Georgia football: Christopher Smith is the veteran Dawg

One of the biggest returners coming back to the Georgia football team has to be the veteran defensive back, Christopher Smith.

When he announced that he would return, it was a massive weight off the team’s shoulders because that secondary is the most depleted on the team.

Smith was a massive piece of the puzzle in the 2021 defense and will now need to hold that role for one more season.

Georgia football will be pleased to have its veteran Dawg Christopher Smith back in 2022.

In 2021, Smith started the season scoring the Dawgs’ first pick-six against Clemson, and that play set into motion one of the most memorable years in Georgia history.

As a whole, Smith recorded 35 total tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

He was a strategist and someone the younger players looked up to for guidance. While some of those youngsters are physically more gifted than Smith, he has the experience and confidence to keep his starting job.

Without Smith, Georgia would have one defensive back with significant playing time, maybe two if William Poole chose to come back as well. With both of them returning, it gives this group more experience to help guide the highly-touted youngsters.

That experience will help this group grow throughout the year, and while they may not be as good as they were in 2021, it’ll still be strong. However, if this group grows as we expect, it will be as talented, if not more.

Smith has a great chance in 2022 to increase his draft stock and become another player who gets selected into the NFL. He is a major contributor and part of this team, so Georgia is lucky to have him back to fill his role.

Georgia football needed guys like Smith to return for 2022 to keep leaving their mark on the Dawgs. There is a delicate legacy in place, and the Dawgs needed those guys to come back and teach the program’s future exactly what it takes to be champions.