ATHENS, GA — Following the first days of fall camp and a recent scrimmage, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on several key positions, including the progress of freshmen Thomas Blackshear and Rasean Dinkins, and the leadership within the wide receiver room.
Smart spoke highly about the adjustments freshmen Thomas Blackshear and Rasean Dinkins are making. “They worked out hard all summer,” he told the media. “It’s like in the olden days, those guys would have shown up in August. So they show up in the summer, but they’re late. But they show up in the summer, which is not late, because we’re doing more in the summer than we’ve ever done to get these young guys ready.“
Blackshear’s progress, along with an ongoing injury, could limit him during camp as he prepares for the upcoming season. However, Smart applauded the effort from Blackshear and hopes he improves healthwise.
“Thomas has been with a groin injury that’s been nagging, so he’s not able to take his rep load. He’s fighting to stay healthy, and camp’s not a good time to be fighting that fight. He’s flashed and done some things on special teams, and [Rasean] Dinkins is a good football player. He’s young, and he’s still learning, but he’s instinctive, and he understands football.“
The leadership within the Georgia wide receiver room will be imperative this season, according to Smart. The weapons at receiver could take some pressure off quarterback Gunner Stockton.
“London [Humphreys] is one of our leaders. He sets the tone every day for work. [Zachariah] Branch does a great job. He’s a passionate guy; he gives you great energy every day. He goes out and works hard. Dillon [Bell], he’s been around here longer than anybody in terms of work ethic and doing things the right way,” Smart said. “You can’t really look at that group and say, ‘there’s just one leader’, they lead by committee… So, in the scrimmage, some good, some bad, right? We had a couple of explosive plays, a couple of plays I thought the receivers should have made, but I was very pleased with their effort.”
