Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp encourage DB signee: 'I'm in good hands'
The Kirby Smart – Will Muschamp impact can’t be appreciated enough in moments like this.
Georgia needs to replace recently departed defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae. He’s enjoying his first rays as Miami’s secondary coach while I’m grateful for a 50° day in Athens.
Players, signees and recruits can’t help but wonder now, ‘what’s next?’
Luckily, the Dawgs have a couple of secondary experts to bridge Georgia’s temporary gap.
Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp provide stability
One signee, Julian Humphrey (On3’s #18 CB), commented on the uncertainty in the wake of Addae’s departure. Humphrey isn’t an early-enrollee. He’s still wrapping up his high school career in Texas.
It’s understandable that he may feel like he’s on the outside looking in at a position coaching change that directly impacts his football career.
When you consider that:
– The Kirby Smart – Will Muschamp connection dates back to 1994 as players at Georgia
– Smart began his coaching career as the secondary coach on Muschamp’s defensive staff at Valdosta State in 2000
– Muschamp was an under-appreciated X-factor analyst on Georgia’s historic 2021 defense
It probably goes a long way to calm your nerves while you wait to figure out who your next coach will be.
Julian Humphrey provides depth and a ton of speed
Georgia’s secondary was its weak spot in 2021. That’s a crazy sentence to type, considering one of its constituents ended any National Championship doubts with a pick-six.
In 2022, it may be tougher for a freshman like Humphrey to immediately crack the lineup for meaningful snaps.
That doesn’t mean it will be impossible. You can’t hide speed like this forever.
Ultimately, Humphrey de-committed from Florida. He wants to know who his position coach will be, and that the situation will be as good or better for him than Addae was.
Regardless of who takes over, Smart and Muschamp are paving the runway for another worthy replacement.
That’s got to be a comfort for every defensive back on the roster, and on the way in.
