UGA coach Smart to open practice to fans

7:59 PM ET

ATHENS, Ga. — Kirby Smart is inviting fans to a practice at Sanford Stadium in part because he wants to see how his players respond to the extra attention.

The new Georgia coach won’t be watching as closely to see how fans respond to the players, including those in the quarterback competition.

Smart, the former Alabama defensive coordinator, launched his first preseason practice with Georgia on Monday. He is opening practice at Sanford Stadium to fans on Saturday, which also is the annual fan day with opportunities for photos and autographs.

Freshman Jacob Eason, the biggest name in Smart’s first recruiting class, may be the fan favorite to beat out returning starter Greyson Lambert and Brice Lambert at quarterback. Smart said he won’t be swayed by which quarterback draws the biggest cheers.

“Do the fans impact my decision?” Smart asked. “Absolutely not. They can go out there and cheer and scream for him, but I’ve got to make the best decision for this team. Ultimately, who the fan favorite is, that’s going to be the guy that wins the games, I promise you. If Eason loses a game, they won’t like him, either. They won’t like me, either.”

None of the candidates …

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