ATHENS, Ga. - Demetris Robertson announced in July that he was transferring from California to Georgia, received NCAA clearance to play immediately in August and opened September by scoring on a 72-yard run in last Saturday's 45-0 whipping of Austin Peay.
Was it really just that simple for Robertson, a former five-star signee who left the Peach State in 2016 for two seasons in the Pac-12?
Pretty much, if you ask him.
"It wasn't hard for me because I knew the situation," Robertson said after the opening victory. "I knew I had to come in and work. I really wasn't focused on how much I would play as I was learning the playbook and getting along with my teammates and learning about what the Georgia standard is on the practice field and off the field.
"I was in the meeting room and looking at a lot of film and practicing as hard as I could."
The redshirt sophomore receiver is actually Georgia's leading rusher after just one carry entering Saturday's Southeastern Conference opener between the No. 3 Bulldogs and No. 24 South Carolina at the Gamecocks' Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The 6-foot, 190-pound Robertson took a handoff from backup quarterback Justin Fields early in the second quarter against the Governors and broke free down the right sideline, displaying the speed that made him the nation's No. 13 overall prospect in his signing class.
It was a brief but effective introduction for a talent who earned Freshman All-America honors two seasons ago with the Golden Bears after amassing 50 receptions for 767 yards and seven touchdowns, breaking the school's freshman receiving records that had been set by DeSean Jackson and Keenan Allen. Robertson started the first two games of last season at Cal before getting injured and receiving a medical redshirt.
"It's awesome for a kid who has been all over the country," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. "He'll tell you that he should have come here the first time. He's here now, and I'm happy for him, but he's still not in the condition he should be in, and he'll tell you that.
"He ran out of gas on that run, and in the SEC, that might not be a touchdown."
Smart harped on Robertson's conditioning throughout preseason camp, pointing out he was not going through Georgia's summer conditioning regimen while navigating the transfer process. Robertson looked quite conditioned to Austin Peay defenders, and every day is another positive step on that front.
"I knew when I was coming in that my legs were getting tired and were getting heavy in all this heat," Robertson said. "There has been a lot of recovery and a lot of time in the weight room and a lot of time off the field to get my body right."
Said junior receiver Riley Ridley: "I feel like he's as conditioned as any other receiver in our room."
Robertson is thrilled to be closer to his hometown of Savannah and closer to his family, and he credits Smart and his staff for creating a "family-oriented place." Like most of his teammates, he has found the practices much tougher than what transpired last Saturday, though he and everybody else realize that's about to change.
"Demetris is physical, and he's fast," Ridley said. "He has a lot of awareness, so he fits in pretty good with us right at this point. He had a big play in the game, which we were all excited about, and we're excited about him and the things he will be able to do for our offense."
Wonnum working
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference that junior defensive end D.J. Wonnum has returned to practice after injuring an ankle in the opening rout of Coastal Carolina. Muschamp added that the 6-5, 258-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain has some swelling but should play Saturday.
Wonnum had a team-high 13 tackles for loss last year, when he became the third player in program history to be recognized as a team captain as a sophomore.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.