Fall Camp Position Battle Update: Who Starts Opposite of Ringo at Cornerback?

One of the most intense position battles this fall has been ongoing at outside corner. With a plethora of names to choose from, it seems a frontrunner has emerged.

After losing two top-40 NFL Draft picks last offseason, Kirby Smart and co. went out and landed Derion Kendrick from the NCAA Transfer Portal. Before transferring to Georgia, the former wide receiver turned cornerback made a name for himself as one of the top defensive backs in the ACC. 

The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native started in all 15 games last season for the Bulldogs, effectively shutting down one side of the field as Georgia's top cornerback. However, with Kendrick moving onto a career in the NFL, the Bulldogs are back in the position they were last offseason, looking for a starting cornerback.

This time, whoever fills the vacancy will play opposite Kelee Ringo. The former five-star recruit ended his season first season in a Georgia uniform in a way that many won't be able to replicate. Ringo's national title-clinching pick-six culminated a long 15-game season, where he had to take the starting job opposite Kendrick from Ameer Speed. 

With Ringo supremely entrenched at the top of the depth chart for Georgia and garnering first-round attention so far from the NFL, whoever starts alongside Ringo this season could have a chance to entrench himself for next season. 

Thanks to the elite-level recruiting under head coach Kirby Smart, defensive back is one of the most talented positions on Georgia's roster. Look no further than the ultra-talented 2022 recruiting class that featured six defensive backs, all of whom garnered four and five-star rankings. 

Luckily for Georgia and new cornerbacks coach Fran Brown, he inherits other young players who may not have the starting experience to this point in their career but have taken the reps in practice. 

Sources told SI Dawgs Daily back in the spring that sophomore Kamari Lassiter was the frontrunner to start opposite of Ringo. The Savannah, Georgia, native gained valuable experience last season, playing in all 15-games, even recording his first career interception in the blowout win versus Vanderbilt. 

Lassiter's main competition, sophomore Nyland Green and freshman Daylen Everette have had good camps in their own right. Even senior William Poole has received reps during camp, according to sources. Everette, a true freshman standout from spring practices, looks to get meaningful playing time this fall, even if Lassiter or Green gets the nod as the starter. 

With eight days until the season opener against Oregon, it seems likely that we will see all three cornerbacks come week one, with Lassiter getting the start opposite of Ringo. 

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