ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia Bulldogs practiced in shoulder pads and shorts for just over two hours on Tuesday afternoon. The session began outdoors but moved inside to the William Porter Payne and Porter Otis Payne Indoor Facility following the threat of lightning just over the halfway point.
Tuesday’s workout was the 16th of Georgia’s fall camp. The Bulldogs will conduct four more practices before beginning their game week prep for the season opener.
Senior linebacker D’Andre Walker and junior tailback Elijah Holyfield were among players who discussed the team’s preseason progress with the media on Tuesday.
Walker, who was second on the team last season in both sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (13.5) despite not starting a game, is expected to make an even great overall impact this fall.
“I’m just making sure I stay in shape and making sure I help make sure my team is ready to play at the best of its abilities,” Walker said. “I feel like everybody is getting better each day, whether it’s the middle linebackers or the outside linebackers. I feel like everybody is gaining a little bit as each day goes by.”
Walker has been impressed with the Bulldogs’ running backs despite the loss of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to the NFL.
“They recruit so many great guys every year,” Walker said. “They are all pretty fast, but they don’t mind running you over if that’s what it comes down to.”
Holyfield, who is one of the tailbacks in the hunt for more carries this season, is pleased with the offensive line in front of him.
“They open big holes, so I love them,” Holyfield said. “They’re super big so it’s a running back’s dream. When you don’t see nothing but your guys clearing the way, it’s a dream.”
Holyfield was asked if he and the other tailbacks discussed the opportunities available after the departure of Chubb and Michel.
“Our coach (Dell McGee) always says to do less thinking and more working,” Holyfield said. “That’s what we’ve got to do. We just go to work because that’s the only one way to replace the type of great guys like that.”
The Bulldogs, who have been ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the preseason editions of the AP and coaches polls, respectively, will open their season a week from Saturday when they host Austin Peay at Sanford Stadium. A limited number of tickets for the game are still available via georgiadogs.com. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, with Beth Mowins calling the play-by-play, Anthony Becht serving as color analyst and Rocky Boiman handling sideline reporter duties.
