What was said: Kirby Smart speaks on driving-related arrests, Georgia's spring improvement

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia has wrapped up two weeks of spring drills and it held its first practice of week three on Tuesday. After the workout Kirby Smart and a few Bulldog players spoke to reporters. Below, DawgsHQ gives you everything Smart had to say.

Opening statement…

“Several notes here to talk about. G-Day, 1 o’clock kickoff. Still pushing in that direction as best we can. I wanted to talk about Daniel Calhoun. He’s gonna miss the rest of spring. He’s got a foot injury that he’s dealing with. He was doing a great job competing for one of the starting guard spots. It’s not a major injury — it’s just one that’s gonna cost him the next three weeks to do that. And then we’re hiring two of our assistants, new assistants on offense. Both Phil Rauscher and John Lilly will be helping out Coach Bobo and his staff on the offensive side as well as all of us. They’ll be there to help us. With that, I’ll open it up.”

On last week’s arrests and and the steps Georgia has taken in the last couple months to avoid these kinds of issues…

“Yeah, disappointed, obviously, in those two young men and the decision-making process for each one. Both of them are younger players and have made crucial mistakes. As far as the process we followed, it’s not been several months. It’s been several years in terms of defensive driving courses, having players ride and learning how to drive, just like my two kids did, with a driver’s service. Josh Brooks has done a tremendous job meeting with every player. 

“We’ve had several speakers come in and we continue to educate, and we’re not gonna stop at that. It’s very unfortunate that one of those young men got his driver’s license within one month of that happening, at 18 or 19 years old. It’s amazing how many kids come to school without a driver’s license. It’s no excuse, but one of those things we will continue to educate and discipline our guys to try to correct it.” 

On where Georgia has made the most progress this spring and what he’s still looking for…

“Most progress, we’ve practiced better since the last time I saw you guys. I think that I’ve had three practices since then. We had a Thursday, a Saturday, and a Tuesday. I think it was actually much better last Thursday in terms of throwing and catching. The offense jumped out ahead. Quarterbacks and receivers I thought had a good day. 

“I’d be remiss if I tried to judge it today, but there’s been growth. I mean, we put a big emphasis on running and stopping the run because we feel like we lacked in both those areas last year. So the spring practice has been shifted or adjusted a little bit towards stopping the run and being able to run the ball. I don’t know if we’ve improved on it, but we’ve harped on it.”

On KJ Bolden…

“I think I talked about it last time, but he’s kinda the veteran of the group without — I mean, he hasn’t been here a year. He’s played the most football. He understands. He’s very natural at understanding our defense. So I’m proud of where he is. He has to be careful that he doesn’t become complacent or think that because he might know it the best that he’s where he needs to be. There’s a difference, right? So intrinsically he has to be motivated by trying to be great. And he’s gotta do that every day. He can’t measure himself against what we have right now. 

We’re behind at that position. Like, we don’t have Dan and Malaki, which were two really good staples. So I feel like we have five or six safeties, like, in a big group, and right now nobody has jumped out in the lead. A lot of guys new there.”

On Chris Cole and Justin Williams…

“Both are going to be good football players. Both very conscientious, hard workers. I’ve started a new ritual of asking a guy in the practice who he thinks the hardest worker is, who works the hardest, who practices the hardest when you watch the tape. Who do you say has that passion and fire that’s sometimes lacking all over college football now? It’s a different climate in college football. So it’s funny because Chris Cole and Justin Williams have both been mentioned multiple times by people as extremely hard work guys, like they work hard. And I appreciate that about them.”

On Gunner, Puglisi, and the state of the Georgia QB competition…

“Yeah, both those guys are doing a great job. I’m really pleased with where both of them are at. Ryan’s taking some reps with the ones. Gunner continues to grow and get better. I think both those guys are doing a great job.” 

On Quintavius Johnson in his second season at Georgia…

“Yeah, it’s like, I mean, I want him to be ahead of where he is and he’s not. And it’s not his fault. Again, he hadn’t been here, he’s been here a year and like what, two months? A year and three months? So when you’re thrust out there into action against experienced tackles, an offense that moves and motions and you have to adjust. I’m proud of Q, I want to be clear on that. But he has to get better to be at the level of, let’s call it like it is, he’s gotta be where Chaz was, or Azeez was, or Nolan was. He’s not there. He has the ability to be there, but he is not there yet. And I like Q because he works really hard. And then we got a bunch of young guys at that position. And Gabe’s out for the spring. So he provides us depth, but he’s not getting work right now.” 

On what Branson and Roderick Robinson have been able to do this spring…

“Not much. I mean, they’re working out kind of separate from us. Both dealing with significant injuries. So they’re not going to be doing much during the spring. So they’re working, they’re over ther doing things, but they’re not with the team. They’re not doing 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 or indy or anything.” 

On Drew Bobo and how unique it is coaching him given the Georgia family ties…

“There’s nothing unique about coaching him. He’s fun to coach. He works really hard. He’s the only player on the team, or at least on the offensive line, that covers down 30 and 40 yards every play. I mean, you can pick out a play in practice, and he’s running to the ball. He covers people up really well. He’s got great quickness. He continues to work on his strength and power. He’s been more consistent with his snaps, and he is bright. He understands what we’re trying to do offensively, and he knows where to point, who to work to as an offensive line. He, Earnest, and Micah are really pushing that group. Monroe’s doing a good job, too. He doesn’t get to go with us, but those three guys are setting kind of the standard for the rest of the O-line.”

Georgia is highlighting high-effort players in practice, was that an off season decision to start that?

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t know that there’s a remedy for getting the middle or bottom of the roster to work like the top. I don’t know that we’ll ever achieve that. I mean, the goal is to improve the roster and get them to move towards that. But some people, they’re just not driven like others, right? I mean, our job is to find the right ones. 

“Somebody said to me the other day, ‘Are you a good motivator? Can you motivate players?’ And I’m like, well, I’d rather get the ones that I don’t have to motivate because they’re self-motivated. That’s the greatest kind of player to coach.

“We’re trying to err on that side more and more, but when you say off-season, I mean, there was one thing that I had to say outside our four DNA traits that we think was missing. I mean, I’m not saying as a whole, we have players that have passion and fire. But I think that’s missing across some of college football. And so, who’s gonna find that the most? Who’s gonna have that the most? So we’re trying to find guys that have passion, fire, and it matters to them. They wanna compete so hard, it matters to them. We’re rewarding that every day with video and showing them.”

On how the younger Georgia running backs other than Nate Frazier are coming along…
“Chauncey and Dwight have been great, bright spots there. In my opinion, they both are getting better, they’re competing.Dwight’s hit some big runs. Chauncey’s made some really good cuts. Nate’s been very consistent. And then Dillon Bell has taken some reps there. We mix Dillon in practice to practice. He works in the slot. He’s tried to develop as a wide receiver and a back. He’s been great and in a good attitude and being committed to “Coach, if it means me playing 10, 15 snaps at back, I wanna do it. If I can develop as a slot, I wanna do it.’ 

So those guys have been good. A couple of young guys, Micah Bell, Dillons brother, doing a good job, in there good reps. Wade Penn has done a good job. They’re doing a nice job. So really proud of the way those guys compete and work and take the reps.”

On potentially handing down an ultimatum regarding Georgia driving issues
“No. I don’t believe in ultimatums when it comes to that. I really don’t think that’s a recipe for the problem. I don’t think that solves anything. We’ll continue to look at each one of these on a case by case basis and there’s things that surround each one of these. The immediate reaction is, how in the world can this happen again? And I get that, but each one on a case by case basis. You have to look at it, at least, that these are your children.

Because that’s the way I look at it. And I look at what I would do with my children. When there’s 18 to 19 to 20 year olds, they make mistakes. And the consequences that come with those are based on a case by case basis. That’s really what these two right now are dealing with.”

On Gunner Stockton being in his fourth spring at Georgia and how advantageous that is…
“Yeah, it helps. I mean, he understands what we’re trying to do. He’s been through it. I mean, I think about if we had all Gunners at every position. They understand the volume of reps, what we’re trying to do.

He knows the offense inside and out. Then I get frustrated and impatient when other guys don’t know it like him and you have to kind of slow yourself down and say, wait a second, this guy’s going through, and I don’t know if this is third or fourth. I don’t know if they’re right, maybe it’s fourth. These other guys, they’re in the second, their first. I mean, it’s just, it’s a youthful team, and it shows itself in a lot of ways.”

On what he’s seen from Justin Williams in his time at Georgia…

“Well, he’s probably one of the most positive people I’ve ever been around. He inspires hustle, effort. I just love the kid’s energy. He’s never down in the dumps. He competes. I think that he is the kind of alpha you need at the inside linebacker position. He’s gotten better, he’s trying to add some weight. He’s still in that, I don’t know, 215, 220 range. I think he wants to be 225, so he’s been fighting that. But man, he competes, and we’re basing our team and our roster and our culture on fire, passion, and energy, and he embodies that. So we want to embrace that with him.”

On what he’s seen from the Georgia wide receivers…

“Day-by-day. There’s days I want to see more toughness. I want to see more run-through tackles, don’t lay on the ground, don’t hold your hands up if the ball’s not in the right spot. Just, body language drives me nuts. But that’s not all of them, and they’re getting better. Day by day, they’re getting better, and there’s a good depth in that group. They’re a little banged up. Landon (Roldan)’s dealing with a little bit of a hamstring injury. I know Tyler (Williams)’s out with an ankle injury. Colbie (Young)’s been dealing with growing, Cole Speer’s been dealing with it.

That’s what it is, you’re on practice seven, a spring practice. You gotta show toughness and grit, and I like that group right now. I really do, I think that group has a chance to be good.”

On Georgia punter Brett Thorson being available for the start of the season… 

“I think so, I honestly don’t. I mean, because he’s not there now in the immediatem I haven’t really looked at it. But that’s a typical nine-month injury, six-month injury, it varies from person to person. So it is considerate that, I mean, it’s significant that he is planting. He goes up on one foot leg, he kicks, and he comes back down. That’s significant, but I feel good about it. 

“I also feel good about Drew (Miller), the guy we got. So I feel confident about both these guys.”

On Peyton Woodring and the kickoff return touchdown Georgia gave up against Notre Dame… 

“No, it was cover. I don’t remember the hang time on that kick, but he consistently does what we want him to do hang time-wise. Probably not as high and as long as (Jake) Camarda, but very consistent with the upper 25% of the SEC. I don’t know that particular kick off hand, whether it hit his average or not. But we had failure there on coverage, we missed a tackle. One of our best players who’s been a starter here, on that unit for three years, we had a chance to get him in. He didn’t, he feels bad about that, I’ve been there before. That goes back to the man in the mirror speech. Only some guys have been in the battle, he’s been in the battle and missed an opportunity. Then we had some guys stop when they thought he was gonna get him, and he kept running. It was just a breakdown. I give them credit, but we didn’t do our job.”

On Ellis Robinson…

“Yeah, he’s playing good, he’s practicing good, he’s competing. He rolls in there, I think he, Daniel (Harris) and Demello (Jones) have all rolled through the ones with pretty significant time. They’re going to get some good wide-outs, they could get matched up against the big guys, you know, Colbie and Noah (Thomas) and even the other wide outs. So I’m pleased.  What I like about Ellis is he competes. He competes for the ball and  it bothers him when people catch the ball on him.”