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ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart did not say whether Georgia wide receiver Adonai Mitchell practiced Tuesday when asked. Instead, the Georgia coach said the Bulldogs remain hopeful of having their best outside receiver available Saturday against South Carolina.
“Again, we’re hoping AD is able to go,” Smart said. “Hopefully he can recover to the point where he can help us.”
Mitchell left Saturday’s game against Samford after the first play with a left ankle injury. Mitchell did not practice Monday, as Smart had previously told reporters.
Without Mitchell, Georgia opted to spread the ball around to its pass catchers. Against Samford, 15 different Bulldogs came down with a reception.
On the depth chart, Jackson Meeks and Dillon Bell will see an increase in snaps if Mitchell is unable to play. Bell played 42 snaps Saturday, second only to Ladd McConkey among wide receivers.
After South Carolina, where Georgia is a 24.5-point favorite, the Bulldogs take on Kent State and then travel to Missouri. The Bulldogs will be heavy favorites in all three games and don’t need to rush Mitchell back until he’s ready.
Freshman Daylen Everette continues to do ‘good job’
With Nyland Green dealing with a hamstring injury, Daylen Everette has been thrust into an even bigger role for the Bulldogs.
Of the three cornerbacks Georgia signed in the 2022 recruiting cycle, Everette is a leg up on where Julian Humphrey and Jaheim Singletary are at this point. It showed on Saturday when Everette came on the field in the second quarter of the game. He has three tackles through his first two collegiate games.
Georgia likes what it has in Everette. It should just give him some more spice, especially if one of Kamari Lassiter or Kelee Ringo gets hurt.
“Daylen has done a great job. He has to play,” Smart said. “He’s a talented young man. He’s a really good corner because he’s physical and a great tackler. He really just needs experience. He hasn’t gotten much.”
Everette was originally committed to Clemson before returning to Georgia last December. One of the big reasons Everette has gotten a leg up on playing time — in addition to being an early enrollee — is his consistently praised work ethic.
Everette spent the last two seasons at IMG Academy, one of the top high school programs in the country. His time there undoubtedly helped prepare him for the rigors of playing at Georgia.
“Smart player, great player. Young and full of energy,” Javon Bullard said of Everette. “He comes in and works day in, day out. He’s got one of the better work ethics. I’m excited for his future.”
Kirby Smart offers thoughts on South Carolina
It seems like ages ago at this point, but there was a time when Smart was a very real contender for the South Carolina job. Steve Spurrier’s abrupt retirement in 2015 left the Gamecocks with an opening, and reports at the time indicated that Smart was their top target.
Spurrier’s retirement was before the 2015 Georgia football season spiraled out of control and led to the parting of ways with Mark Richt.
While Smart is Georgia through and through, he recognizes the culture that has been built in South Carolina.
“They fit the SEC culture in terms of their fan base and their commitment to a facility and winning environment,” Smart said. “Their east coast culture and some of the D.C. area has given them a lot of players from that area because they’re the closest school by car to get there. Shane [Beamer] have done a good job there and they will probably continue to do a good job because they recruit well.”
Related: South Carolina coach Shane Beamer: ‘Kirby Smart made me a better football coach’
That culture will be on full display Saturday as Georgia enters its first hostile environment of the 2022 season. This will also be the first time Georgia sees Williams-Brice Stadium rock in quite some time, given the last time Georgia went to Columbia, SC, it was in the 2020 season. Attendance was limited due to COVID-19, and the Gamecocks had just fired Will Muschamp in the midst of a 2-8 season
Sandstorm numbers to be at full blast on Saturday, with South Carolina’s passionate fan base looking to make an impact on the game. To prepare for that, Georgia coaches have made it very difficult for the players this week.
“The crowd noise, they turn it up,” linebacker Jamon dumas-Johnson said. “They blast it in the indoor (facility) so we can’t even hear ourselves talk.”
Georgia takes on South Carolina at 12 ET on Saturday. ESPN will broadcast the game.
Kirby Smart ‘hopes’ for Adonai Mitchell, says freshman Daylen Everette ‘must play’
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