Georgia conducted its second preseason football scrimmage Saturday afternoon inside Sanford Stadium, with Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart revealing that senior receiver Kearis Jackson was held out of the back half with a minor ankle or Achilles’ tendon injury.
Given Georgia’s rash of setbacks at that position in recent years, that almost qualifies as good news.
Smart revealed following the first scrimmage that redshirt sophomore receiver Arian Smith would have to undergo ankle surgery that could sideline him throughout September, while Dominick Blaylock and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint are hoping their junior seasons can be injury-free given their respective knee and ankle histories.
If the reigning national champions ever have a full contingent of receivers this season, Smart knows it will be a rarity.
“They’re the highest soft-tissue injuries,” Smart said Saturday on a Zoom call. “Arian’s wasn’t that, but we tend to have a lot of soft-tissue injuries at that position because of the volume of running and the scholarship quota. What is your scholarship number at that position? We’ve had years where we thought 12 was the number, or 13 was the number, or 10 was the number.
“We brought more into camp this year, I think, than we ever have. I want to say we brought 18 — not all on scholarship, but we brought in 18 in our 105 number. You’re always looking for extra legs.”
Smart said the Bulldogs “sustained better” overall Saturday compared to the first scrimmage, adding that they displayed more effort and toughness.
Georgia’s most imposing receiver the past three years, George Pickens, played in 12 games during the 2019 season and a combined 12 during the past two, with an ACL tear in March 2021 relegating him to just four games last season. Pickens was a second-round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers this past April.
While Jackson has played in all 25 games the past two seasons, Rosemy-Jacksaint has competed in 19, Smith eight and Blaylock four.
“We actually cut the volume for our top four guys in this camp than we have compared to past camps just in learning that we don’t want to work these guys too hard,” Smart said. “Some of the injuries you don’t control and are not soft tissue. Arian’s situation was just football, and that happens from time to time.”
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, freshmen or redshirt freshmen such as Pickens in 2019, Jermaine Burton in 2020, and Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell last year have aided a position in need, and it’s likely why Smart recently stressed the importance of Dillon Bell having a strong debut season this time around.
“The number one thing we can do is have more depth at that position and not always have to count on freshmen,” Smart said. “Every year I’ve been here, we’ve had freshmen lead us or almost lead us in receiving.”
Beck backing up
Georgia sixth-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett is on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview, but will it be redshirt sophomore Carson Beck or redshirt freshman Brock Vandagriff as Bennett’s backup?
Smart said Beck and Vandagriff have taken some first-team reps.
“They’re two different guys, and they each possess different parts of what Stetson does well,” Smart said. “Carson has taken more of a body of work of twos reps than Brock has, but they’ve both done a tremendous job, and they’re both going to be ready to go.”
Smart also praised freshman Gunner Stockton, who is fourth on the depth chart.
Bama scrimmages
Alabama held its second preseason scrimmage as well Saturday, with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban expressing that the first-team units improved from discipline and effort standpoints compared to the first scrimmage but that the second-team units continue to have a lot of mental errors.
“If we’re going to be able to accomplish something of significance this season, it’s not going to come easy,” Saban said. “People are going to have to make sacrifices to do it, and we’ll see how many people we can get to do that. I think some of the older, experienced players understand that, and I think some of the younger guys who we need to come along need to make progress in those areas.”
Saban said sophomore cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has emerged as the most consistent candidate on punt returns.
Gibbs speaks out
Former Dalton High School and Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs was made available to the media Friday afternoon for the first time since transferring to Alabama, calling his late December commitment to the Tide “the best opportunity for me to better myself.”
Gibbs, who has impressed his teammates with his pass-catching ability out of the backfield and on kickoff returns, was asked to name the toughest defender he faces in practice.
“All those guys are great,” Gibbs said. “(Junior outside linebacker) Will (Anderson) is great, and (senior inside linebacker) Henry (To’o To’o) is a very smart player and one of the smartest players I’ve ever played against. He knows how to jump gaps side to side at an instant, but all those guys are good.”
Saban said Saturday that Gibbs “had like 60 yards or something on just a few carries and was very explosive with the ball.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.