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After gutting it through another week of practice in the August heat, Georgia is one step closer to its opener against North Carolina.
While some questions are being answered by the players on the field, there is still plenty of work left for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs’ coaching staff to accomplish.
Here are the five takeaways from Georgia’s second week of fall practice:
Inside linebacker depth dealt a major blow
The main news out of Athens last week was the departure of veteran linebacker Tim Kimbrough. Georgia’s top returning tackler had not been running with the first team but offered key depth and invaluable experience at a position that now has three collective starts between the remaining players.
“Based on a mutual decision between Tim (Kimbrough) and I, he will no longer be a part of our football program,” Smart said in a statement released by Georgia on Thursday. “We wish him the best as he continues his education and playing career.”
Although Smart indicated that the decision was mutual, Kimbrough relayed a different message on Twitter.
I didn't want to do it.. Believe me
— Tim Kimbrough Jr. (@TimKTheRace) August 10, 2016
Frustrations over his spot on the depth chart may have been a point of contention for the senior linebacker who finished third on the team last season with 67 total tackles.
For more information on how Kimbrough’s departure affects Georgia heading into the season, click here.
Nick Chubb took an important step in recovery process
During the Bulldogs’ first week of practice, Nick Chubb told reporters that his surgically-repaired knee “felt good” but admitted that he had yet to be taken to the ground.
That changed in Week 2, however, and it’s a good sign for Georgia fans who are hoping to see the star running back play in the Georgia Dome. Speaking after practice Wednesday, Smart said he wasn’t concerned about Chubb’s knee.
“Nick’s been to the ground in several drills we’ve had out there. So that’s not a major concern of mine,” Smart said at his post-practice presser.
At the team’s scrimmage Saturday, Chubb was in a regular jersey – as opposed to a non-contact jersey – and reportedly scored at least one touchdown, shed tacklers and took a few hits without issue. No official stats were given after the scrimmage, but all indications were that he looked good out there.
While Chubb’s status is of major importance to the Georgia faithful, the Bulldogs also need Sony Michel to be ready sooner rather than later. Michel, who broke his forearm late in the summer, is a bit behind Chubb in the recovery process.
“Sony’s big thing right now is conditioning, and rehabbing, and trying to improve his overall ability to sustain through practice,” Smart said.
Michel has been carrying the ball in practice, but it appears the coaching staff is still taking it slow with the junior running back.
Still no answers at quarterback
Smart and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney were hoping to get more clarity on the quarterback competition during Saturday’s scrimmage, but it doesn’t look like that happened.
“I’ll reserve judgment until I watch the tape because each guy that did something good, did something really boneheaded,” Smart said after the scrimmage, according to Online Athens. “So I don’t know if we got anywhere in regards to the quarterback. I want to see the tape.”
All three quarterbacks received first-team snaps, Smart said, and it appears that Jacob Eason, Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey will continue to battle next week. As the season approaches, the coaching staff will have to start making tough decisions.
Georgia has another scrimmage to evaluate the quarterbacks, but for now, it’s still very much a three-man race.
“To say that one guy is going to be ruled out from the scrimmage, I think I know enough where that’s not going to be the case,” Smart said Saturday. “But we are going to have to start getting where guys can get more reps to develop and see where we’re going, but obviously, we’ve got another scrimmage. It’s a fundamental week for us where we’re going to continue to work on fundamentals, not on opponents, to try to get us better.”
Former Alabama DB Maurice Smith joins the Bulldogs
The long process for Maurice Smith is over. After his initial attempts to transfer to Georgia were blocked by Alabama’s coaching staff, the recent graduate’s request was officially cleared by the SEC on Friday.
Saturday’s team scrimmage offered Smith his first chance to practice with the Bulldogs. Donning a No. 2 jersey, Smith worked with the secondary, which finished first nationally in pass defense last season.
Although Georgia has talent and experience on the back end, Smith’s familiarity with Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker should help him compete for playing time. Only starting two games in his time with the Crimson Tide, the senior defensive back was a regular contributor off the bench and has drawn praise for his versatility.
Smith didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage, but he will be a player to monitor as the season nears and gives the Bulldogs yet another veteran defensive back.
O-line still a work in progress
One of Georgia’s more underrated challenges during preseason practice is determining the makeup of the offensive line. Brandon Kublanow, Greg Pyke and Isaiah Wynn are the veterans of the bunch and will start, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
“The good thing is about the O-line is we’ve got three guys who played significant roles last year,” Smart said after practice Wednesday. “So that’s good experience, a good piece to have back. But offensive line every year everywhere I’ve been is a puzzle. You’re trying to piece it together and figure out if you move this part, does it make the whole better?”
Kublanow and Pyke, who play center and right tackle, respectively, are the only two with set positions, however. Wynn has primarily played left guard for the Bulldogs but is operating as a “swing guy,” switching between left guard and left tackle in practice.
Wynn’s ability to play multiple positions allows offensive line coach Sam Pittman time to piece together the rest of the starting line. Sophomore Kendall Baker and senior transfer Tyler Catalina have both been getting reps at left tackle, but last week the 6-foot-6, 314-pound Catalina worked with the third-team unit.
This is a situation we will continue to monitor. Pieces will begin to fall into place as players begin to assert themselves into specific roles. Although Wynn can play different spots on the line, he may settle at one spot if a player claims a full-time job at either left guard or tackle.
For now, it appears the starting line could look something like this:
LT: Isaiah Wynn, Jr. (Kendall Baker, RS So.); LG: Lamont Gaillard, RS So. (Isaiah Wynn, Jr.); C: Brandon Kublanow, Sr.; RG: Dyshon Sims, Jr.; RT: Greg Pyke, RS Sr.
William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.
