Kirby Smart Press Conference - Start of Fall Camp for Georgia Football
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00:00 I'd start with the release that was distributed yesterday, I guess.
00:03 They're they're sending that out again to you guys about the improvement
00:07 to the Sanford Stadium.
00:10 We're certainly proud of those.
00:11 We were we value fan experience.
00:13 Josh Brooks and myself both do.
00:16 So all the details will be included.
00:18 But we're looking forward to those improvements
00:20 and certainly needed in those areas of the stadium.
00:23 So we're excited about those.
00:24 We're opening camp today and we don't open practice, but
00:29 we are practicing earlier tomorrow, which is not a
00:33 seven, eight year tradition for us.
00:35 We traditionally practice in the afternoon.
00:37 We've got some guys still doing final exams
00:40 and it was going to cost us to miss a few guys.
00:42 So we flip the practice schedule around and going to go a little earlier,
00:46 at least tomorrow, then go back to our normal practice time in the afternoon
00:49 moving forward from that.
00:51 So that probably prompted this meeting to happen today,
00:55 as opposed to tomorrow with us going earlier with the first practice.
00:59 But I'm excited to get the guys out there.
01:00 They've had a great summer workout session.
01:03 You usually measure summer success by where you are injury wise
01:07 in terms of soft tissue injuries, trying to avoid those.
01:11 But you're also trying to be in shape.
01:13 So the only way to get in shape is run and run in the heat.
01:16 So I felt like up until maybe the July 4th break,
01:20 we had not had the heat exposure we needed.
01:22 We had not been outside and conditioning in the heat.
01:26 And then as soon as I said that, it flipped really quick and it got really hot.
01:30 And from our July 4th break on,
01:32 our guys have trained really hard in the heat, had a lot of acclimation.
01:37 We don't do quote unquote testing anymore where you come in and have to run a test.
01:42 But I feel really good about where our guys are from a conditioning level.
01:45 The biggest focus for us in training camp is physical and mental toughness.
01:50 That's why we do training camp.
01:52 We try to expose our guys to a lot of skiing.
01:55 We try to expose our guys to getting to know each other,
01:58 moving into one central location and really focusing just on ourselves.
02:04 I think the difference in the two teams from the last two years
02:09 is they connected well in training camp.
02:11 That'll be a goal in this training camp to see how well we connect
02:15 and how well we compete.
02:16 We got a lot of jobs that are going to be up for grabs and up for competition.
02:20 And I'm very eager to see our guys compete for those spots.
02:25 So with that, I'll open it up.
02:27 OK, raise your hand.
02:29 We'll get one of the remote mics for you.
02:30 Kirby, when you look at quarterbacks specifically,
02:39 what do you want to see from all three of those guys through this fall camp,
02:43 the things you're looking for from the quarterbacks?
02:45 I want to see them be where their feet are.
02:46 You know, I just got through talking to the team 10 minutes ago and just said,
02:50 you know, I had three or four older players, fifth year and fourth year players
02:53 tell the younger players what the expectation for training camp is.
02:58 And that's exactly what I think about when I think about quarterbacks,
03:01 you know, to worry about today's walkthrough, today's recovery period,
03:05 today's meetings, whatever we're allowed to have.
03:10 We're going to have the day.
03:11 And only thing you should worry about is that.
03:13 Then tonight you can start worrying about tomorrow.
03:15 But for those quarterbacks, you know, it's it's not to overwhelm
03:19 themselves with the results, to overwhelm themselves
03:22 with the process of getting better.
03:24 They're going to get a lot of reps in the next 25 practices.
03:27 They're going to get a chance to compete in the next 25 practices.
03:30 So each one of them has individual things they need to work on.
03:33 But for the whole, I want to see them, you know, manage the offense,
03:36 understand the offense, get people lined up and execute.
03:40 And the guy that does that best in critical situations
03:44 will be the guy that becomes a quarterback.
03:47 Yeah, Kirby, with the secondary one, how is the process going of
03:51 replacing a leadership left by guys like Chris and Keely and two
03:54 with a guy like Javon, how do you evaluate,
03:56 you know what he could bring to the defense at star versus what he could bring
03:59 at safety when you're evaluating, you know, where to play him out on Saturdays?
04:02 Yeah, the leadership, we have really good leadership in our secondary.
04:05 I think Coach Muschamp, Coach Fran, do a great job of developing leadership.
04:09 Probably one of our strongest leadership positions between Bullard,
04:13 Taiki, Kamari, Malachi, I mean, it's just Dan Jackson.
04:17 The names go on and on in terms of good leaders in those rooms.
04:21 The second part of your question, as far as Bullard,
04:24 you know, you don't always weigh it based on what's what's
04:28 what's Bullard's best position for the team.
04:30 It's who can play the positions around him.
04:34 So, you know, we're weighing that option.
04:36 We feel like he's a very experienced star.
04:39 He spent majority of his development as a football player at star since being here.
04:44 So we have really tried to push the safety issue in order to create more depth there
04:50 and then figure out who's the best around him.
04:52 I think Javon's one of our best 11 football players.
04:56 But who is number 10 and 11 and where do they fit?
04:59 And all that should play out in camp.
05:01 Staying on the secondary, Kirby, how do you determine
05:08 when it comes to cross training in the secondary?
05:10 Is it by position?
05:11 These these positions are going to cross trainers by player
05:14 and how is it working out for you?
05:17 I would start with cross training probably is more contingent
05:20 on the age of the player, the experience level of the player.
05:23 We don't like to have an incoming player trying to cross train.
05:26 That's usually not fair to them.
05:29 We have volume in our defense.
05:31 We've proven that you can play as a true freshman
05:33 and be successful in our defense.
05:36 So it's not too much to learn, like some people say,
05:38 and try to use against us in recruiting.
05:40 We had a kid, Malachi Starks, that walked in and played every single game
05:44 at safety from a true freshman perspective.
05:46 But we're not going to ask that guy to cross train.
05:48 So we usually do cross training based on
05:51 the volume they can withstand and how much they can learn.
05:55 And we make those those decisions very, very delicately,
05:59 because there's a lot of guys you'd like to cross train that you can't.
06:02 And you got to pick the right spot.
06:05 And part of being a good coach is is where do you put the players
06:08 and where do you put the people on the seats on the bus?
06:12 Kirby, you mentioned injuries at the very beginning.
06:15 Is there anybody that's going to be on the shelf for you to start preseason camp?
06:18 Who's who's kind of going to be slowed or out to begin camp for you?
06:22 So I think you on a smile and Branson would both be running.
06:31 They're cleared to run land, running and do things,
06:34 but they're not going to be full speed practicing.
06:36 So those would be the smiling.
06:39 And Branson would be the two that are both ahead of the schedule
06:43 that we thought, you know, five, six weeks ago.
06:45 But they're not going to be cleared to just go out there and practice.
06:48 Mikel has been able to do some activity and do some football activity
06:52 and conditioning with us, and he should be should be a lower volume,
06:55 but he should be able to practice some tying room.
06:59 Dawkins is dealing with a little bit of a
07:01 navicular foot issue, but it's not a break or anything right now.
07:07 It's a stress reaction that we've had to hold him out some
07:11 and keep him out of activity some, but he should be cleared soon.
07:14 I don't think there's anybody else.
07:15 We've got a few hamstrings and things like that.
07:18 But the major deal is right now is Ty, Smile and Branson, I think.
07:23 Coach, kind of on that topic, how do you go about preparing your team
07:27 for the physicality required to win in this league while also making sure
07:31 you're healthy and ready to go at the beginning of the season?
07:33 Well, I think that's a goal of training camp to establish physical
07:36 and mental toughness. Well, how do you do that?
07:38 You don't go out and say, oh, God, please don't get hurt.
07:40 Football is a tough, dangerous sport, which we we practice
07:45 as smart as anybody in the country.
07:46 So we feel like we have a method that allows us to be physical and be tough
07:50 and also protect our players.
07:53 We've been very fortunate in terms of training camp in the past.
07:57 And, you know, we're still a month out.
07:59 So we want to we want to get better and we want our players to grow and get better.
08:04 And that you don't get better by not practicing.
08:06 So we're going to be physical.
08:08 We're going to go against each other and we're going to compete.
08:10 Kirby, what kind of leader is Carson?
08:16 Is he more in your face or by example?
08:19 And have you been pleased with what he's shown you from a leadership standpoint?
08:24 Yeah, Carson is a very even keel individual.
08:29 He's been that way since we recruited him all the way back to his 11th grade year.
08:32 He's not a highs and lows. He's not a real emotional guy.
08:35 He's not a real fiery guy.
08:37 He's he's very laid back.
08:41 And he understands his job.
08:44 He's very intelligent.
08:46 But he's you know, every leader has their own way.
08:49 And he certainly commands the room.
08:53 I think the players around him understand how bright he is and they trust him.
08:57 And Carson's had a lot of reps and a lot of work.
09:01 They just hadn't all been game reps.
09:02 So he's had a huge mass of of reps against good defense,
09:08 you know, against really good defense in our so.
09:10 But his his his leadership methods kind of still still being developed.
09:16 It's no different than Gunner and Brock.
09:18 I mean, they each one have different ways about them.
09:22 And that's that's true with the guy that just left to.
09:25 Kirby, you've got a guy, Austin Blass, who's going into year four
09:30 with the program.
09:31 Just what is his progression minute tackle?
09:33 And what kind of players he just on and off the field?
09:36 He's extremely tough.
09:39 He's extremely dedicated.
09:40 He's very prideful in his work.
09:42 He's one of the most versatile linemen we've had.
09:44 You know, he's played center.
09:45 He's played tackle. He can play guard. He's smart.
09:48 He's he he he strains so hard
09:52 that he makes himself relevant in terms of the movement.
09:55 He gets in the run game screen game.
09:58 He can go out on the perimeter and block guys.
10:00 He's a good athlete.
10:01 You know, he's a real good wrestler in high school and just been really pleased
10:05 with how much he's improved to put himself in a in a competition
10:10 to where he can contribute and play.
10:13 Kirby, I think you said in the spring that you weren't sure if you had
10:18 train wreckers and havoc makers and you'd have to see.
10:23 Have you seen anything this summer?
10:24 Anybody have strong summer standout physically guys
10:28 developing in the interior defensive line?
10:29 I don't know that I can measure by anything we see in the summer.
10:34 I mean, summer is built so much around conditioning and lifting weights,
10:38 which are not.
10:38 They're not not pertinent to be in
10:42 train wreckers and havoc makers with football pads on,
10:45 you know, maybe a measure of strength, maybe a measure of stamina,
10:49 but not necessarily
10:52 disruptive nature, you know, so I don't know where we're at in terms of that.
10:57 I certainly concern myself with depth at all positions, but that's a position
11:02 the defensive line.
11:05 So I would say end tackle and nose all in one
11:09 concerns me in terms of depth.
11:11 There's a lot of positions worry me in depth, you know,
11:14 all that's a tackle concerns me at depth.
11:16 We've we've been spoiled at some positions and every year it's different.
11:20 You know, it's a different issue each and every year.
11:23 But that's that's one of the issues we have this year is
11:25 do we have enough players that can play winning football at each position group?
11:29 Kirby, as you guys get going,
11:34 I have a big picture question in terms of the non-conference schedule.
11:37 How do you think it might impact you at the end of the year?
11:40 You know, not having Oklahoma adding a ball state
11:43 when the playoff committee decides that, you know, will one loss
11:46 be put you on a dangerous spot, you think?
11:49 I mean, it's thoughts never even crossed my mind.
11:52 I mean, is there any part of that that I control? No. No.
11:57 So I can't I cannot concern myself with any part of that.
12:02 I mean, all we can do is go out and try to schedule the best we can.
12:06 And when we scheduled the game with Oklahoma, we were trying to do that.
12:10 We're trying to create this this identity.
12:13 We wanted to play our conference schedule.
12:15 We want to play Georgia Tech and we wanted to play others.
12:17 And, you know, we lost out on that because of a realignment.
12:22 I mean, you know, we can't add teams to the conference.
12:24 And that just is what it is.
12:25 So I certainly don't concern myself with the thoughts of
12:28 college football playoff committee because I don't have any control over it.
12:31 Kirby, it's common when you have a successful program
12:35 that you're going to lose assistant coaches.
12:37 Obviously, you lost really good offensive coordinator this this past offseason.
12:41 What did Todd bring to the program and how difficult will it be
12:45 to replace him in your interview?
12:47 Yeah, I think any time you lose a coordinator, you could rank it up there
12:51 with like, OK, is that equal to an assistant coach? Probably not.
12:55 I mean, you would think losing coordinator is greater than others.
12:58 I think retaining the rest of the offensive staff.
13:00 And I think Todd would be the first to tell you, you know, once
13:03 I knew he was leaving and I sat down and had a long meeting with him,
13:06 he he he reemphasized how good this staff was
13:11 at doing their job of presenting him ideas.
13:15 I think a lot of people look at offense coordinators and island.
13:17 And this guy just sits over there and comes up with this stuff himself.
13:21 Well, they have.
13:23 15, 20 meetings a week on Monday, Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday,
13:27 Wednesday, Thursday, where each coach gives a presentation of ideas
13:31 or things they can do offensively, and he gets to sit back and be the.
13:35 Decision maker on what's in and what's not.
13:39 And those ideas really helped him, and he was quick to say,
13:43 coach, you're going to be fine no matter who you put in that position,
13:45 because you're going to oversee it, make sure they do it right as the leader.
13:49 And then they're going to do a good job
13:51 because they have pride in their performance as assistant coaches on offense.
13:54 And then whoever you put in that position is going to have good players
13:57 and be able to be successful.
13:58 So I was very we're very fortunate to have Todd the time he was here,
14:03 the growth he allowed us to make, the confidence he exuded with the players.
14:08 And and he he had a package of offense
14:13 that he felt confident in that fit the players that he was given.
14:17 He made the personnel fit his his scheme.
14:19 And I don't see that.
14:21 I don't see that changing.
14:22 You know, obviously, the quarterback is a major, major part of that.
14:25 And we had really good quarterback play last year.
14:28 So a lot of times your offense is predicated off your quarterback play.
14:32 So how well will our quarterback play?
14:35 And that's the question.
14:37 Kirby, each year you will host some coaches from other programs,
14:43 you send some of your guys or yourself will go to other programs.
14:45 Can you tell us maybe some of the teams you hosted,
14:47 some of the programs you hosted
14:48 and some of the places you guys went and collaborated with?
14:50 Yeah, since the covid year, we've we've kind of quit doing it
14:54 because we found that it's a lot easier to do through zoom methods.
14:57 So we didn't go out and visit as many of several of our coaches went to pro camps
15:02 or went and met with maybe a D line community or a O line community group.
15:09 And they all kind of share ideas.
15:11 But we didn't, you know, per se have anybody in particular we went and met with.
15:15 But our individual coaches certainly studied teams that had the most turnovers,
15:19 teams that did the best in the red area, teams that that did something well.
15:22 We try to pick their brain on how they did it without getting into any specific schools.
15:26 It's not much of an off season now, but high school coaches
15:32 and those teams got started practice this week, we talked to those coaches
15:34 and they say they're so excited the night before they can barely sleep
15:37 and first day feels like Christmas Day.
15:40 Things get official.
15:40 Do you still get those emotions feel that way?
15:43 I get excited. Yeah, not so much for today, but for tomorrow I do.
15:47 I think tomorrow being the first day we go out and practice.
15:50 But the NCAA has allowed you to do so much more in the summer.
15:55 Just telling our players is so different.
15:56 You know, we didn't we didn't see our coaches when we were here in the summer.
16:00 We had testing when we got back.
16:02 It was the first day that freshmen reported was today.
16:05 Now we had 19 kids here in the spring.
16:08 We had, I don't know, four or five show up summer, but they've even done workouts.
16:12 It's not like the buildup of a NFL training camp where you haven't seen guys
16:17 like we've seen our guys.
16:19 They're here. They work out every day.
16:21 So it's very important to separate.
16:23 Summer to training camp, and sometimes as a kid,
16:28 you can't see the separation because it's just constant.
16:32 It's just all in a row.
16:34 So we try to make a clear delineation between this is the end of this.
16:37 This is the start of this.
16:41 Kirby, how have you seen Xavier
16:43 and sorry develop in his time in the program and how important is he
16:46 is one of the older guys and with smile banged up in that linebacker room?
16:49 Yeah, probably the most growth Xavier has had has been in the last
16:54 I don't know, five months, six months.
16:56 I mean, since smiles injury, he has exponentially grown
17:00 in terms of confidence, ability to execute.
17:03 He's been healthy, number one, and he's had a lot of opportunity
17:06 of reps of being out there with the one.
17:08 So, I mean, he's a guy who has really picked it up
17:11 in terms of leadership and growth, and he has a lot of athletic ability.
17:15 Coach, I know last year you moved Jaylen Walker outside back
17:20 and he had some of the injuries kind of crop up, you know, specifically with Nolan.
17:24 How did he kind of do with that moving outside?
17:26 And did you expect him to stay in that position
17:28 or could he also play some inside as well?
17:30 No, he'll start it inside.
17:31 That's his natural position.
17:33 That's what he wants to grow at.
17:34 And he'll be in that competition for guys that get an opportunity to play.
17:38 He has a unique trait of being able to rush the passer well,
17:42 which not all inside linebackers have.
17:44 So he has some outside linebacker characteristics,
17:46 and he helped us a lot last year on third down.
17:48 So because of the injuries we had, we were like, OK, he's got a better chance
17:52 to play in OLB than ILB this year.
17:55 And really entire time he was out in the spring with a shoulder,
17:58 he still was in the ILB room and he'll start in the ILB room.
18:01 But he'll he'll be part of a third down package that allows him to rush the passer.
18:04 It's time for two more questions.
18:06 An outside linebacker, you guys lose Nolan, you lose Robert,
18:08 you're young at that position.
18:10 How do you get the most out of that group this August,
18:13 especially when they can't hit the quarterback in practice?
18:15 Well, I don't think hitting the quarterback makes you better
18:18 outside linebacker, I mean, I think we can determine
18:21 whether they win or lose each rush based on the result without.
18:24 You know, I'd love to be able to practice finishing,
18:26 but we never get to practice that.
18:28 I'm excited to see that group grow.
18:29 We have a lot of young, eager
18:32 guys that need to grow.
18:35 And we've got the oldest vet in the room is Chaz,
18:37 and he sets the tempo and the tone of the room all the time.
18:41 So I'm looking forward to see those guys grow.
18:44 And, you know, we got to find unique ways to use those guys
18:47 because, you know, some of them have really good athletic traits.
18:51 And, you know, we got to have times where we have two and three guys
18:53 on the field at that position.
18:55 Coach, could you assess
18:59 what you're hoping to see from the running back group, specifically De'Jon Edwards?
19:02 I know he carried the ball a ton last year,
19:04 but you mentioned at SEC media days, you really need to see some
19:07 pass catching ability out of that whole group.
19:10 Can you kind of assess that group?
19:11 Yeah, that'll be the challenge.
19:13 I think Andrew coming off the knee is where is he in terms of like
19:16 catching the ball, stamina, burst, acceleration.
19:21 Branson, when can we get him back?
19:23 Obviously, Kendall and De'Jon have the most experience.
19:25 A guy who had a great off season and put up really good numbers
19:29 in the weight room is Cash.
19:30 You know, Cash is maybe our fastest back.
19:34 Pound for pound, he may be the strongest guy on the team.
19:36 And his his unique ability is to catch the ball out of the backfield.
19:41 But De'Jon has got to be a guy that is consistent, stays healthy, durable
19:46 and be kind of the the I mean, he and Kendall both be the leader of that group
19:51 in terms of the way they work, catch the ball out of the backfield.
19:54 I'm just excited to see all those guys work.
19:56 I don't know that we have a, you know, a superstar in the group.
19:59 We've got a group that by committee does a tremendous job
20:02 and they work really hard and they put the they put the team first.
20:05 All those guys play on special teams and they've been a huge help
20:08 for for our special teams units. Thank you.