Kirby Smart: Georgia's defensive backs have a long ways to go

There’s a lot for Georgia Bulldogs fans to like about their team in the upcoming 2024 college football season. However, at fall camp, head coach Kirby Smart has noticed some things that he doesn’t like in the Bulldogs defensive secondary.

During a recent press conference, the Bulldogs headman discussed the opportunities he’s seen in his secondary and revealed his level of confidence in the unit.

“[They’ve] got a long way to go,” said Smart. “We don’t have a lot of proven playmakers. They have to prove it by how they play. They’ve got to have better eye control; we’ve got to tackle much better. We did not tackle very well, didn’t run to the ball, and punched the ball out at the level we need to. I got a lot of confidence in the players in the secondary. They have to go do it live action [in the] scrimmage this Saturday [and] practices every day to get where we’re gonna be really comfortable with them.”

The Bulldogs’ secondary has the majority of its experience in the safety positions, with redshirt senior Dan Jackson and junior Malachi Starks. Starks has seen ample playing time since his freshman year and was a starter for Georgia’s defense last season. Last year, he played in 14 games, recording 52 total tackles, 31 solo, seven passes defended, and three interceptions.

Jackson has been used sparingly on defense during his Bulldogs tenure. Last year, he played in 11 of Georgia’s 14 games and recorded 20 total tackles, 12 solo, and an interception. This year, he will look to improve on those numbers and attempt to make a name for himself as one of the guys in the secondary.

Outside of Jackson and Starks, Bulldogs junior corner Daylen Everette has a significant amount of in-game experience. In his first two years in Athens, he has played in 28 of Georgia’s 29 games, recording 42 total tackles, 33 solo, and one interception, which came last season during the Bulldogs’ 63-3 dismantling of Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

For the most part, Georgia’s secondary primarily consists of individuals who have been in the program for at least two years. However, the majority of them have not seen a ton of playing time and that lack of experience concerns Smart at the moment. Smart is confident his players have the talent to line up and shut down any passing game in college football.

They just need the experience i.e the reps to prove it.