ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs practiced in full pads for approximately two hours on Thursday afternoon. The workout began under threatening skies, but the team completed the session without the distraction of rain or interruption from lightning.
The Bulldogs are still more than two weeks away from the season opener, allowing the defense to experiment at times with players in slightly different positions than their traditional roles.
“We can use people in different positions,” senior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said. “It’s good to be able to go out there and get a little practice at it rather than just going into a different personnel (grouping) and you being thrown out into the middle of something that you’re not used to. It’s just the different things we can do with our defense. Our defense is so complex, but one of the great things about it is that you can move people into different positions and do the same things basically. It’s however the coaches want to use us.”
Junior defensive tackle Trenton Thompson is excited to be back in action after missing spring practices.
“It’s feels great to be back with my teammates and be back in the front seven where I’m doing what I love doing, holding up the gap and watching my linebackers roam,” Thompson said. “I think it was helpful having the opportunity (in spring) to look at them practice and be a vocal leader instead of a physical leader. I also think I got more in shape.”
Redshirt sophomore defensive back J.R. Reed is expected to make an impact this fall. Reed, the son of former NFL wide receiver Jake Reed and nephew of former NFL cornerback Dale Carter, transferred to Georgia in the summer of 2016 after playing at Tulsa as a freshman. He redshirted last season while sitting out per NCAA regulations.
“Always being around legends like my dad or Cris Carter inspires you to be like them and try to be the best,” Reed said. “Actually, it was my dad who told me my future was on defense.”
Reed has fond memories of growing up around NFL franchises. His dad played a dozen seasons in the league, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings, and recorded 6,999 yards on 450 career receptions.
“All I remember was running around and playing Pac Man and chewing all the gum they had,” J.R. Reed joked.
The Bulldogs will practice again on Friday, their 16th of the fall, before holding a second preseason scrimmage on Saturday.
Georgia, which was ranked No. 15 in the preseason edition of the Amway coaches poll, will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 2, when the Bulldogs host Appalachian State. The game is set to kickoff at 6:15 p.m. ET and will televised by ESPN.
