Daniel Harris is currently leading the competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Daylene Everette.
Receivers Sacovie White and London Humphreys are expected to be key contributors to the team’s offense.
Young running backs Bo Walker and Chauncey Bowens impressed during spring practices.
The Georgia football team that walked off the Sanford Stadium field Saturday will be different than the team that cranks up preseason practices in August.
The transfer portal ensures that and some added pieces from the 2025 recruiting class will join the fold, too.
Still, the first glance of this year’s Bulldogs team at G-Day was enough to form some impressions of how this team will shape up in the months ahead.
“It’s a whole another phase,” inside linebacker CJ Allen said. “You’re not done. You’re not chilling, it’s not spring ball is over, I get to chill, relax and lay back. No, this is the time to ramp it up and get better.”
Here are five takeaways after the end of spring practices:
Gunner Stockton seems like he has a hold on being QB1
The first-team offense had 12 possessions on G-Day and Gunner Stockton was behind center for all but one of them.
His numbers on the day won’t wow you — 17 of 34 for 309 yards with 2 touchdown passes and an interception — but a spring game scrimmage, whether it’s on TV or not, is not going to reveal too much of how Georgia is tailoring its offense to take advantage of Stockton’s skillset, including using his legs.
Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi made big strides this spring after a leg injury limited him a year ago.
He got plenty of work Saturday, completing 23 of 49 passes for 224 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He completed all three passes — to Oscar Delp for 16 yards, Dillon Bell for 19 and Colbie Young for 17 and a touchdown — in his one drive with the first team.
For the first time in memory, no quarterbacks were made available after G-Day for interviews.
That may just be a way for coach Kirby Smart to avoid players taking questions about a “quarterback battle,” for the starting job when there may not be much of one.
“They’re both great kids who have a great relationship with each other,” Smart said. “And we’re very lucky to have two guys that care so much about Georgia.”
Georgia could just have good options at both starter and back-up even if neither has a large body of work in game action.
Puglisi is “still probably a little bit behind Gunner in terms of the knowledge of the offense, but he’s catching up in regards to that, right?” Smart said.
Said tight end Lawson Luckie: “That dude’s bound to be successful whether it’s this year, whether it’s next year, whether it’s in the future. He’s going to be a great player. It’s just a matter of time.”
The transfer portal opens Wednesday and runs through April 25. Quarterbacks that aren’t starting are often on the move these days.
Puglisi sure sounded like he wasn’t going anywhere when he met with reporters last week.
“I think it’s rare to find a school that you truly love,” he said. “When you really love something, you’re willing to do everything for it.”
Cornerback Daniel Harris makes push this spring
The starting cornerback spot opposite Daylene Everette was one of the most-watched this spring.
Junior Daniel Harris entered the spring with starts under his belt but talented second-year players Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones were fighting to unseat him.
Harris had an interception, two pass breakups and four tackles Saturday.
He picked off a Stockton pass in the end zone, winning a 50-50 ball with Colbie Young, but lost another battle for the ball later on a Young touchdown.
“I think he’s competing harder,” Smart said. “I think it matters to him more. He sees two really good players at the corner position with him, in Demello and Ellis, and he’s competed really hard. He’s had some plays where he’s given up balls, and he’s had some plays where he’s made them.”
Smart said Jones had a “really good spring,” even after losing some coverage battles Saturday.
Don’t forget about these guys at wide receiver
Georgia’s newcomers at wide receiver rightly created a lot of buzz this spring.
Two players coming off their first Bulldogs season showed they should be factors as well.
Redshirt freshman slot receiver Sacovie White had 5 catches for 67 yards. He made a leaping, twisting catch on a contested pass against Robinson and snagged a 23-yard touchdown on a pass from Stockton.
“Sacovie made some plays today — made some really nice plays,” Smart said. “And he catches the ball well, he’s athletic.”
London Humphreys, the Vanderbilt transfer, scored two touchdowns on a day he had five catches for 85 yards. He had 51 yards after the catch.
Smart said Humphreys and Dillon Bell are unique in that they can both play all three wide receiver positions.
“He can go out there, somebody goes down and jump out there and play,” Smart said. “And London’s very smart. He doesn’t have a lot of anxiety. He’s very mature, and he’s good for those kids in that room. Because he works really hard.”
The running backs behind Nate Frazier impressed
The longest run Saturday didn’t come from leading returning rusher Nate Frazier, but freshman Bo Walker, who made plenty of noise during spring practices.
“It’s just his ability to want to come in and work and actually get better and push. It’s not easy when you get first here and there’s a lot of things thrown at you,” inside linebacker CJ Allen said. “In high school, you’re probably the best player on the team.”
The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Ellenwood native got off a 30-yard gain on a run when he scooted past a defender and then cut back down the left side.
Walker rushed for 44 yards on 8 carries and had 2 catches for 19 yards.
Sophomore Chauncey Bowens had 38 rushing yards on 5 carries and one catch for 14 yards.
“I’m excited for those two,” Smart said. “They both got better in the spring.”
“All of those guys are really tough guys, especially Chauncey,” Luckie said. “I love the way Chauncey runs the rock and Nate’s got that juice that you don’t really see from a lot of people.”
Georgia dialed back redshirt senior Cash Jones’ reps this spring to let younger players get more snaps.
Linebacker Raylen Wilson was asked if any young players stood out to him this spring.
“Little Bo Walker,” he said. “He’s going to be something to see.”
Another defensive back to watch down the road
Dominick Kelly was one the back end of the rankings of Georgia’s 2025 signing class but made the most of an errant throw by Puglisi on a throw to Jeremy Bell that he picked off and returned 31 yards Saturday.
“Dom’s was a busted route,” Smart said. “I like to look and judge the play based on did you make a great play or did he make a great play? I don’t think either happened on that. Those are more circumstantial plays. …I’m not taking anything away from Dom, because Dom’s had a really good spring, but that ball was thrown right to him, we had a busted route. “
The 6-foot-1, 190-pund cornerback from St. Petersburg was the second lowest four-star recruit in the class. He also had a pass breakup Saturday.
