Kirby Smart discusses this year's senior class, compares it to a jigsaw puzzle

Georgia will have many players honored on Senior Day this Saturday against Georgia Tech, but only for a few will it definitely be their final home game as a Bulldog. Quarterback Stetson Bennett, defensive back Chris Smith and linebacker Robert Beal will for sure be gone next season, but many Georgia players set to participate in Senior Day festivities have another year of eligibility.

Thanks to the COVID-19 season, that includes players such as kicker Jack Podlesny, linebacker Nolan Smith, running back Kenny McIntosh and many others. Then there are draft eligible juniors such as Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo who will take part in Senior Day.

“It’s really not a class, it’s a jigsaw puzzle,” coach Kirby Smart said in his Monday press conference. “I think we’ve got seven or eight guys that will be repeat walkers. They walked last year and they’re walking this year. Then we’ll probably have the same (next year) because the timetable for decisions and things like that is off in college football. When you look at it, you’ve got a kid who’s gonna go out there and walk for his last home game, but he hasn’t decided if that’s his last home game. But that is what we deal with.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

But even though he isn’t exactly sure who will and won’t be back next season, Kirby Smart is proud of what this senior class has accomplished. They were a part of a national championship last season, and have a chance to win another this year.

They’ll also get a chance to do something last year’s group failed to accomplish: win an SEC Championship Game.

“These guys, just like the group last year, have been really special,” Smart said. “We could have anywhere from 20-25 guys walking out there and to look and see what they’ve done to be the winningest class and go through a COVID year where every game was an SEC game. I find that respectful and amazing because you don’t get the games outside the conference and they were still able to do it.

“A lot of credit goes to the character of that group. It’s not a huge star-studded cast. There won’t be 15 draft picks out there, but there’s some guys that really care about UGA and have sacrificed a lot to this program.”

Georgia is set to kick off its Senior Day against Georgia Tech at noon ET on Saturday in Athens.