ATHENS — The transition from high school to college is always a difficult one, even for five-star athletes. Luckily for Georgia’s early enrollees, they’ve got guys like UGA receiver Terry Godwin to help them transition.

“Before we started practice, I was trying to get the younger guys to learn the playbook; whenever they needed help, they could call me,” Godwin said. “Because I know once practice gets started, it’s going to go fast and their heads are gonna be spinning.

“It’s not slow anymore, so I’ve been trying my best to help them out.”
 
 

 
 
Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be competition. Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was adamant in his Tuesday press conference that every position was up for grabs — from quarterback to defensive back.

The Bulldogs lost a plethora of contributors on both sides of the ball, none more significant than running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Still, Smart persisted that each position was up for grabs, and he wants the 2018 team to find their own identity, rather than try and replace starters like Chubb, Michel and linebacker Roquan Smith.

“We’ve got about four or five spots in the secondary that are wide open,” Smart said. “Why should that be different? We’ve got guards and centers that are all competing, tackles. So none of that ever changes. That’s what this program is built on.”

Added Godwin: “There’s competition everywhere. No one here is safe, you’ve always got to battle everyday to save your spot.”