Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, junior kicker Peyton Woodring, senior wide receiver Dillon Bell, transfer wide receiver Zachariah Branch, junior linebacker Terrell Foster and senior offensive lineman Micah Morris met with reporters Tuesday as the Bulldogs continued spring practice in Athens. Here are the key takeaways from their comments.
Scrimmage standouts and roster challenges
Smart kicked off the media session reflecting on Saturday’s scrimmage, emphasizing that despite fan interest in individual performances, the Bulldogs must focus on executing fundamentals.
“We have a long way to go,” Smart said. “It is to the point where you almost have to start like no one knows anything … and start all over and go ground up.”
With a higher-than-usual influx of newcomers — both freshmen and transfers — Smart admitted that developing depth now takes more time. He said the transfer portal often pulls away second- and third-string players who would otherwise learn in-house.
Bell, who returns for his senior season, showcased the roster’s adaptability by confirming he has taken reps at running back. The move helps cover for injuries at the position and showcases Bell’s team-first approach.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win championships,” Bell said. “We just gotta adapt and live up to the standard that the guys in the past have set.”
Meanwhile, Branch, a former USC standout, praised Georgia’s locker-room environment, saying it’s “a real brotherhood” that quickly helped him settle in. Although he admitted Georgia’s pollen has been a shock, Branch said the program’s accountability and winning culture made the transition worthwhile.
NCAA settlement and NIL concerns
A primary off-field topic was the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement hearing, set to begin next week. The case could bring a multi-billion-dollar payout to athletes and introduce major shifts like revenue sharing and roster limits. Smart’s candid worries reflect the uncertainty swirling around college football.
“We don’t know exactly what’s going to come out of this,” Smart said. “I don’t know if the kids win in this model that we currently have … but what’s going on right now is not good for anybody.”
Smart lamented the free-flowing nature of NIL deals and how some agents conduct Zoom calls “shopping” players to other schools, often before those athletes formally enter the transfer portal.
“There’s a lot of people doing, not illegal things,” Smart said. “They’re just manipulative money things … and what’s going to happen when there’s a correction in the market?”
Junior linebacker Terrell Foster and senior offensive lineman Micah Morris are among the players closely monitoring the developments. Foster, who joined Georgia as a walk-on, admitted he was concerned about potential roster cap changes, while Morris remains focused on spring ball.
“We’re just worried about getting better as a team on the field,” Morris said.
Offense’s new connection and special teams stability
While Smart works to align off-field matters, Woodring provides a steady presence on special teams. The kicker said that the coaching staff’s constant pressure in practice has prepared him for big moments.
“They create a lot of pressure … that’s where the most pressure comes, in those scrimmages performing in front of everybody,” Woodring said.
Branch aims to help the Bulldogs’ passing game, recalling how Bell pushed hard to recruit him from the transfer portal. Now, Branch is building chemistry with likely starting quarterback Gunner Stockton.
“We ran routes on our own time to get that timing down,” Branch said. “He’s really trying to win, trying to push himself to be the best version of himself.”
Despite uncertainty looming off the field, Smart emphasized the Bulldogs’ commitment to teaching and maintaining a championship standard. As spring practice rolls on toward the April 12 G-Day scrimmage, Georgia’s message remains clear: embrace the grind, block out distractions and build for another title run.
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