ATHENS – Less than three weeks before the season opener against No. 3 Clemson, the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs have had to deal with more than their share of injuries and negative developments. But reports about the defensive backfield – a huge area of concern entering preseason camp – have been generally favorable, if not glowing at times.
Ameer Speed, a fifth-year senior and starting cornerback in that secondary, validated those reports Tuesday.
“We’re just trying to be a brotherhood,” said Speed, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla. “Coach (Jahmile) Addae and coach (Kirby) Smart and coach (Will) Muschamp have been working with us all, allowing us all to perfect our crafts and be the best that we can be. Also, like, being older guys, we’re trying to help each other out. If we see somebody do something wrong, we’re all like, ‘do this, do that.’ We’re all helping each other out, because we want to be the best that we can be, and we’re only as strong as our weakest link.”
Considering the Bulldogs are dealing with such a total overhaul from last season, the secondary remains a decidedly veteran unit. The group that is expected to start in the opener are all upperclassmen and well-experienced college players. Safeties Lewis Cine and Christopher Smith are a junior and senior, respectively, with 53 games played between them. One cornerback position is expected to be occupied by Clemson transfer Derion Kendrick, a senior and All-ACC selection while starting 23 of the last 24 games for the Tigers.
Likewise, the star position will be manned by either Latavious Brini, another fifth-year senior, or Tykee Smith, a junior transfer who earned second-team All-American honors playing a similar position at West Virginia.
And then there’s Speed.
One of the ironies is that Speed – the most veteran from the standpoint of being a fifth-year senior – stands to be the least experienced of the starting defensive backs. While he has played in 35 games in his career, which represents almost every one Georgia played in his three full seasons of participation, Speed enters the coming season without a career start.
That’s not something for which he apologizes. A former 4-star prospect, Speed has been a special-teams stalwart throughout his college career. Meanwhile, Speed has played behind some awfully good corners, many of which are making big money in the NFL.
“I’ve really just tried to allow myself to get better every day,” said Speed, who played behind first-and-second-round NFL draft selections in Deandre Baker, Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell the past three seasons. “I feel like I’ve been ready, but I’m just trying to be more demanding of myself this year, I’d say. It’s not like I had to do this or do that. I just wasn’t going to sell myself short when my time came.”
None of those guys that played ahead of him are built like the tall and lanky Speed. That should come in handy against the Tigers, which feature more receivers taller than 6-2 than Georgia will face all season.
Meanwhile, Speed he thinks skills and knowledge of the system have developed to the point that he’s as good as any of the players the Bulldogs could put out there. In addition to Kendrick, Georgia is working at cornerback redshirt freshman Kelee Ringo, a former 5-star prospect, and blue-chip recruits such as Nyland Green, Jalen Kimber, David Daniel and converted running back Lovasea Carroll.
Ringo started alongside Speed in Saturday’s scrimmage while Kendrick missed to attend a funeral back home. Meanwhile, one of the young defensive backs creating the biggest buzz in camp is freshman Kamari Lassiter, one of only a handful of 2021 signees who did not arrive on campus until this summer.
“Kamari has taken huge steps,” Speed said. “When he also gets his chance, he’s going to be a very explosive player. He’s very twitchy and always flying to the ball. I can’t wait to see him get his shot.”
And so is the attitude among the defensive backs. Speed said he doesn’t see any of them as competitors. Instead, he refers to him as a band of brothers that everybody in the group is trying to ready for the great battles of the coming season.
“It’s never a battle between us,” Speed said. “We’re all here to get each other better. When D.K. (Kendrick) first came in, he was welcomed with opened arms. We’ve all been there for him. We all sit and laugh with each other every day. It’s all about how can we help. D.K. has a lot of experience, and that’s going to help all of us out.”
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