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Kirby Smart reveals his initial thoughts on Javon Bullard during his recruitment

On3 imageby:Andrew Graham•11/08/22•

AndrewEdGraham

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(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Sophomore defensive back Javon Bullard has popped recently for Georgia, stepping up and earning reps in a not entirely settled secondary. For head coach Kirby Smart, it’s really just a continuation of the work Bullard has always put in.

From his recruitment, Bullard showed how committed he was. When Covid hit, he kept on his workouts and sent tape to the Georgia staff. For Smart, that spoke volumes.

“He did a lot of workouts during Covid, sent his tapes, and kept working out more and more, which was indicative of ‘I want to be there. It’s important to me.’ And both parents have military backgrounds. He’s a tough kid,” Smart said. “And we thought he was a good fit for or program and a good football player and he’s been that.

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Bullard was a three-star recruit out of Milledgeville, Georgia, who attended Baldwin High School. He was the No. 45 player in the state of Georgia in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Consensus rankings, and held offers from Tennessee, Auburn and a slew of other schools besides Georgia.

Bullard, all of 5-feet, 11-inches tall and less than 200 pounds, plays aggressively and fearlessly on the backend of the Bulldogs defense. Against Tennessee this past Saturday, Bullard was unleashed and tallied two sacks against the Volunteers.

The Georgia defense was so good it earned the nod from On3’s Mike Huegenin as “player of the week” from the SEC — with a trio, including Bullard, getting some specific hype: “Three guys who do deserve a shoutout: DB Javon Bullard (who plays the Bulldogs’ hybrid “star” position) had seven tackles, two sacks, both in the fourth quarter, and a pass breakup; DT Jalen Carter had four tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and two forced fumbles; and true freshman S Malaki Starks had a team-leading 10 tackles and a pass breakup.”

It’s a breakout performance that was seemingly an eventuality, based on what Bullard showed Smart on tape prior to getting to Athens.

“It was film that showed the toughness. Tackled well. You could tell people who run through tackles, don’t fear contact, he was a fearless player,” Smart said.