Georgia's DB class checks a lot of boxes in the eyes of Kirby Smart
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart saw KJ Bolden do things on Friday nights that he didn’t remember seeing many other prospects do.
Smart recalled back to Bolden’s game back on Oct. 20 where the five-star Georgia signee scored a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown, a kick return touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown.
“I saw KJ play one night, and he had a defensive touchdown, a kickoff return touchdown, a running touchdown, and a receiving touchdown, and I don’t know that I’ve ever, witnessed that and seen something like that in person because he’s a dynamic player,” Smart told reporters at his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday.
That circumstance can be copied and pasted to much of the four-man secondary class.
Swainsboro (Ga.) four-star cornerback Demello Jones played quarterback, wide receiver, safety and cornerback in high school.
Nashville (Tenn.) four-star cornerback Ondre Evans starred as a wide receiver and cornerback.
The exception was five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. Robinson played at IMG Academy. Players are assembled from all over the country and are stars at their respective positions.
The common thread for Smart and the evaluation group at Georgia.
“Oh, it’s fast,” Smart quickly stated of the class.
Smart believes there’s track-competitive speed among the group. That’s something that’s a prerequisite to play in Georgia’s secondary nowadays.
“I mean, they can go out and run a 4×1 team and probably win a national event because they can fly,” Smart said. “They’ve all got good speed. Demello’s a track guy who can run. Ondre Evans can run, Ellis (Robinson) can run, and KJ (Bolden) runs track and can run. They all four have got great speed.”
The Bulldogs’ future secondary also carries size or arm length. That has been a big marker on the Bulldogs’ search for defensive backs.
All four prospects are under 6-foot-2, but they seem much larger.
“They all four have really good length,” Smart said. “I think the wing span on Ellis and those guys are extremely long.”
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Georgia’s DB class built to compete
All four prospects will be in Athens for spring practices. Robinson is already on campus working with the team in for preparations for the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
The group features four players in the top 105 players in the country. Smart expects there will need to be growth but the influx of youth comes in a key time.
Georgia’s current defensive back rotation could be in line to take a hit at some point in the near future.
Nyland Green has already hit the transfer portal and A.J. Harris is expected to join him. Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith haven’t made their intentions clear for next season as of now.
Kamari Lassiter is another player who could find riches in the NFL at some point in the near future.
Georgia could be relying on members of the 2024 class sooner rather than later.
“They’ll have growth to do,” Smart said. “They’ll have to grow up, but we’re in need at that position. We’re under our — what I call our ‘quota.’ We’re under our quota there, and they’re going to get thrust into some opportunities to get to go out there and play and compete. But they all have toughness. They all have speed.”
More so, they fit Georgia’s culture.
“They’re all tremendous character kids,” Smart said. “I mean, like, they’re fun to be around. Demello (Jones) is a fun guy to be around. Those other guys are fun guys to be around.”
