ATLANTA — A new season means some new faces for the top ranked Georgia Bulldogs. In Saturday’s 34-3 blowout win against Clemson, new players had their chance to step forward and make their mark.
Coming into the season, head coach Kirby Smart signed 38 new players to the roster. All of them were eligible to play. Saturday’s win showed America that the Bulldogs can remain dominant despite the challenge of featuring new players.
“I think it’s a process,” Smart said when asked about the secret for keeping players focused. “The leaders on our team that I meet with believe in it, they sell it, they push it to the younger players. When you turnover that much, you’d better have a nucleus around them that can keep them grounded.”
One of the leaders on the defense is safety Malaki Starks. Starks picked off Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik for the only turnover in the game.
Starks, who is a junior, made a similar interception in the 2022 Aflac Kickoff Game against Oregon as a freshman.
Freshman safety, KJ Bolden entered the game on the third play. He finished the game tied for second on the team in tackles with four.
Smart’s philosophy is simple when it comes to playing freshman/new guys in big games.
“If you’re a talented freshman and you can learn, then you can play,” said Smart. “ We play freshmen all the time. We had Malaki play in this game two years ago, KJ [Bolden] played in the game today, Mykel [Williams] played in it two years ago.”
Williams led the team in tackles for loss in Saturday’s win with two.
Freshman running back Nate Frazier led both teams in rushing with 83 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.
“He got an opportunity, he seized the moment,” Smart said when evaluating Frazier’s play. “He wasn’t there in the spring so he missed 15 practices of intense work that he’s trying to play catch-up on.”
Smart and the Bulldogs hope the reps the freshmen and newcomers get pays off later in the season as they contend for a national title in the new 12 team playoff.