Nine new faces joined the Georgia football team as spring football practice began March 20 for the Bulldogs.
One early enrollee, five-star running back Zamir White, suffered an ACL injury on Nov. 17. He underwent surgery, but will not be in full-contact drills with the team yet. White was seen on the first day of spring practice.
The other eight—Justin Fields, Warren Ericson, Cade Mays, Brenton Cox, Trey Hill, Kearis Jackson, Divaad Wilson and Devonte Wyatt—suited up and began practicing and competing for their positions.
The loss of key players at the end of the 2017 season opens up spaces at different positions, offering some of the new recruits a chance to showcase their skills and compete for a starting or secondary position.
"I'm super excited about every one of those players," head coach Kirby Smart said. "There is a competition at every single position out there."
Of the nine early enrolled players, four are five-star athletes according to the 247Sports Composite.
The spring offers this group of newly enrolled athletes the opportunity to not only grow accustomed to college, but also to get a jump start on learning what is required of them. Junior tight end Issac Nauta said it offers them time to learn the playbook and how the game is played on the college level.
Nauta was an early enrollee himself, and said the fifteen extra practices and a G-Day game offers extra time to acclimate. Nauta said he thinks his time during spring practice factored into him playing during his freshman year.
The team's veteran players also recognize the importance of spring practices.
Senior defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter sees the talent the early enrollees are bringing to the table.
He said the spring offers them and the team a time to put the necessary pieces together as a unit.
"Those guys work hard, they have a good mentality," Nauta said. "Coming in early you are able to learn quicker from the older guys...I like the way that they work, they all got a good head on their shoulders."
As veteran teammates, redshirt junior J.R. Reed said they each have a role to help coach and acclimate the new group of athletes to Georgia football.
The safety said he emphasizes to the new players that watching extra film and critiquing their performance every day is an important aspect.
Reed's main goal is to help mold the new players to prepare them for the 2018 football season.
In the 2017 season, Georgia went 13-1, and the team wants to see success again in 2018.
While last year's success looms over the team, Smart said this year's roster is distinctly different.
Smart's focus is on the identity this new group of athletes will create for themselves.
"Change is inevitable, but growth is optional," Smart. "That's a great mantra for this team."
