Georgia freshmen defensive backs embracing competition on practice field

ATHENS, Ga. -- Football is often a numbers game. And when a position group begins to fill up in a given class, potential recruits can be deterred.

As for Georgia, it stockpiled its secondary in this past class and no one on board seems to mind. In total, the Bulldogs inked seven defensive backs to a group that is already littered with sophomores and juniors.

However, the idea of competition is something attractive for this group of youngsters, who said they didn't mind being a part of a large group of sought-after recruits in the secondary.

"I know there's going to be competition wherever I go," freshman Rashad Roundtree said. "I wasn't really concerned about choosing a place with less competition. I just chose a place that would be best for me."

"I really didn't pay much attention," said Rico McGraw, when asked about the large group of freshmen defensive backs. "I knew what I wanted. I wanted to come in and play as soon as possible, contribute as soon as soon as possible -- with special teams or with the ones."

"It's going to be special," freshman Juwuan Briscoe said about the depth in the back end.

Each of these freshmen have already settled into different roles with the secondary. Briscoe is focusing solely on cornerback. McGraw is working primarily at the star position but is getting some cornerback work as well.

Roundtree said he hasn't been assigned a spot but that he could fit in anywhere in the secondary. Roundtree is like a lot of the defensive backs in that they're being cross-trained for multiple positions.

"It actually helps out a lot, just to play one position but know what the other position's responsibilities are," Roundtree said. "As a player, you sometimes have to rely on them. But you can actually rely on your own eyes to make plays."

McGraw said defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt told him during his recruitment that he specifically wanted him to play the star. At 6-0 and 190 pounds, McGraw said he fits the mold of what Pruitt is looking for at the position.

"I am one of the bigger DBs on this team," McGraw said. "I take pride in being able to move at this size. The star is a unique position that many people aren't able to play. I do have many attributes to be able to play that."

It figures to be a tough battle for the seven freshmen in the secondary over the next few years, at least when it comes to intrasquad competition for spots on the two-deep.

"I know it's all a fight between us but we all come together and we all help each other," Roundtree said. "We know we'll be great and we all want to play together."

<b>Blankenship competing at punter, kickoff spots</b>

As Georgia recruited placekicker/punter Rodrigo Blankenship, he was told to be ready for an open competition when August came around.

Blankenship, who joined the Bulldogs as a walk-on, is competing for both the punter and kickoff specialist roles this season. Blankenship, who played high school football at Sprayberry in Marietta, has a legitimate shot to wind up with one of those two roles this season.

"Coaches have told me, when they recruited me, you need to come in here in the summer with the mentality you're trying to win a job, whether it's kickoffs, field goals or punts," Blankenship said. "Whatever it is, have the mentality you're trying to win a spot."

Though he has a chance to earn a spot with this year's team, there's still the chance Blankenship could also be redshirted. After all, kicker Marshall Morgan is back for his senior year after a solid junior campaign. If the Bulldogs feel comfortable to once again go with Morgan, he very well could assume kicking and kickoff duties.

Though Blankenship referred to himself as a kicker first, the punting job could be up for grabs.

A season ago, punter Collin Barber, who dealt with a back injury, managed an average of just 39.3 yards per punt, despite posting five punts over 50 yards or longer.

Blankenship held scholarship offers from Army, Navy, Wofford and Davidson but chose to walk on to Georgia, partly due to the chance of future playing time with Marshall and Barber both being seniors this year.

"Georgia's always felt like home to me," Blankenship said. "I've been coming to kicking camps since I was a little kid. I guess I saw there was an opportunity for me. If I was able to perform at a high standard my first year then I would have a chance. That it was always a possibility to earn a scholarship in the future. It was great to stay close to home, stay in the same state. I just hope I have a chance in the future."

<b>Richt wouldn't mind scrapping two-a-days</b>

Though Georgia has already had two two-a-day practices, head coach Mark Richt said he wouldn't mind seeing his team go without one during the preseason in the future.

With the toll two practices in one day can take on a player's body, Richt said he understands the need for better recovery instead of taxing a college athlete with two tough practices back to back.

"Two-a-days, I could do without them," Richt said. "I do like the recovery time, I like the film time, I like being thorough as a teacher. I like getting some lifting in during that time. I could live without having a two-a-day."

Richt does see both sides to the issue though.

Every coach wants to maximize the most out of practice time, and Richt wants to get each possible practice in during the preseason. But more and more programs have cut back on two-a-days.

Even the NFL eliminated two-a-days following its most recent collective bargaining agreement in 2011.

"The biggest benefit of two-a-days, right now, in my opinion, is in order to get your 29 practice opportunities in," Richt said. "If you need two-a-days to accomplish that goal then it's worth it. If you could push it out to where you had a one-a-day every single time you practice, I'd probably be for that. But when you do that you push it back into summer school.

"This is one of the few summer schools we weren't taking finals and trying to have our first days of acclimation at the same time. There was usually not much of a break. If you pushed it further back, there was usually not a break at all."

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Georgia freshmen defensive backs embracing competition on practice field ."