Carver’s Jarvis Jones credits Kirby Smart for his development as a coach

2. What are the strongest areas of this team, and what areas need the most work?

“I think trenches is the most important thing in the game of football, and we lost on both sides of the ball there, but I’m looking forward to this year with the guys that’s going to step up and play their roles. I think we’re still strong in those areas. The most impressive group, right now for me is our receiver corps, being that last year, we were a big run team. I’m still looking to be a big run team this year first and foremost, but last year, we had three backs. We rushed for over 3,000 yards last year, and all three of those backs are now gone. Two seniors and one freshman back, they are all gone now, so I’m looking for the guys that we’ve got now to step in and play a huge role in that part — not to make up for 3,000 yards, but to do it our way this year. This is a whole new team, so I’m looking for guys to step in at that position and take advantage of it. On the defensive side of the ball, I think we’re right where we want to be. We’ve got some talent coming back at different positions. So I think we’re trending in the right direction on both sides of the ball. As far as weaknesses, man, I really don’t want to say there’s a weakness, but we’ve always got room to grow in every area. I think when we scrimmage Lee County, it’ll tell us which areas to get better at. Right now, practicing against each other, these guys find a lot of tendencies within each other. They practice against each other every day, so they know each other moves, but I think our first really good look will be Lee County on August 14.”

Note: Carver returns eight of 21 players who made all-region. They include region defensive player of the year Jaeden Taylor.

3. You return the only freshman starting quarterback to win a state championship last year, Sebastian Heard. What does he bring to the table, and how has he developed in his second offseason?

“It’s amazing, the things he was able to do last year, but this year is a new team. A lot of guys have grown in the areas, and just watching him over the spring and the summer so far has been really, really good. We see he’s getting it, he’s understanding it, and his growth has been huge from a maturity standpoint with getting guys lined up, getting in and out of offenses, recognizing defenses, talking to our offensive line about our protections. Just seeing the maturity in the things that our offensive coordinator (Antwon Young) has been able to do with him over the spring and the summer so far is exciting, and I think his trajectory is still on the rise, and he’s got so much potential to continue to get better. So I’m excited for the things that I think he’s capable of doing and the things that he’s going to show us with what he’s going to do with the guys around him that got better, too. Our wide receiver corps got a lot better, so it was a heavy run team last year, and we’ve always been a heavy run team, but we didn’t have to rely on his arm much last year because we had three backs that could get it done. I just want to see what he’s going to be capable to do, putting the ball in the air and stretching the field, and at the same time, controlling our run game. I’m excited about how he’s going to go through the process this year, more importantly.”

4. You’ve coached at both the college and high school levels now. Who’s one coach at either level that has shaped you into the coach you are now?

“I think I piggyback off a lot of coaches, man. I spent more time with (UGA coach Kirby Smart), though, at Georgia. I think I spent six and a half, going on seven years there sitting in the defensive meetings with some of the best coaches in America. I’d have to say coach Smart, man. Just the way he loves the game, how he approaches it from a mentoring and physical standpoint, how he holds his players, coaches and the people that have a role in the program around football accountable. Just the expectation every day. With this game, you’re not always going to feel the best physically, and sometimes, you ain’t going to be here mentally. So you’ve just got to put your best foot forward and make your effort count twice. That’s my biggest thing, and watching him do it at the highest level, being around his coaching staff, and him being a Georgia guy and me being a Georgia guy, I think coach Smart probably has the biggest impact on who I am and how I go through my coaching and some of the things that I try to get done and grow myself and my players.”