A Japanese maple would not be my first choice for a very sunny position in Georgia but they could work. The foliage will green out some in summer in your sun and intense heat may also pose a factor. Adequate deep irrigation should counteract that. Japanese maple do not have invasive root systems so they should not be a concern with respect to the drive.

Sorry I've confused you.Clear the soil and mulch now,the base of the trunk needs to be able to 'breath' and not be buried in damp soil.The trunk should be exposed right down to where it begins to bulge out(called the root flare),immediately above the roots.It's quite common to have to remove 2-3" where nurseries have potted them too deep.If it's not rodent damage it could even be the dampness around the trunk base that triggered the peeling.I suggested autumn as the time to raise the tree up if you think it's planted with the root flare below the surrounding soil level. You can't beat using your hands for checking soil moisture.Use a small trowel and dig down the full depth of the roots just outside the rootball and feel if the soil's nice and damp down there but not soggy.One usually gets some dieing of leaves on newly transplanted trees,especially if your summer's hot.The bark damage isn't helping either.There's probably not a lot you can do about that apart from getting the watering right.Don't be surprised if it loses some more leaves until it starts recovering and settling in. I suggested a general fungicide just as a precaution because the trunk base will be very damp now and it's something most people have in their shed.Don't worry if not have,the important thing is to get the bottom of that tree exposed and dried out so it can heal,and to get the watering right.

the base problem with bloodgood.. as i understand it ... is that there is no known true plant... apparently.. for decades.. any red seedling off such a plant.. was presumed to be bloodgood ... and they are so mixed up in the trade ... who knows what you get ... so if you want a predictable color.. i suggest.. you buy some other named cultivar.. to insure you get what you are actually paying for ... in other words.. skip bigboxstore ... on the other hand.. price rules.. and who realy cares.. if it greens later in the year ... would you complain if the little rug rat with brown hair went blond in summer sun??? .. would you love him less??? .. multi season interest is usually a plus in the garden ... not actually standing there.. let me suggest.. that in no way .... would i consider that spot full shade ... if you have glasses that darken in sun.. and you stand in that spot.. and they stay dark ... that is a fair indication... that there is a lot of light there ... ken

Planting a Japanese maple is really no different from planting any other type of tree. You want a planting hole that is at least 2-3 times the diameter of the rootball but slightly less deep and with gently sloped sides. Site the tree in the hole so that the root flare (where the trunk begins to spread out into the root mass) is at or slightly above the soil surface. When in doubt, higher is always better :-)) Backfill with the soil removed (no amendments!!) and firm in well. Water thoroughly and mulch well....any amendments you might want to have added can be used as the mulch or topdressing. Just avoid this material from actually touching the trunk. And since it is now nearly summer and not a great time for planting trees, you will need to pay very close attention to watering needs