Georgia Football: News, notes and thoughts from Kirby Smart's press conference

Georgia Football is back! Well, sort of. Today marked the first day of spring practice for the Dawgs. This also means that Kirby Smart had to talk to the media. We all know how much Kirby loves to do his press conferences.

There were no colossal revelations from the presser (just like 99.9% of them), but we found out about all the injured players who will be limited or out for the entire spring practice. 

Furthermore, Pearce Spurlin had to retire because of a heart condition. The incoming sophomore played six games last year, catching three passes for 60 yards. Spurlin looked to get more snaps and have a more significant impact on the field. Though terrible news, Spurlin will be part of the team in some capacity and will remain on scholarship. 

Coach Smart discussed the goals for 2024 and spring practice. Smart said the goal is to expand the roster with winning football players. If you are like me and needed a translator in coach speak, here is what Kirby meant: “A lot of the roster is inexperienced and full of young guys; we have to get them in a position where we can rely on them when we need them.”

The Dawgs have a lot of fresh faces on their roster this year; that was Kirby's main talking point in this presser. Nearly ⅓ of the team are either freshmen or transfers. This could be a cause for concern, which is why it was mentioned so much during Smart’s time with the media. 

Speaking of fresh faces, Smart was asked about the four new position coaches on his staff. Smart said they were hired because they know the “standard” at Georgia. Every new coach on staff is somehow linked to either Saban or Smart. So, I think it is safe to say that all four new coaches know the “process” and their expectations as coaches. 

Having 33% of your roster filled with new guys and four new position coaches would be devastating for most teams. However, Georgia is reloading for another championship run, which brings us to the last note of the presser. 

Smart said each season is a clean slate, and they have moved on even from 2023. A season in which the Dawgs went 12-0 in the regular season and were left out of the 4-team CFP Playoffs (as you can tell, it doesn’t bother, I swear! ). While some will say that is just coach speak from Smart, I take his word on that.

The Dawg's yearly goal is to return a national title to Athens. Even though Smart has 33% of his roster of new players, He and his players know championships are the expectation at Georgia.