Arian Smith joined the Georgia football team as part of a 2020 recruiting class that featured guys now playing in the NFL in Kelee Ringo, Jalen Carter, Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington.

He’s been around long enough that a couple of his former teammates have left and returned as graduate assistants: Warren Ericson and Prather Hudson.

That didn’t diminish the redshirt senior wide receiver’s enthusiasm when he reported for yet another camp this preseason.

“It definitely hit me,” Smith said. “I’m like, ‘Woo, this is year 5.’ I’m excited regardless of what year it is. I love this sport. I’ll do it 100 times if I could.”

Smith, from Bradley, Fla., was a top 60 recruit himself, a four-star in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class.

He’s shown a big play ability at Georgia, but battled injuries (ankle, leg, wrist, toe, knee, shin) and inconsistency, which have him wanting more.

“I’m still hungry,” Smith said. “I feel like I didn’t play that much over the years with me being injured and things like that.”

Smith played every game last season and set a career-high in catches with 8 for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He hauled in the longest offensive play for Georgia in the SEC championship game against Alabama, a 51-yard reception.

He’s worked this preseason with the starters at receiver, along with Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell, for a group that added transfer wider receivers Colbie Young, London Humphreys and Michael Jackson III but lost a top contributor, Rara Thomas, after his dismissal following a domestic violence incident.

“I’m fired up about that group because we got a good group of protectors around them, a good quarterback to get them the ball, and a good group of tight ends,” coach Kirby Smart said.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Smith ran track for Georgia in 2021, finishing second in the NCAA outdoor 4×100 meter relay on a team that included Matthew Boling.

His speed is what teammates gush about.

“He’s fast,” cornerback Daylen Everette said with a smile. “He’s got crazy speed. … Speed kills and that shows with him.”

“There’s not a lot of people with his type of speed,” offensive tackle Warren McClendon said during the 2022 season.

Smith has 20 career catches for 539 yards, with six of the receptions going for touchdowns, including a 76-yard score against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl playoff semifinal win in the 2022 season.

He’s averaging 27 yards per catch as a Bulldog.

“I guarantee you that defense knows when number 11 is on the field because of the speed and the ability to make not just a 20-yard explosive, but he’s a guy on your team that could have a 70-yard explosive at any time,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “And the thing with Arian, we’re just trying to be consistent every day.”

Smith has a chance to be more consistent by being available for practice and games.

He’s embracing leading the receiving group and is one of a handful of players still left from that 2020 team along with Carson Beck, Dan Jackson, Xavier Truss and Tate Ratledge.

Smart said coaches have spent more time trying to develop Smith.

“He’s definitely a big special teams player for us and that’s been a big role for him,” Bobo said. “But a lot of times, he’s repped so many things in special teams, I get to have him during those special teams periods and really work on techniques of running certain routes. We’re not running full speed all the time, but talking about routes and body control, working on the deep ball, adjusting to the deep ball with our eyes, not necessarily running a full speed post or a full speed go.”

Smith has made his share of big plays, but also let some big plays slip away last season. His three drops, a 27.3 drop percentage according to Pro Football Focus, was highest among Georgia wide receivers.

Smart won’t let that or being sidelined earlier in his career cloud Smith’s value to the team.

“I think Arian has reached his potential,” Smart said. “I mean, he’s a guy that every time we’ve needed him to make big plays, he’s made a bunch of big plays. I don’t think a lot of the health, he can control that. There’s some things you can control, some things you can’t. Most of the injuries he’s had have occurred by circumstance or collisions, so I’m very pleased with where he is. I’m excited of the leadership he showed in that room spring through the summer, and even now he’s much more confident in himself. … I’m excited to see what he can do with it.”

Clemson defensive back Shelton Lewis reportedly suffered an injury during Clemson’s scrimmage ahead of their week one game against Georgia.

The official first week of college football is just a few weeks out and one of the biggest matchups of opening weekend is Georgia vs Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It has been pinned as a top-25 matchup as both teams were ranked in the preseason AP poll, and the Clemson Tigers might be without one of their defensive backs for the highly anticipated game.

According to ClemsonInsider, defensive back Shelton Lewis suffered a lower-leg injury during Clemson’s scrimmage over the weekend. They also reported that Lewis is on crutches and was unable to put any pressure on his leg. Lewis is a sophomore and was competing for one of the starting jobs in the secondary. Last season he played in 13 games for Clemson, starting in two of them. He recorded 10 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown last season.

The Tigers are expected to have one of the better defenses in college football this season, but losing a contributor like Lewis is a tough hit to the roster. Especially with a matchup against quarterback Carson Beck looming in the distance, who is expected to be in the Heisman race this season.

The Bulldogs opened as 12.5-point favorites over Clemson earlier in the offseason. But as the game inches closer and closer, the line has continued to move in Georgia’s favor.According to DraftKings, the Bulldogs are two-touchdown favorites, as the current line is now -14 points in the Dawgs’ favor.

The Bulldogs and Tigers will do battle at Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta on August 31st at noon. It will be the two teams’ first meeting since the 2021 season opener where the Dawgs won 10-3 on their way to their first national title in 41 years.

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Florida State went on a massive run on the recruiting trail earlier this summer, picking up ten commitments from the end of June to conclusion of July. With that being said, the Seminoles have been on the wrong end of a few decisions at the beginning of August.

On Monday, five-star offensive tackle Josh Petty announced his commitment to Georgia Tech over Florida State, Ohio State, and Tennessee. This is a disappointing finish for the Seminoles as Petty was one of the program’s top remaining targets and visited Tallahassee on July 28. FSU also hosted him for an official visit in June.

In the end, the Georgia native decided to stick around in the Peach State with the Yellow Jackets. Academics are a high priority for Petty and Georgia Tech is one of the most prestigious schools in the country in that category.

Petty played on both sides of the ball during his junior season. He started at offensive tackle while recording 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery at defensive end. Petty is a state champion wrestler and also competes in track and field.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive tackle is regarded as the No. 14 overall prospect, the No. 2 OT, and the No. 4 recruit in Georgia in the 2025 class according to 247Sports.

While this is a punch to the gut, Florida State still has one of the top offensive line classes in the cycle. The Seminoles hold pledges from five-star Solomon Thomas and four-star Peyton Joseph. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the coaching staff kick the tires on a few offensive tackles they lost out on this summer like four-star Ziyare Addison (Oregon) and four-star Lamont Rogers (Missouri). There are also some underrated options who could move up the board.

Florida State holds 13 commitments in its 2025 class which ranks No. 17 in the country.

The Seminoles will get an opportunity to duke it out with the Yellow Jackets on August 24 in the season opener.

READ MORE: FSU Football’s Mike Norvell Recaps Second Scrimmage With Two Weeks To Go Until Kickoff

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