Every year there are more than a few Bulldogs who shine as true freshmen for Georgia. Sometimes it can be difficult to predict which freshmen will break through, but typically Kirby Smart and his staff have an idea on who will.
Sometimes him and his staff give fans a hint as to who those players could be, and that is exactly what happened with defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick.
"Daylen's (Everette) going to beat me up, but I see him (Justice Fitzpatrick) as Daylen 2.0," defensive backs coach Donte Williams said via 247sports.com. "I see him as being able to adjust. He already has the demeanor from his brother and from his family, football junkie. So from the communication standpoint and being a leader, I think he'll be one of those guys that can step into a role like that as a freshman, which is really hard to find."
Kirby Smart challenges Justice Fitzpatrick ahead of true freshman season
Fitzpatrick has arrived in Athens as one of the best corners in the country. He is the No. 11 corner in the 2026 recruiting class as well as a top 100 player as well, so it is expected for him to make a big impact this fall as a true freshman.
But just because he is ranked so high doesn't mean he will be a great player during his first season in college. Kirby Smart and defensive backs coach Donte Williams however have extremely high expectations for him.
Fitzpatrick unfortunatly suffered a significant injury at the end of last season, but it sounds like he has recovered from that setback already. Now all that's left to see if he will pan out in his first season at Georgia or not.
The good news is that Georgia has found a lot of success with freshman defensive backs recently, so Smart and his staff know what it takes for someone like Fitzpatrick to shine the moment he steps foot on campus.