Kirby Smart on young wide receivers: Riding them hard because I have high expectations

Heading into Week 2 versus Samford, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart emphasized the need to develop his young receivers so they can contribute at some point this season. Smart referenced 2022 signees De’Nylon Morrissette, C.J. Smith and Dillon Bell as wideouts that he’s “riding hard” this season.

“They do a little of both (scout and reps),” Smart said. “(Smith and Morrisette) missed all of camp. I’m riding them really hard because I have high expectations for them. They can help us. They each have really good attributes and they both really want to help our team. They’re great young men, do everything right off the field, everything they’re supposed to do and work really hard.

“Dillon has gotten a lot of reps and should be able to help us. He’s probably further along than those two, only because he wasn’t injured. We’re trying to bring (Smith) back slowly because he’s had some knee issues and then De’Nylon’s had a couple of good practices. We need to bring those guys along to get the depth we need to support this offense.”

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Morrissette, Smith and Bell were part of Smart’s No. 3-ranked 2022 signing class. Of the group, Morrissette, out of Snellville, Georgia, was the highest-ranked coming out of high school at No. 203 overall in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus.

Smart concerned with overuse of Ladd McConkey

Receiver Ladd McConkey is a versatile weapon for the Bulldogs on offense and Kirby Smart is well aware. In Georgia’s opening weekend beatdown of Oregon, McConkey was behind only teammate Kenny McIntosh for total offense among the UGA skill players.

McConkey caught five of six targets for 73 yards and a touchdown, plus he notched two carries for 16 yards and another touchdown on an end-around early in the game. He is a true change of pace from the bruising tight ends and running backs on Georgia’s offense, and will be featured heavily in a number of ways. Smart and the staff will reign him in only to keep him from wearing out.

“It helps tremendously,” Smart said of McConkey’s versatility this week. “We have some other guys that can help in a similar way that he does. They just gotta get caught up to speed and get healthy and learn what to do. But he’s certainly a valuable asset. I think the important thing with Ladd is not overuse. He could run himself into the ground because he’ll go as hard as he possibly can, every day. And that’s not a bad thing, but it can be a bad thing. So we just gotta make sure we monitor him.”

On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report.