ATHENS — It’s often been said this offseason that Kirby Smart has a young team with unproven players.

That’s technically true, but these players have proven something to Smart at some point or he wouldn’t have recruited them.

Seeing was believing last Friday, as this Georgia football team passes the eyeball test as much as any since the program’s 2021 CFP Championship team.

Here are five observations that indicate Georgia football will once again be in the hunt for an SEC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoffs:

Kirby Smart Kudos

Smart doesn’t typically talk about offseason test results, but he didn’t hesitate to share how well this team performed in offseason metrics.

“We had some outstanding testing numbers that I’m really excited about for our guys,” Smart said at the top of his remarks.

More importantly, Smart also praised his team for holding one another accountable and talked of watching them train amid a 110-degree heat index.

“They do push and challenge each other, (and) that’s what I’m enjoying about this team so far,” Smart said, “is they’re not afraid to hold each other accountable and get after each other because they know that they’re stronger together than they are apart.”

The head coach likes this team, and that says a lot.

Fist bumping D-Line

Christian Miller looked as strong and athletic as ever when his 6-foot-4, 310-pound frame fired out of a stance during Friday’s workout.

Working right beside him was an up-and-coming freshman, Elijah Griffin, who is also listed at 6-4, 310.

This is one instance where the numbers can be believed, the two players look very similar standing next to one another.

That says a lot for Griffin’s physical development at such an early stage of his career, but what said even more was the fist bump Miller shared with him after a drill.

That says a lot about leadership and encouragement, which for all of the coach speak in most every program, is not a given.

Talented Tight Ends

Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie and, to a certain extent, speedy Jaden Reddell are the Georgia tight ends expected to get the majority of snaps this season.

But watching freshman tight ends Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour go through drill work was impressive, each possessing great size and athleticism.

Georgia’s tight ends should be able to create mismatches of all varieties in each contest with these athletes of great size, speed and coordination.

Gunner’s Growth

Gunner Stockton is the most pivotal unknown on the team, for all the work he has put in and positive reviews about his work habits and disposition.

Until Stockton gets the job done on Rocky Top and beats Alabama, there will be questions about his ability to win the big game.

Stockton looked stronger, faster and more certain in his drill work last Friday than he did in his shaky G-Day Game outing, and that’s a tribute to his offseason work and physical maturity.

It also has to do with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo designing an offense that plays to Stockton’s strengths and minimizes his weaknesses.

Justice League

Georgia has one of its more physically imposing linebacker rooms of the Kirby Smart Era, and that’s saying a lot.

“That room has been one of our strengths throughout the time we’ve been here,” Smart said. “(Glenn Schumann) has done a great job recruiting. He does a great job developing. He does a great job packaging things to where you can get multiple inside linebackers on the field.”

The Bulldogs should have more than adequate defensive line play that will give the linebackers room to move as well as a sticky, assignment sound secondary that will have quarterbacks holding the ball a tick too long.

Schumann will be poised to use the LBs in strike force fashion this season, leading to plenty of havoc.