Kirby Smart gives telling response on Arik Gilbert's limited playing time

Georgia has the most talented tight end room in the country, with Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington being the headliners. However, somebody we have not seen a ton of thus far is Arik Gilbert. While he has appeared in both games, they have been in reserve.

Head coach Kirby Smart spoke on Gilbert’s playing time, saying it’s based on performance. He wants to see the tight end play better in practice and do a better job preparing for games. If Gilbert can do so, he’ll be on the field more often for the Bulldogs.

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“It’s really based on Arik’s performance… It’s all based on how he practices and carries out the game plan,” Smart said.

Despite being named to the preseason John Mackey Award watchlist, Gilbert has not been able to record a stat yet this season. There is clearly something holding the tight end back and Smart was able to shed a little light during Tuesday’s press conference.

A former Five-Star Plus+ prospect, all the potential in the world is there for Gilbert. After not reaching it in LSU, Georgia will still work toward getting it out of him.

Kirby Smart discusses Shane Beamer’s success with South Carolina

SEC play is set to begin on Saturday for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. The annual early season showdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks is set to take place, with Smart going up against a former assistant. Shane Beamer is running the show in Columbia, getting his team off to a 1-1 start.

During his weekly press conference, Smart took some time to praise the work Beamer has done at South Carolina. He complimented the energy the head coach has bought, mainly through hiring a “great staff.” While they might be division rivals, there seems to be nothing but respect from Smart’s end.

“When I hired Shane, I had known him for a very long time,” Smart said. “He was interested in coming and thought it would be a great opportunity to jump into the SEC, be a part of our program. And he did. He’s created a lot of energy through his program through enthusiasm. They have a great staff at South Carolina and just creating an environment of competition through their program to compete at a high level.”

Smart hired Beamer to his original Georgia staff in 2016, where he served as the tight ends and special teams coordinator.