Kirby Smart Concerned with Lack of Reps for Jamie Newman, UGA QBs

ATHENS - UGA coach Kirby Smart says that he’s not willing to speculate on the future. 

“I can't speculate on what I don't know,” he said on Tuesday. “We don't have a large amount of information right now.”

Smart said he spent two weeks in quarantine just as the Bulldogs were set to start spring drills. 

“Once I got back basically the entire country was shut down. I spent time with the family and exercised. I tried to be as active as I could on recruiting,” he said. 

The Bulldogs are coming off a season that ended with a No. 4 ranking and a Sugar Bowl victory. But Georgia was set to use the spring to figure out a slew of spots - including the starting quarterback spot. 

“That’s the one position that - who does this effect the most? It is going to effect the quarterback more than anything in my opinion. There is no substitute for reps out on the field. We can’t argue that we aren’t losing reps. We are losing reps. That’s tough. I feel like (Jamie Newman) was getting a rhythm. He was getting to throw a lot with the guys in their own time. But there is no substitute for what they would have gotten in spring ball. But we are going to get all of that done when we get an opportunity, but, hell, no one knows when that is,” he said. 

Smart added that a slew of players stood out in off-season workouts. 

“There are a ton of guys in the sophomore and junior groups that are standing out,” he said. “I was excited with the offseason.”

How long that off-season lasts is hard to know.

“The primary focus is the health of well being of our players,” Smart said.