ATHENS — Normally, Daylen Everette being limited with a hernia injury would cause some worry.
Given this is spring practice though, Georgia can afford to take things slowly with the senior cornerback. Everett has become a veteran and leader on Georgia’s defense, where he is one of only three players who are entering their fourth season on the Georgia defense.
“It’s kind of weird because I don’t feel like I’m old, but on the field, I’m old,” Everette said. “I’m one of the oldest in the room, but just trying to take that on and try to be a leader for the young guys that’s coming in and try to point them in the right direction.”
Everette’s injury also gives Georgia a chance to take a longer look at its younger cornerbacks. That battle for playing time opposite Everette should be as strong as any on the Georgia roster.
Daniel Harris returns after passing Julian Humphrey on the depth chart at the end of the 2024 season.
He’s far from entrenched as a starter. Especially with Demello Jones and Ellis Robinson just behind him on the depth chart.
“Yeah, it’s good and bad, right,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said on the cornerback competition. “It’s flashes. I just wanna see fire and compete out of everybody. So it’s like I can’t label that position as the one, but there’s days that you have flashes. Competitive toughness is so hard to find nowadays because kids like to take the easy way out, and it’s not easy here.”
Everette has made it a point to try to impart the importance of competition on those less experienced cornerbacks.
When Everette arrived at Georgia as a member of the 2022 signing class, he was one of four cornerback signees. All were top-150 ranked prospects for that cycle.
Yet Everette is the only member of that pack still in Athens. Humphrey transferred to Texas A&M, while Jaheim Singletary is now at Arkansas. Marcus Washington Jr. ended up at Syracuse after spending one season at Louisville.
“Learning the position that we play, you have to be a competitor, you have to compete, but also at the same time, you can’t let something like, you can’t let the last play affect you,” Everette said. “Even good or bad, you always got to keep going to the next play. Just helping them understand that.”
There has been plenty of intrigue at the safety and star position, given that Georgia brought in three transfers to help in that regard.
At cornerback, Georgia is leaning on the talent it has recruited and accumulated over the years.
Everette’s injury allows Georgia to have a long look at what each of its cornerbacks can do with extended reps.
“Between Daniel, Demello, Ondre (Evans), Dom (Kelly), Jontae (Gilbert), Ellis, they all are out there competing, I’m proud of them all,” Smart said. “And Daylen’s doing a nice job teaching those guys and setting an example. He’s doing more than you probably realize. He goes to (individual drills) and does work and moves around and continues to improve his own skill set.”
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