I mentioned yesterday that I would be at the Corky Kell-Dave Hunter Classic kickoff luncheon on Monday. It was a great success.
From the perspective of a Georgia fan, there were several things that stood out to me that I want to share with you.
First of all, I think a name UGA fans will soon know a lot more about is Prince Avenue Christian running back Andrew Beard, who is set to enter his junior season with the Wolverines and is already one of the best running backs in the state.
And for those who don’t know, Beard is the nephew of Garrison Hearst, one of the all-time greats from the Bulldogs’ past.
Speaking of Prince Avenue, its game on Wednesday to kick off the event will also be the debut of Jon Richt, the son of former UGA coach Mark Richt, as head coach.
I also saw UGA defensive back commit Jordan Smith from Houston County in person Monday. I came away impressed with his long frame. It’s easy to see why scouts have touted him so much.
All in all, it was a fun day, and a welcome reminder that football is on the way.
Check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
What was the score of Georgia’s only win against Alabama under Kirby Smart?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
One area where Kirby Smart’s young team isn’t afraid
Fire, passion and energy.
Smart keeps repeating that mantra, three words designed to tap into the strength many people consider is one of Georgia’s greatest weaknesses.
That’s Georgia’s youth, which Smart himself has admitted concerns him. There isn’t much experienced depth on his roster, especially compared to Georgia teams of the past.
But Smart has also been able to extract that passion out of his young players, and notably, seems excited about it.
Smart highlighted one area where his young team hasn’t been scared to step up and make each other better throughout the past few months.
“They do push and challenge each other,” Smart said. “That’s what I’ve enjoyed about this team so far, is they’re not afraid to hold each other accountable and get after each other, because they know that they’re stronger together than they are apart.”
Smart has talked about the need to recruit players that are mentally tough, fearless and ready for tough coaching.
“Mindset. It’s the only thing they can work on,” Smart said. “Because they’re going to be overwhelmed by the speed, the tempo of practice. Can I fail, and can I pick up and go again? And it’s been seen over and over again.”
Just in case you don’t already, get to know the name Micah Morris.
If things go the way many people at Georgia think they will, the rest of the SEC will know it by the end of the year.
That’s because Morris will be a surefire starter for the first time in his five-year Georgia career. He’s Georgia’s oldest offensive lineman and is expected to be an anchor at the left guard position all season.
He’s also known for his impressive physical traits. Morris got some national respect this offseason when Bruce Feldman made him the only Bulldog on his annual Freaks List.
“The 6-4, 330-pound redshirt senior is the guy the staff sees as the biggest Freak in the program,” Feldman wrote. “Morris, who started five games last season, has done two reps on the bench of 420 pounds and squatted 505 for a double as well. He also vertical jumped 28 inches and broad jumped 8-6.”
Morris is sure to impress NFL scouts at the combine next March, but right now, he’s all about jumping out on game film and earning a third national championship ring.
“All the hard work that I’ve put in throughout the years, obviously, with the older guys I spoke on previously taking me under their wing,” Morris told reporters last Thursday. “Just putting it all together for one year, one ride, and just trying to lead the young guys.
“Because obviously I’ve been there for a while like you were saying, so I feel like there’s a lot of advice and tips and just tools that I can feed into the younger guys to make it easier on them as well.”
First 2025 Coaches Poll: Where’s Georgia?
Yet another sign of the impending college football season turned up on Monday when the first coaches’ poll was released.
Much like many other polls by various national media outlets, Georgia is near the top, but not at the top.
That would be Texas, if you can believe it, receiving 28 of the 67 first-place votes. Ohio State and Penn State came in second and third, respectively, before Georgia ranked at No. 4.
The Bulldogs got just three first-place votes. Notre Dame filled out the top five with none.
Georgia is the second-highest ranked of nine SEC teams in the top 25. UGA has the chance to improve to 3-0 against Texas in the last two seasons when the Longhorns visit on Nov. 15.
Until then, UGA can keep collecting the bulletin board material as Smart keeps building his team.
“It’s like the puzzle of this team is different than the puzzle of last year,” Smart said. “And being able to decipher the difference in the two teams and maybe what the wants and needs are from me. What does this team need from me? What does this staff need from me? Where can I be at my best for our team? That’s my why”
The entire coaches’ poll rankings can be found in the DawgNation story below.
Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie (left) and Georgia running back Cash Jones celebrate with fans.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Quote of the Day
UGA offensive lineman Micah Morris on why he stayed at Georgia as a backup for years:
“This is my home. This is where I committed to. This is where I wanted to be whenever I was a 17-year-old kid. So at the end of the day, if you started it, you’ve got to finish it. Me personally, I knew that I can develop here, whether it might not be me starting every game, but, like I said, the knowledge that I gained from the older guys at the time whenever I was young.
“Now I’m being able to pay it back to the younger guys now with me being an older guy. This is the school that I love and I’m happiest here, so.”
Picture this: The summer is winding down, the air finally starts to feel like football, and you come to a chilling realization.
You don’t know what’s going on in the SEC right now.
I know … a sobering though, right? You went and got busy this summer. You traveled, made new friends, had some lazy lake days and the “I” in your “BMI” now stands for “Ice Cream.”
And in all the summer festivities, you somehow forgot to stay close to SEC news.
Well, we’ve got a good wrap-up for you. DawgNation’s Mike Griffith gave a short status check for many of Georgia’s SEC opponents this season in his “Around the SEC” story below.
You can find offseason recaps for Texas, Alabama, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee. You can also find Griffith’s preseason SEC rankings for offenses, defenses and head coaches.
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Trivia answer
33-18
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