Tony Walsh | The Red & BlackUniversity of Georgia defensive back J.R. Reed laughs after a question is asked at the 2018 SEC Football Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday.

ATLANTA — The Red and Black sports desk spent the morning of the second day of SEC Media Days covering Georgia’s availability to the media. Here are some of the biggest storylines that came from that.

No plans for Justin Fields to redshirt: Kirby Smart was asked if whether or not the “second quarterback” [Justin Fields] will redshirt for this upcoming season in regards to the new NCAA redshirt rule.

“I don’t see that happening, it’s certainly not in our plans,” Smart said.

This should come as no surprise to many Georgia fans. While this means that Fields will be available to play, it doesn’t mean that he will. However, Smart also said later on in his opening press conference that the team “will have the greatest competition we’ve had since (his) arrival.”

“(Fields) is going to come in and compete very similar to the way Jake Fromm competed with (Jacob) Eason,” Smart said. “He gives us an element we don’t have, I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Georgia not concerned with the ‘last play’: The overwhelming amount of questions to both Smart and J.R. Reed, Jonathan Ledbetter and Terry Godwin about the last play of the national championship seemed to be a bit excessive, but the responses indicated that they haven’t really thought much about that specific play.

It seems as if the play is advertised in any SEC or college football commercial on the ESPN networks, but both Smart and his players say they don’t really think about it much anymore.

“I think it definitely hurts the fans more than it hurt us,” Reed said. “We know what happened and there’s nothing you can do about it, you just gotta go on.”

Smart shared the same view as Reed but in a different sense. Right after the game, his coaching staff was on the road for recruiting.

If anything, Smart sees the game, albeit not the ending they desired, as a positive experience for his players.

“The entire season was a learning experience, a confidence builder,” Smart said. “They got to play in some incredible atmospheres.”

Smart comments on the promotion of assistant head coach Dell McGee: The 2018 Georgia football manual listed Dell McGee as assistant head coach, a different title than his previous one as assistant coach and running backs coach.

McGee earned the promotion after a report from The Athens Banner-Herald indicated that McGee earned a $200,000 raise earlier this year, which pushed his annual salary to $50,000.

“I always had tremendous respect for Dell because he knows how to lead young men,” Smart said.

Smart said the role is an increased position to be able to “bounce things off” whether it’s recruiting or how the program should do something. He noted that he appreciated the way that McGee can often see things in a way that Smart wouldn’t be able to.

“(He) is invaluable for me,” Smart said. “I appreciate what he has done for our program and our staff.”

Printed with permission from The Red & Black independent student media organization in Athens, Ga.; redandblack.com/sports.