On Georgia’s first day of practice, coach Kirby Smart spoke of the competition that would characterize this summer and the next day, assistant coaches Jim Chaney and Mel Tucker echoed Smart’s sentiments.
On Tuesday, defensive back Jarvis Wilson and inside linebacker Juwan Taylor also offered the company line, noting the number of young players who could make an impact on Saturdays this season.
“Every day is great competition for us,” said the 6-1, 218-pound Taylor, a senior. “Everybody works hard, and that’s really our standard here – compete, play physical and play fast. There’s never too much competition. That’s our standard.”
“They’re actually coming on pretty fast,” said Wilson, a 6-2, 199-pound senior safety, of the new Bulldogs in the secondary. “They’re working hard, and the competition is thick now. It’s making everybody better. In the young group … different guys bring different things. Chris Smith is very smart, Tyson Campbell is very fast, Otis (Reese) is very physical. It’s a pretty good group.”
Taylor had one start and recorded 13 tackles last season, mostly on special teams. Wilson, who won the Special Teams Weapon award in the spring, recorded three tackles in 2017.