Georgia early enrollee Justin Fields was the nation's consensus No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2018 signing class.
Yet not even Fields is immune to adjusting to the collegiate level.
"He's hitting a little bit of a wall," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in a news conference after Saturday's practice. "I think with all of the installation - he's coming in and meeting extra and doing all of the things we expect of him to - but it's a lot, and we don't taper it for him. I think he's really getting accustomed, because we are doing some different drills that he's not used to, moving in the pocket and creating space and stepping up from the rush.
"I think a lot of that stuff is new to him, and he's growing in that role. He certainly has good mobility when he gets out of the pocket, and he's done a good job picking things up."
The Bulldogs held their sixth spring practice, working out for 2 1/2 hours. Saturday also was the third and final day of Georgia's annual coaching clinic.
Georgia will resume workouts Tuesday.
Fields is a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder from Harrison High School in the Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw. He is competing with sophomore Jake Fromm, who guided Georgia to its first Southeastern Conference championship last season in 12 years.
"What I like most of all about Justin is that he has a really good demeanor," Smart said. "He doesn't let the high plays really affect him, and he doesn't let the low plays affect him. He just continues to improve."
Barnett sidelined
Redshirt junior defensive lineman Michael Barnett suffered a slight dislocation in one of his knees during last Tuesday's practice, Smart said.
The 6-4, 304-pound Barnett played in 12 of Georgia's 15 games last season, making five tackles. His absence is at a position group already thinned by the departures of John Atkins and Trenton Thompson.
"We think he's going to be fine and will be back possibly by the end of the spring," Smart said of Barnett.
Hoping for Wilson
One of Georgia's promising early enrollees suffered a setback eight days ago when defensive back Divaad Wilson tore an anterior cruciate ligament in the third practice.
A torn ACL during spring drills typically scratches the ensuing season, but Smart is not giving up hope.
"We still think he will be able to play this year," Smart said. "There are a lot of kids who can play from that. We are hoping he will heal fast. If he's at (freshman running back) Zamir White's pace, then we should be able to get him back."
White was injured last November in the North Carolina state playoffs but already has gone through some noncontact work this spring.
The new SEC East
For the first time since the SEC went to division play in 1992, Georgia had a perfect record last season against Eastern Division foes. Georgia's lone league loss occurred at Auburn, with the Bulldogs sweeping their six divisional games that included routs of rivals Tennessee, 41-0 and Florida, 42-7.
The Volunteers are coached by former Georgia and former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and the Gators by former Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, so is Smart looking at the division any differently now?
"I look at it just like I did last year - we've got to beat them," Smart said. "The names and faces may change, but the places are all the same. I'm not concerned with what they're doing, and they're probably not concerned with what we're doing.
"We're obviously trying to develop a team that believes in its self-confidence, and I don't concern myself with what those guys are doing."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.