Cade Mays wound up at a different university than expected and is now at a different position than expected.
The 6-foot-6, 318-pound freshman out of Knoxville Catholic High School is currently practicing as Georgia's first-team left guard heading into Saturday's second preseason scrimmage. Mays had been working as the backup right tackle to redshirt freshman Isaiah Wilson, with his recent move inside resulting in fifth-year senior Kendall Baker shifting from first-team left guard to backing up sophomore Andrew Thomas at left tackle.
"Cade has played some right tackle and left tackle, and he's worked at guard," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday night in a news conference. "I think it's easier for him to stay on the left side. He's handled moving in there well, but it's just an experiment right now.
"We were going to do it for three days and then look at it and see. We haven't scrimmaged with him in there. Everything in a scrimmage turns on and goes a little faster, so hopefully we'll get to see some of that Saturday."
That Mays is even attending Georgia seemed ludicrous this time last year, when he was firmly committed to Tennessee. His father, Kevin, was an All-Southeastern Conference guard for the Volunteers in 1994, and Mays committed to his father's alma mater in 2015.
Yet when Tennessee's bad season in the fifth and final year under Butch Jones became worse last November, Mays decided to open up his recruitment. Georgia and Clemson became the teams to beat, and Mays committed and signed with the Bulldogs on Dec. 20.
Mays was the nation's No. 3 tackle and the No. 22 prospect overall in the 2018 signing class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, and he went through spring practice in Athens.
"I'm pleased with his work ethic," Smart said. "He's a hard-working kid, and he's a bright kid."
McGhee update
Smart updated the status of junior cornerback Tyrique McGhee, who has a small fracture in his foot.
McGhee was injured last Saturday during the Bulldogs' first preseason scrimmage.
"We think that he's going to be fine," Smart said. "He had a similar injury last year and he played with it. There is no certainty as far as him being out or in for the first game. We think he might be able to go out and play with it, because he played with it last year."
The loss of McGhee doesn't have the Bulldogs in any kind of transitional phase due to the numerous defensive backs working at multiple positions, said Smart, who explained Georgia is four deep at all the secondary spots. Smart added that senior tight end Jackson Harris is dealing with a foot injury and that redshirt freshman linebacker Robert Beal has an "undisclosed injury."
The Bulldogs open Sept. 1 against Austin Peay at Sanford Stadium.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.