The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs already have conducted more spring football practices than the 2020 Georgia Bulldogs, and for that they are quite appreciative.
After having last spring wiped out by the outbreak of the coronavirus, Georgia held its first of 15 NCAA-allotted practices Tuesday afternoon in Athens. The Bulldogs will work through April 17, the date of the G-Day game in Sanford Stadium.
"Just getting to be out here today and getting back with the coaches and the guys was awesome," senior punter Jake Camarda said Tuesday evening on a Zoom call. "It was a great day out there."
The cancellation of spring drills was the first of many abnormalities that Georgia experienced within the past year. The Bulldogs were relegated to a 10-game schedule consisting solely of Southeastern Conference opposition, which meant no game against Georgia Tech for the first time since 1924, and the regular-season finale against visiting Vanderbilt was canceled due to COVID-related issues within the Commodores roster.
Georgia used three starting quarterbacks after projected starter Jamie Newman opted out three weeks before the season's dawn, which factored into the Bulldogs failing to claim a fourth consecutive SEC East crown, but they did cap an 8-2 year with a 24-21 triumph over previously undefeated Cincinnati in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
While there are signs of life becoming more normal for the Bulldogs, the reality is that there is still a lengthy path ahead.
"We're definitely doing more meetings together," Camarda said. "We're still taking all the precautions with COVID, because COVID is not over, and we definitely realize that. It's a very serious thing. We're still wearing masks and we're still social distancing, so I would say things are very similar to how they were in the fall."
Said junior safety Lewis Cine: "I hope we can have a more normal year with fans cheering us on and the stadium is full, because I missed that."
The Bulldogs will play in college football's biggest game of the opening weekend when they collide against Clemson in Charlotte, but that's several months away. The challenge now is to dominate the other side of the ball, and Georgia players seem to be embracing the upcoming fun.
Cine admitted to savoring a good back and forth with the offense and bristled when asked if defenders were the underdogs this spring given the return of quarterback JT Daniels along with a slew of running backs and receivers, saying, "Not close. Not even close."
When the subject was brought up to Jamaree Salyer, the senior offensive lineman said, "I'm really excited for what our offense can be and will be."
The weeks ahead will determine which side of the ball prevails, but that wasn't a topic that could be discussed this time last year.
"That time was crazy," Camarda said. "I was at Disney with my girlfriend when I found out. I was over there at the Star Wars stuff and I found out that everything was canceled. I went to Birmingham after that and hung out with some guys who I train with during the offseason. I was there for a week figuring out what I was going to do.
"Nobody had any idea where we were going to go and what we were going to be allowed to do. I came back to Athens and lived every day after that by ear."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.