Georgia football coach Kirby Smart may have been speaking with some hyperbole recently when he was talking up Jared Wilson, who is expected to step into the Bulldogs starting center spot this season.

At least according to junior safety JaCorey Thomas.

Smart said that, “when you talk about athleticism at the center position, this guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs, believe it or not, our tight ends, our quarterbacks."

Whoa. Hold on. So just how many DBs can Wilson outrun?

“None of us,” Thomas said. “But he is fast. He is fast for an O-lineman, but I don’t think he’s outrunning any of us DBs.”

More: Six Georgia football assistant coaches get boost in annual pay including both coordinators

More: Georgia football landed KJ Bolden after 5-star committed elsewhere. Now he's in safety mix

Wilson’s teammates do gush about the athleticism of the 6-foot-3 and 310-pound Wilson.

“He’s a freak athlete,” guard Tate Ratledge said.

“It’s insane some of the things he’s able to do,” quarterback Carson Beck said.

Go on.

“His numbers are extremely athletic, over 300 pounds, can get to the second level as quick as anybody,” Smart said. “He is really athletic.”

Let’s dive into that by looking at offensive linemen at the NFL combine and how they compared to players at other positions.

Five offensive linemen ran a sub 5.0 40-yard dash. Three were faster than a quarterback, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler (4.95). Duke center Jacob Monk’s 10-yard split (1.66) was better than that of Minnesota tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford (1.67) and Western Kentucky quarterback Austin Reed (1.67).

Wilson, a third-year player who hails from Winston-Salem, N.C., credits his soccer background growing up as helping his athleticism.

“Just him running,” Ratledge said of what makes Wilson different. “The way he can get to a linebacker. Things you don’t normally see out of a center. He can get to a linebacker with helping your guards there at the same time. A lot of centers just have to climb straight up. The way he just has great footwork and can get things done up front.”

Starting left tackle Earnest Greene said Wilson is in a class by himself when it comes to the Georgia offensive linemen.

“Jared is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen just being a guy his size can move,” Greene said. “It’s not just straight line, it’s the ability to be able to bend and move laterally and as strong as he still is.”

Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia’s starting center the last three years, said Wilson’s explosiveness stands out. He called his lateral quickness "ridiculous."

The 3-cone drill can measure that. Lateral quickness may be an area where Wilson can hang with or outshine a quarterback or tight end.

“One thing I think people underestimate about Jared is he’s extremely smart,” Van Pran-Granger said. “Jared does a tremendous job of being able to dissect what defenses are giving him being able to make those ID points and also just digest what’s going on right in front of him in a split second. Once you add that and understand the offense and how explosive he is, it’s amazing what he can do.”

Van Pran speaks often to Wilson, who saw snaps at guard and center as a backup, and showed him the way going back a couple of years by watching film with him.

“Just teaching him different things on what you’re looking for, how to figure those guys out,” said Van Pran-Granger, now an NFL draft prospect. “I think Jared’s going to be really amazing this year. I really, really do. I think Jared has a big year for coming him. I’m super excited for him.”

Wilson feels suited to getting the call right at the position but wants to do a better job of finishing off a linebacker at the second level.

He said going up against future NFL first-round picks Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith early in his career helped prepare him for games.

It seems to be a smooth transition from back-up to Van Pran-Granger to starter.

“Everything’s been cool, calm and normal,” Wilson said. “My mindset is really make it my point to snap the ball and play ball. I know me and the guys behind me, we’re going to do our job and if we do our job, he’s definitely going to do his job.”

Fans can see Wilson in his frontline role on April 13 at G-Day.

"I am excited for the rest of the world to get to see Jared Wilson,” Smart said. “I don't put a lot of high expectations on people and anoint people. He has a lot to do to be the best player he can be.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: How fast is Georgia football center Jared Wilson? Depends who you ask.