Colbie Young continues to impress while he, transfer receivers gain confidence

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia transfer wide receiver Colbie Young continues to impress this spring. Shown in the highlight reel from Saturday’s scrimmage catching a touchdown pass from Carson Beck, it’s a sign of his growing level of comfort in the UGA offense.

“It’s a work in progress. It’s not where it needs to be. I would say that he’s really comfortable with the guys he’s thrown to the most, and we’re trying to force the issue with the guys he hasn’t. Some of their reps come with the ones, some of their reps come with the twos. Right now, it’s not just getting them comfortable with Carson, it’s getting them comfortable with the offense,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about the Bulldogs’ three transfer portal receivers and their comfort level with the returning starting quarterback. “I put them where Rara (Thomas) and Dom (Dominic Lovett) were last year, and Rara and Dom this time last year were probably ahead of where those three guys are in terms of growth and implementation into the offense. They’ve got to continue to grow and get better. As they do that, they’ll get more opportunities with Carson.”

“He’s flashed. He’s had some really, really great, spectacular plays, and then he’s disappeared at times. It’s a learning curve. He doesn’t have confidence and know the offense inside and out completely,” he added on Young specifically. “You judge his skillset on one on ones when he goes against DBs. You don’t really judge his skillset in a scrimmage right now because he’s trying to figure everything out. It’s not from like a freshman standpoint, it’s from a familiarity standpoint. I’m pleased with where he is. He’s really a hard worker. Where he’s shown up is on special teams. He’s shown a commitment to special teams that I didn’t expect to see, which shows me his toughness level and his buy-in.”

The Miami (Fla.) transfer by way of Lackawanna Community College and Binghamton, N.Y. totaled 79 receptions for 930 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 22 games with the Hurricanes over the last two years. He finished third on the team in receptions and yards while being second in touchdown catches in 2023 and arrives in Athens with expectations of stepping in to contribute right away. Georgia loses three of its top five pass catchers and will need new ones to emerge as top targets for Carson Beck.

Dominic Lovett has been in Young’s shoes before. He spent two seasons at Missouri and was an impact player for the Tigers during his time there. Then, he entered the transfer portal and decided to make the move to Georgia ahead of last season, one in which he played in all 14 games and made seven starts for the Bulldogs. Lovett ranked second on the team with 54 grabs, 613 yards and four touchdowns and acts as the team’s top returning receiver. His advice to Young, along with fellow receiver transfers London Humphreys (Vanderbilt) and Michael Jackson III (USC): enjoy the process.

“Honestly, for those three guys, they’re actually coming along great with the playbook, as far as our team runs, physicality and stuff. They’re really bought-in,” Lovett said. “I would just tell them, honestly, enjoy it … Actually enjoy the struggle, the good times, the bad times, which they have. I’ve seen all three of those guys, our whole room actually, grow tremendously. I would just tell them, just enjoy the journey. Keep striving and keep having fun.”

Lovett, who also arrived as a transfer for spring practice, said he spent hours away from the field with Rara Thomas learning the playbook. They would quiz each other with calls and signals in sets of four, and if they got it wrong on where to line up or what to do, the two would start the set over again.

Learning the system took time, but it helped the two of them to contribute right away. A year later, Lovett admits he’s much more comfortable and feels like he’s not having to think as much – rather he can just act on what he knows he’s supposed to do. That’ll come in time for Young and the other transfer receivers, but like Smart said to start the conversation on the trio, it’s still a work in progress.

Georgia is entering its final week of spring practice with sessions on Tuesday and Thursday before wrapping things up on Saturday with the annual G-Day scrimmage where fans will be able to see the team in action, including the transfer receivers. Kickoff time from Sanford Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.