OFFENSE

Quarterback – Veterans 

Gunner Stockton is back and No. 1 on the depth chart heading into preseason practice. His memorable second half and overtime performance against Texas in Atlanta was enormous in delivering Georgia the Southeastern Conference crown. Much like Jake Fromm against Appalachian State in the 2017 opener, and Stetson Bennett at Arkansas in the first game of 2020, his number was called and he was prepared. Not fumbling on the vicious hit on the game winning overtime drive, losing his helmet but not the football, will live forever in Georgia lore. Stockton made his first start in the Sugar Bowl, and got all the first string reps leading up to the meeting with Notre Dame. Same story in the spring. 

Ryan Puglisi is currently the second stringer. The redshirt freshman has a good arm and a quick release. Being prepared to come on the field at any moment is a huge part of the preparation for a backup quarterback. Especially with a QB who runs with physicality and no fear. Hey, that helmet can come off. 

Newcomers

Georgia brought in two freshmen at quarterback. Ryan Montgomery was one of the top prep quarterbacks in Ohio. Hezekiah Millender was a late pickup. He played one season, following a family move, for former Bulldog baseball coach David Perno at Clarke Central in Athens. Millender flipped from Boise State. He’s an excellent runner, who had a long dash in the G-Day game, and last season threw 25 touchdowns and just one pick for Clarke Central. Montgomery suffered a knee injury early in his senior season last year, and missed spring practice. 

The Bulldogs have a verbal commitment for the upcoming class from Nashville’s Jared Curtis, one of the nation’s top rated prep signal callers. Mike Bobo has a group with only one collegiate start. But there is talent and a bright, bright future at the position. 

Running Back – Veterans 

California native Nate Frazer enters preseason camp as the top tailback. He had a very good freshman year, and showed promise. He also had the play of the year, scoring the game-winning two-pointer in the eighth overtime of the unforgettable 44-42 victory over Tech. Consistency is his key. Chauncey Bowens played sparingly as a freshman, but showed a spark and some burst in the spring that could be an indicator of an increased workload. Dwight “Peanut” Phillips is not real big, but he’s fast. His first carry of the season resulted in a touchdown in Jacksonville giving the Bulldogs the clincher in the 34-20 victory over the Gators. Then there is Cash Jones. His presence and importance has grown year by year. Jones had the touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 24-14 in 2023 against South Carolina. Last year, while Georgia was plagued by drops, not only was Jones an excellent runner, but he was Georgia’s most reliable receiver. Amongst the highlights, touchdown receptions against both the Gators and the Yellow Jackets. 

Newcomers

True freshman Bo Walker was an early enrollee and got a lot of action in the spring. He played well at G-Day, and showed a hard-running style. Always going forward. Walker is reminiscent of former Georgia standout Daijun Edwards, who could get low and then burst into that second level. The Bulldogs also made a transfer portal pickup. Enterprise, Alabama native Josh McCray, who has one year of eligibility remaining, ran for 609 yards and 10 touchdowns on 117 carries (5.2 per). His experience and physicality should give a lift to a Bulldogs running attack. Micah Bell, younger brother of Dillon Bell, also transferred, joining Georgia from Vanderbilt. 

Wide Receiver – Veterans

It’s not the elephant in the room, it was the elephant that all of college football saw last year. And it wasn’t just one or two guys. Georgia had a bad case of the drops. The Bulldogs led the nation in dropped passes last year. Combined with a running game that ranked near the bottom of the SEC, and Carson Beck leading the league in interceptions, that’s further evidence that Kirby Smart did arguably the greatest coaching job of his iconic career. Picks, drops, a run game that wasn’t vintage Georgia, and the Bulldogs swept Tech, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee for a fourth straight year, beat Texas twice and won the SEC Championship. Amazing. 

Senior Dillon Bell was tremendous as a sophomore. His performance in the Bulldogs 38-10 victory at Tennessee in 2023 was vintage Hines Ward.  If he can regain that consistency, Bell’s versatility and explosiveness make him a difference-making All-SEC candidate. He had a good spring game, which delivered a bunch of smiles Between the Hedges. Colbie Young also had an outstanding G-Day. A big receiver who got off to a strong start last year, most notably catching a touchdown in the season-opening 34-3 victory over Clemson. There will be a lot of attention on Georgia’s highly touted class of wide receiver newcomers, both freshmen and transfers, but the play of veterans Bell and Young and London Humphries must show the way. Sophomore Sacovie White has speed and could help on special teams. Cole Speer has been a solid backup and played well in the kicking game. 

Newcomers

Let’s start with the new transfers. Noah Thomas from Texas A&M is a big target, and Zachariah Branch, who comes from Southern Cal, is a shifty speedster who should have a special teams impact as well. The 6-5, 180-pound Thomas had 39 catches for 574 yards and eight touchdowns last season in College Station. Branch had 503 yards receiving on 47 catches with one score for the Trojans last year. As a freshman in 2023, Branch averaged 20.8 yards per punt return with a TD. These two will be expected to contribute immediately. 

The Bulldogs brought in a banner haul of prep prospects, signing five wide receivers. Talyn Taylor was the top prospect in Indiana, and a cornerstone of this class. Three Peach State pass catchers join the haul: C.J. Wiley, Thomas Blackshear and Landon Roland – all blue chippers who had outstanding prep careers. The fifth freshman is Tyler Williams from the Sunshine State. If the veterans are in form, and the transfers produce, that lessens the pressure on the growth rate of the freshmen. It is a promising group. 

Tight End – Veterans

Todd Hartley is the best tight ends coach in America, and an ace recruiter. His position group, which battled injuries a year ago, improved greatly as the season went on, and from Jacksonville on, it was outstanding. Senior Oscar Delp and junior Lawson Luckie form an outstanding duo. Of course, they follow in the footsteps of arguably the greatest pair ever, Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington, who played together on Georgia’s back to back national champions of 2021 and 2022. Bowers, Washington and Charlie Woerner – all Hartley proteges – are all performing at a high level in the NFL. Redshirt freshman Jaden Reddell shows a lot of promise as well. If Georgia is going to be great yet again in 2025, extending the Kirby Smart dynasty, it’s a good bet that the tight end position will again shine. 

Newcomers

Elyiss Williams from Camden County was one of the state’s top prospects and is the total package. At 6-7, 240-pound with a tremendous skill set, Williams has tremendous upside and could be a big time impact newcomer. Ethan Barbour is another in-state blue chipper. At 6-3, 235-pound, Barbour also comes ‘ready sized.’ He made some splash plays in the spring game. This is a one-two freshman punch loaded with potential. 

Georgia is once again recruiting very well at the position. There is one player, a proverbial big fish, that would be a highlight of the upcoming recruiting class. 

Offensive Line – Veterans

When Kirby Smart took over at Georgia, there were two position areas where the Bulldogs glaringly needed improvements. Offensive line and special teams. Check and Check. By year two under King Kirby, those two groups were transformed from weaknesses to strengths. And during the eight year dynasty, Georgia has boasted offensive lines and special teams as good as any in America. We’ll talk O-Line specifically here for now. Last season, it was good, not great. There were a slew of injuries, and the continuity was never there. And in the last game of the season, Notre Dame got the better of Georgia up front. A lot of talent was lost to the NFL, including both starting guards (Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild) and the starting center (Jared Wilson). So how will it shake out in 2025? There are a bunch of linemen on scholarship, so the charge now is to get that best five on the field together (and find two of three other regulars). 

Let’s start with four likely starters. Micah Morris is an outstanding guard. Big, strong, and athletic, Morris has steadily improved and is potentially one of the SEC’s top interior blockers. Earnest Greene has been a two-year starter, but was hampered by injuries. Will he play inside at guard? Will he return to left tackle? Or play on the right side at tackle? Monroe Freeling is a likely starter at tackle. Drew Bobo, who stepped in and played well when Jared Wilson was injured, is the first string center. Daniel Calhoun, a redshirt freshman who was a highly touted prospect, and has a shot to start. Calhoun can play inside and out. Smart, no matter who the O-Line coach, has always emphasized cross-training the linemen. There are several second and third year players trying to make the push. Michael Uini, Bo Hughley, Jamal Meriweather, Marcus Harrison, Malachi Toliver and giant Jahzare Jackson are second and third teamers who will all have a shot. The Bulldogs need for at least a couple of these players to emerge and make a push. 

Newcomers

Waltclaire Flynn, Jr., a Peach State native, began his career at Central Florida. He is now a Bulldog, and gives good depth to the interior of the Georgia offensive line. Juan Gaston headlines the true freshmen. At 6-7, 360-pound with athleticism, he is a big time prospect and a good bet to play some as a true freshman. He’s likely a future tackle, but could also play guard. Cortez Smith and Dontrell Glover and Mason Short are all highly recruited interior linemen. The Bulldogs future starting center could come from this group. Dennis Uzochukwu rounds out the true freshmen and projects as a tackle. 

When it comes to the biggest question marks on the team, the offensive line is arguably at the top of the list. The good news is, there are a lot of players to choose from. Will that hierarchy of talent present itself? Will five, plus two or three more emerge? 

The Bulldogs have verbal commitments from a trio of offensive linemen for the upcoming signing class. 

Kirby’s teams are tough and physical. The offensive line sets the tone. On the drive that gave Georgia a 26-18 lead in the national championship game victory over Alabama, the Bulldogs O-Line pushed the Tide around, a game after dominating Michigan. How about the performances in the thriller over Ohio State, and record smashing demolition of TCU for a second straight national title? The Offensive line was dominant. Protection and push. In the Rose Bowl win over Oklahoma, the Bulldogs offensive front pushed Oklahoma around, while Nick Chubb and Sony Michel ran wild in Georgia’s epic comeback. 

The offensive line has been hypercritical to the Bulldogs incredible success in the Kirby Smart dynasty, and the NFL is chock full of Georgia standouts up front. Now will Smart’s Bulldogs build that next Great Wall of Georgia? The position battles for those five starting spots will be amongst the most anticipated of preseason camp. 

DEFENSE

Defensive Line – Veterans

The defensive front is all about production and potential turning into performance and production. Let’s turn back to 2020, and the comeback victory over Cincinnati. Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt announced they would return in 2021 for their senior seasons as veteran anchors on the defensive front. Well the Bulldogs of 2021 made a historic jaunt through the campaign, capturing the national championship. At the head of that class was one of the great defensive lines of all time, featuring four first round picks. Davis (who won the Outland and Lombardi Awards), Wyatt and top overall pick Trayvon Walker were first rounders in the ensuing draft. Jalen Carter was a top ten pick in the next draft after helping lead Georgia to a second consecutive national championship. Georgia had the all-time great line in 2021, and the best D-Line in the country in 2022. The last two seasons, the Bulldogs were outstanding on the defensive line. This season, there will be some new faces sliding into leading roles, following in the footsteps of Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson. 

Christian Miller and Jordan Hall, both juniors, will be called upon to help anchor the front. Both were blue chip recruits who have been valuable reserves. Miller has 41 career tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two and a half sacks in his career. Hall has 14 career tackles, including a career best four in the Bulldogs vital victory over Tennessee last season. Redshirt sophomore Xzavier McLeod is back for his second season after transferring from South Carolina. He’ll be counted on heavily as well. McLeod had a strong spring game. Another junior, Gabe Harris, is battling for a starting spot at defensive end. Georgia is hoping for a collective emergence from a strong group of second year players. Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, Nasir Johnson, Justin Greene, Jordan Thomas and Nnamdi Ogboko were all heavily recruited, all have outstanding potential. As does Quintavious Johnson, who could play defensive end or outside linebacker. 

Newcomers

Two of the top prospects in the state – bona fide “five stars” – highlighted Georgia’s 2025 signing class. Defensive tackle Elijah Griffin and defensive end/outside linebacker Isaiah Gibson are the total package. Though it is very difficult to break through early up front in the SEC, both Griffin and Gibson could help early, and make major contributions as the season plays on – hopefully into late January. Two other true freshmen projected to play defensive end/outside linebacker could figure in the mix – JJ Hanne and Darren Ikinnagbon, were both regarded as four star prospects. Georgia also had a late addition to this class, with a familiar name. London Seymour, son of Bulldog great and NFL Hall of Fame three-time Patriots Super Bowl champion Richard Seymour, will play on the defensive interior. Georgia also brought in Josh Horton, a transfer from Miami, who played sparingly as a freshman. 

Kirby Smart and his defensive gurus love going with multiple looks to present ultimate confusion. The “Jack” position – a bit of a hybrid OLB/DE spot – has been a great strength for the Bulldogs through the years. So we’ll lump it with the defensive line this year. Johnson and some of the aforementioned highly touted true freshmen – plus redshirt freshman Kris Jones – will battle for snaps and the starting position with a top transfer, Elo Modozie of Army. The junior is a native of St. Augustine. He chalked up 34 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss for the Black Knights of the Hudson a year ago. Modozie, Johnson, Gibson, etc. There is a lot of promise here. 

Linebacker – Veterans

There are big shoes to fill in Jalon Walker, phenomenal player, leader and coach on the field. An All-American and the Falcons first round pick, Walker became the third Bulldog in the Kirby Smart era to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, joining Roquan Smith in 2017 and Nakobe Dean in 2021. Glenn Schumann has been in Athens since Kirby came home, and has done a fine job helping develop the Bulldogs standout linebackers. This group has a chance to be very good, and it starts with junior CJ Allen. One of the top ‘backers in the league last season, Allen had an enormous interception against Florida and critical stops against Tech that led to Bulldog victories over the Gators and Yellow Jackets. A rock in the middle, Allen tallied 76 tackles a year ago. Raylen Wilson is the other likely starter. He came on strong in the second half of last season, displaying athleticism and a knack for big plays. Wilson totalled 47 tackles, 7 TFL, a sack and a half, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble. 

Of all the players that made an impression at G-Day, Justin Williams was at the top of the list. One of the top prospects in the country, Williams got his feet wet last season. He looks like a five star ready to go from prospect to big time player. Chris Cole played well as a freshman, and assuming continued improvement, rounds out what looks like an outstanding quartet of inside linebackers. 

Newcomers 

Heir appairent Zayden Walker, like Griffin and Gibson, was one of the top prospects in the state. The future is very bright here. AJ Kruah was a late addition at the position. Georgia is in a very good spot at linebacker, once again. And there is an elite in-state prospect at the top of the Bulldogs recruiting wish list. 

Secondary – Veterans

Let’s talk real quick about the safeties that Georgia has turned out to the NFL over the last three seasons. Chris Smith, Javon Bullard, Malki Starks and Dan Jackson are four of the best to ever play at Georgia. Up next, KJ Bolden, who played very well as a freshman. He could be an All-American this season. Junior Joenel Aguero is a hard hitter at safety/nickel. There are a lot of hybrid players in the secondary. The return of All-SEC cornerback Daylen Everette for his senior season gives the Dogs a huge lift. Daniel Harris is back at the other corner, and JaCorey Thomas will fight for a starting slot at strong safety. A pair of redshirt freshmen, Demello Jones and Ellis Robinson IV were highly touted prospects who the Dogs are eyeing for breakout seasons. Jones was also a sensational offensive player at Swainsboro High. Ondre Evans and Kyron Jones provide good depth in the secondary. 

Newcomers 

There are a slew of true freshmen and transfers jumping on board at defensive back for the Bulldogs. We’ll start with the freshmen. Early enrollee Dominick Kelly had a terrific spring and has a nose for the ball. Todd Robinson, who also played quarterback at Valdosta, could be the free safety of the future. Jontae Gilbert, Rasean Dinkins and Daniel Okonkwo round out the freshman class. 

Georgia brought in three transfers at safety. Zion Branch, who’s brother plays receiver, had 15 solo tackles and deflected three passes for USC last year. Adrian Maddox had a fine season at UAB in 2024, totaling 44 tackles, forcing two fumbles and returning an interception 99 yards for a touchdown. Jaden Davis, an Atlanta native, had 40 tackles and an interception at Miami last year.

Kirby Smart was an All-SEC player and Academic All-American at Georgia. The secondary is in his blood. With analyst and former DC Will Muschamp and Co-DC (along with Schumann) Travaris Robinson, the secondary is in good hands … with Smart’s fingerprints all over a position that has been beyond stellar during this Bulldog dynasty. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Veterans

A strong case could be made that the kicking combination of All-American punter Brett Thorson and All-SEC kicker Peyton Woodring was collectively Georgia’s MVP during last year’s SEC Championship run. Thorson, a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, can do it all. The Melbourne, Australia native can boom it – like with his iconic 75-yarder against Tennessee in 2022 which was downed at the 1-yard line – and is a master of pinning the opposition inside the 10. It’s like Jack Nicklaus, long off the tee, with great touch on the greens. Thorson was injured in the SEC Championship Game. The opinion here is that he was missed more than the quarterback who was hurt against the Longhorns, when Georgia played in the Sugar Bowl. In 2023, there were ZERO PUNT RETURNS against Georgia. NONE! Not just no yards, no returns. ASTOUNDING! The Thunder From Down Under, averages 45.6 yards per punt, with 33 boots of 50 or more yards, while 55 times pinning the opposition inside the 20. He’ll be 100% at some point this season. Only time will tell. In the meantime, Drew Miller, who punted in the Sugar Bowl, is the frontrunner … until Thorson is ready. 

Woodring got off to a bit of a shaky start as a true freshman in 2023. But he nailed two field goals in front of a hostile crowd at Auburn in the Bulldogs 27-20 victory, and ever since has been incredible. He’s etching his name on the list of all time great Georgia kickers. Woodring was 21-of-23 on field goals last year and 21-of-25 as a freshman. Both of his misses last year were on attempts of over 50 yards, one with an impossible wind. He’s 119-of-119 on extra points. 

Once again, Georgia will be heavily reliant on its great kickers. 

Kirk Benedict has done a tremendous job with the kicking game. He’s one of the elite special teams coaches in the country.  

Think about this, in the SEC Championship Game victory over Texas, the Bulldogs wound up playing the third string holder. That’s preparation. Beau Gardner is the frontrunner at snapper, Stockton figures to hold. Zachariah Branch and White are the top candidates to bring back punts and kicks. 

Under Smart’s watch, special teams has become a strength, a weapon. That is the standard!