When the Bulldogs fell to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in the 2018 national championship game, coach Kirby Smart said, “I think everyone can see Georgia is going be a force to be reckoned with.” Since that moment, all his program has done is find themselves being atop the world of college football, bringing in five-star talent while also developing other players to the Georgia standard. Smart emphatically mentioned the ideas of retention, stability, and being built to last as key values of this championship-caliber program.
Those key values will be put to the test this year. As the schedule looms, opponents such as Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee challenge the reigning SEC champs. These opponents are familiar foes as last year’s schedule featured the same matchups; however, this is a new team with a new identity, so only time will tell with these Bulldogs.
“We have got more new people in new positions than in the 10 years I’ve been here,” Smart said. “And every year, that has probably ratcheted up a little bit, but it is to the point where you almost have to start, like no one knows anything. Make no assumptions, don’t assume anything, and start all over and go ground up.”
Following the loss to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, many Georgia fans were left questioning what was next for this program. Quarterback Carson Beck was injured in the SEC Championship game with many people believing that would be his last game in the red and black … they were right but not in the way they expected. Defensive playmakers such as Malaki Starks, Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams are bound for the NFL with hopes of being a top pick in this year’s draft.
Though the heroes from Georgia’s back-to-back national championship teams are gone, Bulldog Nation should be very hopeful of what is to come with this year’s team.
On the offensive side of the ball, the first person that comes to mind is Gunner Stockton. The now rising redshirt junior made his presence felt when he led the Dawgs to a come-from-behind victory over Texas in the SEC Championship. While he will be entering this season with very little experience on the field, he is the epitome of what it means to be a Georgia Bulldog. He stuck around and sat behind successful quarterbacks, learning exactly what it takes to keep winning here in Athens.
Alongside Stockton are tight ends Lawson Luckie and Oscar Delp. The Georgia natives sat and learned behind one of the greatest tight ends college football has ever seen: Brock Bowers. With Delp’s production increasing as his career has progressed, his senior season will allow him to be a reliable playmaker for this offense as someone who knows exactly what is expected out of him. Luckie, a rising junior will take charge as a valuable asset as well in both pass-catching and blocking situations.
“Yeah, Lawson and Oscar are two of our leaders on our program,” Smart said. “They lead in toughness. They lead in carrying the torch for young tight ends in the room who we expect to be good.”
The defensive side of the ball has been the strong suit of the Bulldogs under Kirby Smart. When Georgia fans think back to 2021 and 2022, they think of a stifling defense that oftentimes held teams from scoring two touchdowns. Many players have come to Athens and left as decorated national champions and eventual Super Bowl champions, showing how impactful their time was in Athens. This year, a lot of players will be emerging into key roles at a young age. Players such as Ellis Robinson IV and KJ Bolden will have the task of being difference makers in the defensive backfield while only being in their second season. Another player is defensive lineman Christen Miller, who enters the year as a redshirt junior. He will likely be a leader in the trenches for the Dawgs, trying to help his fellow lineman bring back the dominance that Georgia fans are used to seeing on the defensive line.
Inside linebacker is the deepest position on the team with veterans like CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson; however, sophomores Chris Cole and Justin Williams are making a splash this spring as young leaders on this defense. “Who works the hardest?” said Smart. “Who practices the hardest when you watch the tape? Who do you say has that passion and fire that’s sometimes lacking all over college football now? It’s a different climate in college football. So, it’s funny because Chris Cole and Justin Williams have both been mentioned multiple times by people as extremely hard working guys. Like, they work hard, and I appreciate that about them.”
One of the many things that separates Georgia from other programs across the country is their longevity. Good teams come and go atop the rankings, but elite teams remain year after year. The Bulldogs haven’t been outside of at least a New Years’ Six bowl since the 2016 season. Besides coach Smart’s first season, Georgia has proven it’s a program that is built to withstand all obstacles to be one of the most decorated programs in the country.
As the game we know and love changes with NIL and the transfer portal, Smart and his staff have weathered the storm and kept winning football games in the Classic City. Some of the most talented players this school has ever seen have walked through the tunnel at Sanford Stadium since the Smart era, and that trend will not be leaving anytime soon.
“Young players are young players,” Smart said. “And we’ve got to grow these kids up and a lot of them are going to, you know, push for playing time or be in your depth. And we learned last year. I mean, we’re out there playing with a couple of true freshmen all over the field.”
While there will certainly be a lot of new faces being put into crucial situations, there’s no reason to believe that every player that steps onto the field can deliver when it matters most. There may be signs of inexperience and growing pains at certain points in the 2025 campaign, but this staff can work it out as well as anyone. This program does not have “down years.” They never feel sorry for themselves or give up on a season. They do everything they can to fill the shoes of their many first-round draft picks to keep playing for national championships each year. As Bulldog Nation will certainly miss certain players from last season, this 2025 team has a lot of championship-level athletes who are ready to be the next team to parade through Athens streets with the College Football Playoff trophy next January.