Because he has to, Georgia’s Kirby Smart demanding a lot of Bulldogs freshmen

“We have the least number of players who have gone through three spring practices since I’ve been here,” Smart said. “So that should tell you something. I asked the guys to stand up who have practiced at least three spring practices, so this obviously would make their fourth. There’s basically nobody standing. We just don’t, we have a very young, inexperienced group. We really can’t practice to our standard because they’re all tired. So like we go to practice, and it’s like great energy, great in shorts. Guys learning what to do and then we start going, and it’s like they can’t go. Tired.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that fewer and fewer members of the Georgia team are making it deep into their careers at UGA.

Some players of the 2022 signing class — those who are entering their fourth year with the program — are off to the NFL. Jalon Walker, Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams all hope to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Those losses are to be expected and something you live with when you churn out elite players.

Then there are the transfers, with players such as Julian Humphrey, Marvin Jones Jr. and Bear Alexander all finishing their careers elsewhere.

Half of Georgia’s 2022 signing class ended up transferring out of the program. The next recruiting class in 2023 has seen 12 of the 26 signees transfer.

Smart’s frustrations won’t be a one-off problem. It’s going to be a recurring issue with how things are in college football these days.

“We’ve got to probably simplify some to get guys just to go play and not be thinking out there,” Smart said. “But a lot of young players, and I need the older players, I mean old to me is year two, year three, that’s old, to lead year-one guys. Because I feel like half the roster is in their first season at Georgia. Not necessarily first season in college, but their first season at Georgia and that’s been tough.”

The lack of veterans creates more opportunities for first-year players. It’s not all that surprising that there has been more positive buzz about this year’s group of freshmen in totality than compared with previous seasons.

Elijah Griffin may be the most hyped freshman to this point, but he’s far from the only one to make a solid first impression.

“You can tell why he was a top-five recruit in his class, and he still has a lot more work to do, but at the end of the day, he’s going to be a good one,” defensive lineman Jordan Hall said of Griffin. “He’s going to be a good one. You can tell he’s a hard worker and (has a) good work ethic. Strong as all get out, you know what I’m saying? He’s an ox, you know what I’m saying? So, he’s a good kid. That takes you a long way.”

Juan Gaston, Bo Walker, Talyn Taylor and Elyiss Williams are among the others who have the potential to push for early playing time.

But with the opportunity comes greater scrutiny from Smart. The Georgia head coach can’t afford to bring players, whose peers are still in high school, along slowly.

“I’m calling out all the freshmen,” Smart said. “We’re not in shape. There’s not a guy out there, a freshman, that is sustaining his reps and just flourishing. They’re not used to the tempo of practice, nor should they be. There’s not a high school program in the country that can practice like we do.”

Georgia signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country for the 2025 cycle. All but three of its signees enrolled early, giving this group of Bulldogs a head start in getting to their fourth spring practice.

Of course, not every 2025 signee will stick with the program for four years. We’ve seen that about half of a signing class will cycle out. Perhaps Georgia can do a better job of retaining talent — it lost 12 players to the transfer portal this offseason compared with 21 in the year before — so that the talent drain is not as consistent.

Georgia always will recruit well under Smart. The Bulldogs have signed a top-four recruiting class in each of Smart’s previous nine full-cycle recruiting classes. There always will be talented freshmen ready to push for early playing time.

But Smart wants that to be earned, rather than given out from necessity. This spring, that idea is coming into conflict. Which is why Smart is pushing his newest litter of Bulldogs to meet Georgia’s sky-high standards.

“Here, you really just gotta hear how they’re saying it to you,” safety KJ Bolden said. “You really can’t, they may be yelling at you and saying how they say it, but you just really gotta hear what he’s saying. They really want you to be the best player you can be. I tell the young guys, don’t take it offensively. They just really want you to be the best you can be. So just be coachable, that’s how you get on the field.”