ATHENS -- I couldn’t help but notice their baby faces.

I know that’s not the type of talk you’re used to reading in the sports pages. To be sure, Josh Harvey-Clemons, Brendan Langley and Tray Matthews are (nearly) grown men and tough guys and elite athletes. But as the three of them happened to venture into the designated interview area at the Butts-Mehre football complex at the same time after practice Monday night, I was taken aback by how young all three of them look (which probably says as much about me as it does them).

But they are young. Langley and Matthews are true freshmen. Harvey-Clemons is a sophomore. And what the three of them have in common is they’re all starters in Georgia’s secondary.

The reality of it is hard to fathom with a high-flying offense like No. 6 LSU’s coming to town this weekend. But then you have to consider the baptism of fire these kids have already been through.

They’ve already faced Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins and Martavius Bryant of Clemson and Connor Shaw, Nick Jones and company of South Carolina. They’re all first-year starters but they’ve already gone up against the best of the best.

And what they're about to see might be even better.

The Tigers are led by 6-foot-5, 235-pound senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. He has already thrown for 1,076 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception. They have a bunch of wide receivers but Mettenberger mainly throws to two. Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry have 44 catches between them. The next closest wideout has three.

And then there’s tailback Jeremy Hill. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore has 351 yards rushing in three games, including 189 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn this past weekend. The Tigers also feature an offensive line that’s designed "to line up and maul you,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said.

It’s big-time SEC football at its finest. And it’s exactly what these young men signed up for.

“As recruits, you don’t really think about things like that,” said Matthews, who started the opener at free safety despite missing nearly three weeks of preseason camp with injuries. “It kind of shocks you at first. Coming in, everybody wants to start. I definitely wanted to. But you don’t think about you have to go out and get prepared to play the fastest guys in the country, top NFL prospects. I didn’t think about any of that. But my confidence is up, man. I believe in myself and these coaches believe in me. I’ve been working too hard. I’ve dreamed about this. Now it’s a reality, and my confidence is sky high right now.”

Georgia will be playing its third Top 10 opponent in the first four games. ESPN College GameDay will be on site for a Bulldogs’ game for the second time this year and it’s the CBS national game of the weekend.

“I like it. I mean, it’s exciting," said Harvey-Clemons, who plays the star, a linebacker/defensive back hybrid position. "You’ve got to play your hardest every week. You don’t have time to slack off. And this is really going to give us the experience we need because we’re a young secondary. With us playing all these big games, when it comes down to it, the SEC Championship or something, I feel like we’re going to be prepared.”

Probably nobody has a more demanding challenge than Langley. The Kell High graduate starts at the cornerback opposite proven veteran Damian Swann. As a result, he’s picked on like a well-tuned banjo.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Langley said defiantly. “I’ve played some great receivers already and I’ve done all right. I feel like these past three games I was playing a little bit out of my personality, playing not to make mistakes. When you play not to make mistakes, you make mistakes. So I’m trying to work on playing my game the way I know how to play it. I’m kind of getting that swagger back I guess you could say. I’m a lot more confident, but that’s the type of attitude you have to have as a DB. I believe in me like no other. If I don’t, nobody else will.”

They may be kids but they’re growing up fast. LSU and these other cats are seeing to that.