ATHENS – “He’s really been a surprise highlight of camp. He’s intentional. He’s smart. He cares about special teams. He learns the first time you tell him. It’s just evidence that if you go get smart students that can run, they can play.”
That was what Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Kamari Lassiter – last year.
For context, Lassiter was not one of the Bulldogs’ early enrollees in the recruiting Class of 2021. The 4-star prospect out of Tuscaloosa (by way of Savannah) showed up last summer, old-school style. Yet when Georgia went to full pads in August of last year, he was the freshman defensive back that stood out the most.
Fast forward to this summer, and it should come as no surprise that Lassiter is a leading candidate to replace Derion Kendrick at the boundary cornerback position. Since spring, he has been mired in an intense competition there, along with Nyland Green and several other young corners.
Judging from practice reports to this point, it sounds as if Lassiter is going to be hard to keep off the field.
“Kamari is fighting his tail off for that spot, and he’s helping us on some special teams, too,” Smart said.
A 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore, Lassiter plans to be ready if his number is called, having learned his best lessons came from playing behind Kendrick and Kelee Ringo last season.
“We have the recipe,” said Lassiter, who appeared in 14 of the Bulldogs’ 15 games last season, primarily in special-teams roles, but also as a late-game substitution. “We know what it takes. When you sit back and watch those guys day-in and day-out, you know how they work, how they carry themselves on and off the field. I’d say that was the biggest lesson I learned.”
While Lassiter is relatively small in stature, he has exceptional speed. An uncanny ability to quickly diagnose plays coupled with the willingness to initiate contact makes him “one of the best tacklers on the team,” according to Smart.
“Both of those kids are smart, savvy, tough, and physical,” Smart said of Lassiter and Green. “I love the way they tackle and play.”
That’s an important component for playing corner on the boundary. But Lassiter is not taking it for granted. The Bulldogs signed six defensive backs in the past recruiting cycle, and all of them are what’s referred to as blue-chippers. Also in the mix are Daylen Everette, Julian Humphrey and Jaheim Singletary.
The preseason competition has been fast and furious.
“I’d say this camp has been good for us as a team and myself,” Lassiter said. “We’ve all been working to get better, trying to get more connected each day and spending a lot of time together in camp. There’s been a lot of great progress to get where we are, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”
With only a week of prep time left before the season opener against No. 11 Oregon, it’s clear that Lassiter will be part of the Bulldogs’ plans.
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