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Tuesday Post-practice Interviews: Kirby Smart, Lawson Luckie and Chris Cole

On practice this week…

“It’s been good, good temperatures, guys working hard. We’re a little ahead on game plans, we’re going to the game in the week. Get ready to take on the rest of the game plan.”

On the preparedness of the team coming into the first game of the season…

“It’s usually the number of play-ins, what kind of team we got back, what kind of team they got back. Preparation has been the same each year. We don’t change what we do based on who we play. We’re trying to do a good job of preparing just as the team can play do, so we don’t have a real good explanation for that. It’s a lot about the players.”

On Dwight Philips Jr. and his performance coming into this season…

“I think he’s trying to become a complete back, he’s very unique. I think people would think that he is a wide receiver back because of his speed, but that’s not really what he is. He’s one of the best vision backs we have, he runs bigger than his size indicates. He’s explosive in and out of holes, and when you look at backs. One of the first things you look at is how fast can they get in and out of holes, and he’s able to get into holes really fast, this week especially, so he does that well. He’s still developing toughness, ability to pass, protect. He’s becoming better, and he’s got to continue to work on that. He’ll tell you every day, he’s a work in progress, but there’s nobody more fun to work with. He’s very humble, and he’s very fun to be around. He’s gotten a lot better since he got here.”

On the competition seen at the gunner position…

“They have big shoes to fill. Those two guys, [Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith] are in an area where elite gunners, we’ve got it kind of by committee right now, a lot of guys working towards it.

We’ll see who wins the job, Cole Speer has done it a lot, London [Humphreys] has done it a lot. Obviously speed is a factor, but toughness and getting on the line is a key factor. Those two guys that work hard, KJ Bolden has worked hard, and Talyn Taylor has worked hard, and there are four or five guys that can work their course.”

On fast starts…  

“I don’t know how it would be observed for the offense. Why would it not be a kickoff and return team, or a kickoff team, or a defensive unit? I don’t put fast starts on one unit. Every coach in America would love a fast start. It’s the most trivial thing ever said, why would you not like a fast start? So it is a lot more indicative of a team that can start fast and finish strong. I’ve seen teams that started fast and didn’t finish, and I’ve seen teams that did start fast and did finish. So every team gets on a different train, but obviously the goal is to start fast and execute.”

On Chris Cole and what he brings to the linebacker group…

“He works really hard, and he’s got great toughness, and length. He’s got multiple positions. He plays all over the field for us, and he’s just a joy to work with, he’s a note taker, a student of the game. When you talk about successful people, they have pride in their performance. He has a lot of pride in his performance.”

One thing that a new player can do to have a positive impact on the program…

“Their job. We don’t make it much more complicated than that. Do your job, and that’s for freshman or a transfer that comes in. Don’t try to do too much. Do what’s asked of you. Be a positive impact, somebody every day in a positive way. We list the passion, fire, energy traits, and we try to get guys to have that persona.”

On the defense that Tony Gibson runs at Marshall…

“They’re aggressive. They love for us to stop the run, take care of their gaps, run to the ball. They’re just aggressive, whether it’s run that’s aggressive or pass pressure on third down should not wear it down. Zero go out. It’s a track and roll. Levers the ball. That perimeter change, they do it every time.”

On Lawson Luckie as a leader…

“He’s grown in confidence. He’s been around good players. He’s seen guys leave that room. He was that way at Norcross. He was a leader. He’s been a leader in his own home and he’s a great kid, and he’s not afraid to confront demanding guys. He’s not afraid to speak up, so I’m really proud of his growth and who he’s becoming as a man.”

On playing for Coach Jim Donnan and what he learned from him…

“I learned a lot from Coach Don [Jim Donnan] in terms of motivation. No, I didn’t really get to coach for him. I was here one year, I played for him as a player. I always appreciated the way he approached the game with us. Always positive, always upbeat, always believed we were going to win every game. He exuded confidence in the team. His management in the team was really critical. Even at times when the times were tough, he played a great job at that. It was simply wonderful.”

On working under Coach Donnan…

“I don’t know the specifics of how it went down. It was so long ago, it was around this time. The preseason was over in that year, which I don’t know. I got cut around this time and packed all my stuff up and drove back from Indianapolis. I came back to Athens, and didn’t really have a job or a plan. I was going to talk to some people about some finance jobs. He just called me in and said, ‘Look, I’ve got an administrative assistant.’  It’s not even a graduate assistant. Those were all filled, and they were already into the first game. They were in the second game. He said, ‘Look, you can be an administrative assistant, come in and work. We’ll put you to work, find a role for you, and you’ll help recruit.’ I didn’t have much going on, so I drove in and did it for the season. I think it was right until Y2K. It was ‘99 to 2000. I spent a year doing that, and I learned a lot about breaking down tape and just the things you have to do that are not the glorious things to do at coaching.”

On the personality of the team and when that should take shape…

“I would say the day-to-day practice environment, the guys who haven’t played, and maybe guys who have, but haven’t been in leadership roles. You see it in the energy of the day.”

On Malachi Toliver and Josh Horton’s work to overcome injuries…

“Malachi’s working himself back. He’s back to doing individual drills, and running, and moving, and snapping. He’s up in team drills, and he’ll be getting back in those next week. Josh has stayed healthy through camp, which was a big compliment for him. That was a big goal of his, to push through and avoid injuries. He did work really hard. He’s in rotation for the defensive line, really competing, and pumped. He hadn’t shut it down, he hadn’t shied away, and that’s a big point. Availability is one of the best abilities you can have, and he’s done that.”

On Brett Thorson coming back from injury…

“He punted in some punt situations today, so I don’t know yet if he’s going to be clear. He’s going to be clear to kick, but there’s more to it than kicking, just like the way he got injured, right? He has to get clear to that point, I don’t know if we’re to that point yet, but he’s kicking in action now.

On former players, like Chaz Chambliss and Nazir Stackhouse earning spots on NFL rosters…

“I was proud of both of them today. As we were getting ready to go to the field, we saw both of them, they certainly earned it the hard way. I wouldn’t expect anything less out of those two guys because they’re workhorses. They play a lot of football around here. They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed and they’re dependable. I’d love to have them in any organization that I would be in because of their work ethic and what they stand for. I’m glad that they got an opportunity to pronounce themselves to everybody else, because I know what kind of kids those are and how hard they work. There were a lot of kids that played here that also got let go today, that maybe played years ago or have timed out. The message to them is simple, football does not define who you are. I remember being lost in that moment. You got to pick yourself back up, get to work, and decide what you want to do if the football’s over. That’s a critical time in kids’ lives when they have to pick up and move on.”

MBB: Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena will feature Georgia vs. Cincinnati

The Georgia Bulldogs will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 13, the VII Group, which organizes the annual event, announced on Tuesday.

Holiday Hoopsgiving will also feature Auburn versus Chattanooga. Game times and television networks will be announced at a later date. Georgia fans will have a presale opportunity for Hoopsgiving tickets from September 9 to October 9, with tickets going on sale to the public on October 13.

This season will be the sixth annual edition of Holiday Hoopsgiving. Georgia will be participating in its third Hoopsgiving. In 2022, the Bulldogs defeated Notre Dame, 77-62, and last season Georgia topped Grand Canyon, 73-68.

Georgia is 1-2 all-time against Cincinnati. The Bearcats won the initial meeting during the 2011-12 campaign. The teams then split a home-and-home series during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons in Athens and Cincinnati, respectively, with the home team winning each contest.

The Bulldogs are coming off their most successful season in a decade, including their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015. Georgia’s 2025-26 roster is comprised of seven returnees – led by starters Blue Cain and Dylan James – and eight newcomers – three freshmen and five transfers. The Bulldogs are projected as an NCAA Tournament team in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology for ESPN.com, most recently listed as a No. 10 seed.

The Hoopsgiving contest completes the Bulldogs’ regular-season schedule. More than half of Georgia’s games – 16 of 31 – are against teams that earned bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs will open their campaign on Monday, Nov. 3, against Bellarmine, the second half of a doubleheader that also features the Georgia Lady Bulldogs hosting Alabama State.

Season tickets for Georgia’s 18-game home schedule, which features outings against 15 2025 NCAA Tournament participants, are now on sale. For more information on season tickets, please visit this link. 

About Holiday Hoopsgiving

Holiday Hoopsgiving quickly emerged as one of the nation’s premier college basketball events following its inception in 2020. Over the past two seasons, six of the 10 teams that competed in Hoopsgiving went on to earn NCAA Tournament bids. The event benefits Play for Orange, a non-profit initiative dedicated to raising awareness and funding the fight against childhood leukemia. Each year, Hoopsgiving donates to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, supplying essential items and brightening the lives of children and families facing this challenge.

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