ATHENS — Kirby Smart readily acknowledges that safety Rasean Dinkins is farther along in the development curve than past iterations of freshmen were.

Dinkins was one of just three 2025 signees to enroll at Georgia over the summer, as 27 of the 30 members went through spring practice. Since 2020, more and more high school prospects aim to get to college faster so as to get a jump-start on their careers.

But even though Dinkins — along with Thomas Blackshear and Dontrell Glover — didn’t arrive until recently, changes with the NCAA practice rules have allowed freshmen to get up to speed quicker.

“They show up in the summer, which is really not late because we’re doing more in the summer than we’ve ever done to get these young guys ready,” Smart said earlier in August. “So I feel like because they’ve done so much in the summer, they’re allowed to walk, they’re allowed to meet, they’re allowed to do all these things, condition. They’re probably like our midyears were in the spring where it’s a little bit of a shock to them: the tempo of practice, the volume of practice.”

Perhaps that is why Smart felt so comfortable hollering at Dinkins on the first day of fall practice. Dinkins, and his fellow 2025 signees, can’t ease into college life and Smart knows it.

When asked about Dinkins at a later press conference, Smart was complimentary of the Warner Robins, Georgia, native, praising Dinkins’ football IQ.

Dinkins likely isn’t in position to make an early impact at Georgia, but it isn’t so much because of his age but rather the fact that Georgia added three transfer defensive backs over the winter.

But there are a good number of freshmen that can play and will play right away at Georgia in 2025.

Juan Gaston has had a standout fall camp and put himself in position to possibly to start the season-opener at right guard. The days of a true freshman playing on the offensive line seemed to be long gone as Smart built up the Georgia program. Not since 2018 has one started a game.

Yet Gaston has put in the work in the weight room and it translated over to the field.

“Juan’s a mammoth of a human being,” senior Earnest Greene said of Gaston. “So there’ll be a lot of attention to him, no matter where he’s at or where he goes. But with that, it’s just about people, you wouldn’t be at Georgia for no reason. So it’s just a matter of fact to just tighten it up, build stuff up.”

On the defensive side of the ball, Elijah Griffin and JJ Hanne have been bright spots on the defensive line. There hasn’t been significant buzz around that group to this point, but Griffin and Hanne play with the fire, passion and energy Smart wants to see from this team.

At this point, it is fair to bring up that this Georgia team does not have the same stable of veterans that previous Georgia teams possessed. Only 11 scholarship players were on the 2022 national championship team.

Over half the team is made up of first or second-year players. And when you consider that 21 of the 28 members of the 2024 signing class that are still with the team redshirted a season ago, many of those players one year ahead of Gaston, Griffin and Dinkins don’t have the much more proven experience.

Traditionally, the farther away from the line of scrimmage a freshman is, the more likely they are to contribute right away. Add in the depth issues at running back, it’s perhaps of little surprise that Bo Walker continues to make a name for himself.

At wide receiver, CJ Wiley put forth his strongest showing this past weekend at the team’s second scrimmage. Tayln Taylor has also impressed at times this fall, as both push to crack the Georgia wide receiver rotation.

Throw in tight end Elyiss Williams and you’ve got plenty to like about what the skill players have been able to do this fall.

Georgia won’t need to rush those pass catchers onto the field. In part, Georgia is well-stocked with veterans at those positions.

But also because Georgia intentionally wants to develop Williams, Wiley and company the right way. Better to sometimes cook a meal in an oven than microwaving it.

“We’ve really been process-driven this camp,” tight ends coach Todd Hartley said. “I know that’s been a word that’s been around for a long time, that Coach Smart really come back this camp and not really focused on outcomes, right? And outcomes are easily, like you can really, your mind can wonder to start focusing on what stats or snaps or catches, touchdowns.”

Smart knows the dangers of leaning on freshmen who aren’t ready to play. He, too, recognizes the benefits of having a young team that plays hard.

“Energy, enthusiasm, non-complacency,” Smart said. “That’s not to label old teams as that, but you don’t have that problem with young teams.”

Games against Marshall and Austin Peay will give Georgia plenty of opportunities to play its freshmen early, especially if they start fast.

Based on what they’ve brought to fall camp, this 2025 signing class has brought some much-needed energy and promise to the team.