‘Not where they need to be’: Kirby Smart on Georgia’s freshmen

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has made it clear: the Bulldogs are not meeting the expected standard – particularly the incoming freshmen.

Amid the team looking to claim its third national championship in five seasons, Smart expressed frustration with the team’s early spring performance, singling out players struggling to keep up with Georgia’s notoriously demanding practices.

“We really can’t practice to our standard because they’re all tired … so we got to do a better job of getting them in shape,” Smart said following a March practice. “They are not where they need to be … they have to be willing to receive coaching.”

Georgia once again faces the challenge of integrating new talent into an established, championship-caliber program. The team has seen massive turnover; Smart noted that only 26 players will have completed at least three seasons with the Bulldogs by the start of this season.

“We have the least number of players who have gone through three spring practices since I’ve been here,” Smart said. “So that should tell you something … We have a very young, inexperienced group.”

Despite being highly touted recruits, many of the freshmen have struggled with the physical demands of Georgia’s practices. The Bulldogs’ lack of veterans has left many positions, including key spots in the secondary and on the offensive line, open for competition, but Smart acknowledged the adjustments newcomers must make.

“I’m calling out all the freshmen,” Smart said. “We’re not in shape. There’s not a guy out there, a freshman, that is sustaining his reps and just flourishing. They’re not used to the tempo of practice, nor should they be. There’s not a high school program in the country that can practice like we do.”

While Smart has expressed concern about the team’s overall fitness, he also emphasized the importance of leadership from the few experienced players who remain, such as safety KJ Bolden.

“I prayed for moments like this, to be a leader in one of the rooms at Georgia,” Bolden said. “So just being able to take over that leader role and pushing the guys every day because I know what the standard is here, and I know what the standard [has] got to be. We’re supposed to go all the way.”

The Bulldogs, who signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country for 2025, are not lacking in talent. However, transitioning from high school to one of the nation’s premier programs requires more than potential. Smart made it clear that players will need to earn their spots, regardless of recruiting status.

“We’ve got to probably simplify some to get guys just to go play and not be thinking out there,” Smart said. “I need the older players – I mean old to me is year two, year three, that’s old – to lead year one guys.”

The early struggles have not diminished Smart’s belief in his team’s eventual success. Despite the challenges of integrating new faces, he remains confident the Bulldogs will meet his lofty expectations — though not without some growing pains along the way.

“I think they’ll get there,” Smart said. “I mean, if they won’t, then somebody else will be in their spot.”