Observations from the shade, practice edition

I’m not going to delve too deeply into what I saw Saturday afternoon, because it was just a practice, but there were a few things that caught my eye.

• First off, jeez, it was hot.  I sat in the 200 section, in the shade, and it still felt like a furnace.  My hat’s off to those hardy souls who braved sitting in the sun.  I don’t know how you people didn’t melt.  (And that includes the players and coaches.)
• The new turf’s got a little ways to go before it looks lush.  The hedges were looking fine, though.
• Overall, the practice was run efficiently, with plenty going on.  Even when the offense and defense were broken down into 7-on-7 groups, the linemen were organized on the sidelines, working.  Coaches were supplemented with plenty of support staffers.
• Kirby Smart is a hands-on kind of coach.  He was heavily involved with the defense, all over the field.  He can definitely chew some ass, and did, often.
• In case you’re wondering, yes, they do work on trick plays in practice.  (From what I saw, they need to keep on working on a couple of ’em.)
• My favorite moment of the day was Nick Chubb clearly relishing having hands put on him.  They weren’t allowed to tackle to the ground, but there was one play where he was sort of wrapped up, but pulled himself through.  Crowd loved it.
• By the way, the coaches weren’t kidding about Chubb being able to do what everyone else did.  But his touches were limited, compared with some other backs.
• Speaking of other backs, Elijah Holyfield looks like he’s going to contribute some this year.  He’s a little more compact than Chubb and a little shorter than Michel, but his upper body is really put together.  His vision and foot speed are SEC-caliber.
• The biggest surprise on offense was Tyler Simmons.  I knew he was quick, but he also looks smooth for a true freshman.  I’ve seen G-Day and Saturday’s practice, and between the two, my anxiety about the wide receiver position continues to lessen.
• In case you need the reassurance, yeah, the tight end position is loaded.  Nauta looks like a player.  I wonder where they’re gonna find enough balls for the group.
• Chigbu continues to impress.  He’s got the kind of size that comes in handy in the red zone and he looks more confident than he did last year.
• The quarterbacks?  I hate to sound like the coaches, but they all had their good moments and their bad ones.  I saw all three make some beautiful throws, but most came in 7-on-7, when there wasn’t a pass rush.  When they went 11-on-11, all had their times when they struggled.  Nobody’s pulled ahead, based on what I saw.  But none of the three are out of it, either.
• That being said, Eason has the best arm of the three.
• If Saturday was any indication, Jim Chaney intends to get the ball in Isaiah McKenzie’s hands early and often, by whatever means necessary.
• There is a clear drop in overall quality from the first-team offensive line to the second, which isn’t a surprise.  Catalina is big and strong, but he’s not used to the speed of SEC defensive linemen, as Thompson got past him easily a couple of times I saw with quick inside moves.  It’s early, though, and it’s clear the coaches would like to see him grab the first-team left tackle spot.
• Roquan Smith is coming on.  He is quick on blitzes and – wonder of wonders – easily picked up and covered Blazevich on a crossing pattern well enough to prevent a pass completion.
• Dom Sanders is ridiculously smooth. The way he baited the quarterback on his interception was almost unfair.  He is Georgia’s best defensive player.  All I can say is that if Kirby’s right that he’s just a second-team All-SEC defensive back, the conference must be loaded.
• Trent Thompson, as I indicated before, looked unblockable.  If he stays healthy, he’s going to be a handful.
• The other defensive back I came away being impressed by was Juwuan Briscoe, who is really good at positioning himself in space.
• I knew Mecole Hardman was fast.  But there’s high school fast and then there’s college fast.  He’s just fast.  And athletic.  I saw him make a good move to break up a pass and the two blocks he had on special teams were stunningly quick, especially the second one.  He’s not staying off the field this year.

That’s all I got.  Anyone else there can chime in with your observations in the comments.  Assuming you survived the blast furnace, that is.