Yes, Malcolm Mitchell writing a book got plenty of attention on media days. But even the receiver and author couldn’t duck the other overhanging subject.
If you had written a book entitled “Georgia’s quarterback,” Mitchell was asked, how would it end?
“I see you worked that in there,” Mitchell said, smiling. “I don’t know how the story would end, because I’m not writing it. They’re writing it on their own. … I just catch the ball from whoever’s throwing it.”
That now includes Greyson Lambert, the Virginia transfer who officially joined the team this week. Coach Mark Richt offered up his first public thoughts on Lambert, calling him a “very mature guy” who will compete with Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta to be Georgia’s starter.
Richt, meeting with reporters in the morning at SEC media days, cited Lambert’s experience at Virginia, where he started eight games last year as a sophomore.
“He’s already been a starter. He’s already been hit in the mouth a bunch and gotten back up,” Richt said. “He’s been through a lot of things that you wonder how a guy will react to. The thing I could say from what I saw is I think he’s a mature guy who will come in and compete well for us.”
Lambert just arrived in Athens last Sunday, and has been meeting teammates and going through some passing workouts, according to senior tackle John Theus.
“He had really big hands, that was my first impression,” Theus said of the 6-foot-5 Lambert. “He’s a nice kid, hit it off well. He’s a Georgia boy, so he fits right in.”
Lambert has been getting some reps with the offense this week. Prior to that Ramsey and Bauta were alternating the first-team snaps, Theus said.
Mitchell said his first impression of Lambert was that he was “a very smart individual.” Lambert graduated from Virginia in three-and-a-half years.
“It’s hard to give a rating on any guy who hasn’t played in a game yet. Or a big game yet,” Mitchell said. “I credit them all because they’re all working extremely hard to get the job done.”
Earlier this week an updated depth chart in Georgia’s media guide showed Ramsey listed with the first team and Bauta the second team. (Lambert did not officially join the team before the media guide was produced.) Richt reacted by sending out a tweet clarifying that no starter had been picked, and reiterated on Thursday it was “wide open.”
And when will a starter be picked? Potentially well into preseason camp, Richt said.
“It’s going to take awhile,” Richt said. “We’re going to see the guys we want to see compete, then decide on the guy we want to be the starter. But right now I don’t have any idea who that will be.”
Richt also reacted for the first time to the transfer of Jacob Park, the redshirt freshman who was third-team during spring practice. Park will play at Navarro (Tex.) Junior College this season.
“Things don’t always work out for a kid for a lot of different reasons,” Richt said. “The main thing with him is I want to wish him the very best. He’s a great kid. He’s a very good competitor, very talented guy. I’m just hoping that he lands in a spot where he can really thrive and finish out his college career.”
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