Georgia fans, you’ve made it. The Dawgs take the field in Atlanta in less than a month. With that being said, fall camp is now in full swing.

The media had their first chance to hear remarks from Kirby Smart and a plethera of players on Thursday afternoon. A detailed report is shown below:

Kirby Smart

Head coach Kirby Smart opened his time with the media to speak on the situation regarding RaRa Thomas. He stated that he had the opportunity to meet with Thomas, and Smart wanted him to know that he could no longer be with the team. He then went on to list various injuries the team is dealing with. Nothing seems to be too long-term, but some players will be limited early on. Some big news arose from the injury report though. Runningback Branson Robinson will be able to practice without limitations.

Smart looks forward to learning about the toughness of the team. The Georgia heat is never a joke during the summer months, and he is ready to see how the team deals with the challenges ahead. Expectations remain the same. Kirby Smart’s care for the media’s expectations also remain the same. Smart says neither he nor the team pay attention or talk about it. They worry about, “today’s day.”

Smart emphasized his excitement for the 2024 wide receiver room: “I’m fired up about that group because we got a good group of pass protectors around them, a good quarterback to get them the ball, and a good group of tight ends.” From returning receivers to transfers, there is no arguing that this is what feels like one of the more stacked receiver cores under Kirby Smart.

Defensive line was a position group that struggled last season for the Dawgs. Smart is pleased with where they are as a group since they are dealing with a few minor injuries. He also wants to get the younger guys ready to play as soon as possible. He mentioned that there can never be enough defensive linemen.

Dan Jackson

Dan Jackson returns for another season. The decision was simple for him. “I love this university, and I love this team.” He’s treating this season like another rookie year. There’s always room for improvement. Jackson believes this year is a completely different team, and that the team is focused on this year, not the outcome from last season.

Tate Ratledge

Ratledge is not taking football for granted. He knows how fast it can be taken from him. He looks forward to learning and growing in his maturity. Also, he looks forward to fall camp in general. It’s less about strength and conditioning and more about just football. Ratledge said he focused on eliminating bad habits with his hands this off season. In addition, the offensive line group as a whole has worked on rotations, coverages, and seeing things before they happen.

Arian Smith

With the losses of Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Arian Smith takes on the role of a leader in Georgia’s wide receiver room. He knows what to do, the standard, and how to win. Since he’s returning for his fifth year, he said it really hit him this year. Then, he mentioned that he loves the sport, so he’d do fall camp 100 times if he could. Finally, Smith was asked about receiver coach James Coley. They already had a relationship prior to Coley’s hiring, so when Coley got the job, Smith was on the phone with him within ten minutes.

Daylen Everette

Daylen Everette is now a veteran for the Georgia defensive back room. Entering his third year: “This is a time to lock in and really just prepare for the season.” The biggest thing he learned from last season is to have a next-play mentality. He doesn’t want to get into his head after a play, whether the result of the play is good or bad. As a veteran, Everette also assumes the role of a leader. He wants to point everyone in the right direction.