from last season: Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey and AD Mitchell, all come back in 2022.
Plus, the additions of tight ends Arik Gilbert and Oscar Delp, accompanied by a stout offensive line, will only make the Bulldogs’ offense flourish next season.
Defensively, Georgia lost a lot of talented linemen and linebackers to the NFL Draft. However, the Bulldogs return a majority of their top pass rushers and defensive backs. Guys such as Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith and Robert Beal, alongside others like Smith, Kelee Ringo and Tykee Smith, are coming back.
Smart said he couldn’t even pinpoint any specific players that stood out to him on G-Day.
“Hard to do that,” Smart said. “We’ve got a lot of good football players here. We’ve got a lot of good football players leaving, too, and got a lot of good players on the field. I was excited about that. Really pleased with some things … and we’ve got a long way to go before we get where we need to go. That’s the objective. I was proud of the competitive nature the guys played with today.”
As far as this summer goes, the seventh-year head coach just wants his players to “get better.”
“I love the camps in the summer,” he said. “I love the opportunity to work out our players. I love the opportunity to see our guys grow. So, I’m looking forward to the progression.”
UGA will open its 2022 schedule Sept. 3, against Oregon on a neutral site at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.