These UGA upperclassmen waited, and worked, to have bigger gameday roles
Player movement in college athletics has changed radically over the last decade.
Every offseason, more and more players enter the transfer portal in an attempt to find a new home. Whether in search of more playing time, a new coach or just a new environment, athletes are constantly on the move.
Georgia has certainly had its fair share of transfers over Kirby Smart’s tenure. However, this season will also feature several players who have stuck around, waited their turn and are now in line for a bigger role later in their Georgia career.
“That’s the way it should be,” Smart said. “You should want to play for your university. You should want to get your degree from the university.”
Senior linebacker Channing Tindall is a perfect example. A four-star recruit coming out of high school, his action at Georgia has mainly been confined to special teams and situational roles on defense.
He’s shined when he’s gotten the chance, with Smart calling him a “dominant” player on special teams. Now, with the departure of inside linebacker Monty Rice, Tindall will be stepping into bigger shoes in his final collegiate season.
“Just staying humble and waiting — when you start looking at it from a different perspective, from ‘I’m not playing’ to ‘I’m getting reps and I need to find out what I’m doing wrong,’ and just moving from there,” Tindall said of his career at Georgia. “You will definitely see the improvement of anybody from that point.”
Tindall is an athletic linebacker with speed to burn, the exact type of linebacker Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning love to have. He will be one of the top players in the inside linebacker rotation, along with junior Nakobe Dean and senior Quay Walker, another player who has had to wait his turn for expanded playing time.
In the secondary, Georgia has to replace six defensive backs from a season ago. That opens the door for a Bulldog like Ameer Speed, a senior corner in his fifth year in the program.
Similar to Tindall, Speed has mainly been a special teams player over his first four seasons. He drew the attention of his head coach with his work on the kickoff return team.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Speed said. “I can’t speak for anybody else’s blessing. They were there, they took advantage of the opportunities and they did very good at what they did. I’ve been here learning and just waiting for my time.”
Speed is obviously a veteran player who brings plenty of knowledge of Georgia’s defensive scheme. Along with his size (6-foot-3, 211 pounds), those smarts should benefit him as he looks to earn some playing time at corner.
Tindall and Speed have the same aspirations as most college football players. Eventually, they want to take their talents to the next level and play in the NFL.
With all the resources available at Georgia, Smart said there’s no better place to prepare for the pros.
“I tell people all the time, if you’re not going to be a starter at Georgia, what makes you think you’re going to be a starter in the NFL?” Smart said. “It doesn’t work that way. It’s easy to say, ‘Well, I couldn’t start at Georgia, so maybe I’ll go start somewhere else.’ How about getting your degree, play for your university, play for your teammates and try to win a championship, which to me is special.”
Smart has instilled an atmosphere at Georgia that emphasizes each player doing their job for the team. It might be as the starting quarterback or as a special teams ace, but each Bulldog has a role to play.
“I’m doing anything that can help the team out in any sort of way possible,” Tindall said. “I’m looking at it from the whole team’s my family, so why wouldn’t I do anything in my power to help them?”
That’s how Tindall and Speed approached the early part of their Georgia career. Now, as their time in Athens nears its end, their patience is finally paying off.
Georgia’s G-Day spring game: How to watch
What: The Bulldogs’ annual G-Day game
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, April 17
Where: Sanford Stadium
Watch: Streaming on SEC Network Plus