Georgia Will Learn A Lot With After Its First Padded Practice

Georgia puts on the pads for the first time this spring on Saturday. What will the Bulldogs coaching staff learn following this weekend?

Football season never truly starts until the pads come on. So Saturday marks the first time Georgia will be suiting up in pads since the national championship in Indianapolis back in January. But, as Smart said, the championship win is in the past, as they have "different faces and different people in places." 

When the pads finally come on, it will truly start to give the coaching staff a look into what kind of team they will be heading into the fall. Smart spoke at length of using spring practice to find out the team's identity and fully moving on from the national championship win because, as Smart rightly points out, every year brings a new team. 

"We're really worried about creating an identity for this team. We're in the identity phase. Spring practice is let's figure who are we? Let's figure out who we are by how we practice. I think we'll see that over the next 15 practices."

Which Freshman Will Hold Up Physically?

One of the big first tests for a true freshman at the college level is finding out whether or not they will hold up physically at the college level. It will not take long for the staff to identify those that need more work in the weight room, especially the skill position players and even those who play in the trenches; how young defensive linemen hold up against the likes of Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones will be the first key for whether or not they can contribute early. 

A big past example of a true freshman standing out physically from the jump was Jalen Carter, as a video surfaced of him in an "Oklahoma Drill" versus veteran center Trey Hill. Carter won the rep against the veteran offensive lineman as a true freshman. 

Which QB Can Deal With Live Pressure?

This time of year, competition is in the air, and the quarterback is no different this spring. While Stetson Bennett looks to be the odds on favorite as the starter at quarterback following the national championship season, the guys behind him will look to distinguish themselves in the battle to become QB2. 

Offensive coordinator and QB coach Todd Monken will closely watch which quarterback has the composure to navigate a live pocket in the face of some live pressure from the front seven. 

Who Improved Their Body Over the Offseason?

One of the biggest trends throughout the early goings of spring and fall practice is the tendency for fans to get excited after seeing photos of a player who clearly spent a lot of time in the weight room getting bigger and stronger. Georgia's strength and conditioning staff played a major part in the national championship last season and will undoubtedly be looking to help the Bulldogs seek another. 

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