The departure of cornerback Deandre Baker, the first Jim Thorpe Award winner in Georgia football history, from last season's team would seemingly leave the secondary as a chief concern for the Bulldogs this spring.
That's not the tune fourth-year coach Kirby Smart is singing.
"We have a group back there that is emerging with some personality," Smart excitedly said this week in a news conference. "We just have more competition."
Georgia held its fifth spring practice Thursday, which also marked the start of the annual coaching clinic that runs through Saturday. The Bulldogs are scheduled to practice again Saturday.
The Bulldogs have a wealth of sophomore and freshman defensive backs who apparently are winning over Smart, new defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and new secondary coach Charlton Warren. It's a list that includes Tyson Campbell, DJ Daniel, Otis Reese, Tyrique Stevenson, Eric Stokes and Divaad Wilson, with Daniel and Stevenson already making noise as early enrollees.
Georgia's veterans in the secondary are senior safety J.R. Reed, junior safety Richard LeCounte, senior cornerback Tyrique McGhee and junior cornerback Mark Webb. McGhee and Webb have played the "star" position when the Bulldogs employ a fifth defensive back.
Having a bunch of former four- and five-star prospects developing in front of their eyes is understandably pleasing to Georgia's coaches, but a lot of that success is being credited to the leadership of Reed, the 6-foot-1, 194-pounder from the Dallas suburb of Frisco who began his college career at Tulsa.
"He is so important to us, because we've got some continuity in the secondary," Smart said. "He is a good leader, and he is the alpha in that secondary."
The son of former Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints receiver Jake Reed transferred to Athens in summer 2016. After sitting out that year, Reed earned All-Southeastern Conference second-team status in 2017, when he started all 15 games for the league champions and finished second on the team with 79 tackles.
Reed added another 66 tackles last season and was at his best in Georgia's toughest tasks. In the three losses by the Bulldogs, he collected nine tackles against LSU, eight tackles and a red-zone interception during the SEC title game against Alabama and eight tackles versus Texas at the Sugar Bowl.
His assignment now is improving a secondary that no longer includes an expected NFL first-round pick.
"It's definitely about developing the younger guys," Reed said. "If we can get them to be like another Deandre Baker, there will never have to be a drop-off."
Reed had a chance to bypass his final college season for an opportunity at next month's NFL draft, but he wanted to come back with the goal of helping the Bulldogs win their first national championship since the 1980 season.
Smart is certainly appreciative of his decision.
"I think he'll go down as one of the best leaders to come through here," Smart said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6525.