This article was published with Dawgs247 on August 17, 2015 and can be found here.

Freshman cornerback Juwuan Briscoe was caught off guard when he settled in at Georgia.

It wasn’t his work plate, which can be backbreaking in preparation for the season. Being apart from friends and family, who are nearly nine hours away in Waldorf, Maryland, didn’t cause a stir either. It was the Southern hospitality of the people around him.

“Just how everybody is down here,” Briscoe said. “They’re all nice and stuff. Other people are hostile.”

The new surroundings on the field for Briscoe aren’t as surprising for him.

The 18-year-old has worked closely with defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and has been aided by his coaching style. Pruitt’s goal is to make things as simple as possible for the corners and accomplishes this by teaching concepts to his players. Leaving out complex play-calling makes the transition for new guys like Briscoe much easier.

A member of Georgia’s offense has also aided Briscoe in gearing up for his freshman season. Senior wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is the Bulldogs’ most experienced receiver but knows a thing or two about playing defensive back due to his stint as a two-way player. His knowledge on defending the pass has already helped Briscoe tremendously.

“He’s a veteran and he helps me a lot with disguising my coverage,” Briscoe said. “We’re just all competing.”

With the help of the coaches and players like Mitchell, Briscoe is setting himself up with a good start. He admits it’s on him to work hard each day and put in that extra effort to stand out. If he does it enough, he’ll have a shot to be one of the freshmen to earn playing time.

Briscoe’s situation is a unique one, but he isn’t the only Maryland product adjusting to life as a Bulldog.

Freshman offensive lineman Pat Allen played at Franklin High School in Reisterstown, Maryland and faced Briscoe’s Thomas Stone Cougars in the state playoffs last fall. The 30-0 victory for Franklin created a friendly rivalry between the new teammates, and Briscoe won’t forget about what happened anytime soon. Despite the battle last year, the two can serve each other well as they establish a new home in Athens.

Luckily for both Briscoe and Allen, the game they excelled at back in Maryland remains the same in Georgia.