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Georgia’s Specialists: Woodring Provides Certainty, But Two Big Jobs Must Be Refilled

Georgia heads into 2026 with one position that does not need much discussion: kicker. Peyton Woodring returns for his fourth season, which is about as close to certainty as you get in college football. The bigger questions are at punter and long snapper, where Brett Thorson and Beau Gardner both finished 2025 as national award winners and now need to be replaced.

Replacing a punter or long snapper does not get the same attention as a quarterback battle, but it is not something Georgia can ignore. Kirby Smart’s teams have made a habit of treating special teams as a real priority, and the results have backed that up. Even before Smart, Georgia was adept at punting, with Drew Butler winning the Ray Guy Award in 2009 and setting a bar the program keeps chasing.

Georgia’s recent run at kicker has been about as stable as you could hope for. Rodrigo Blankenship became a household name, then Jack Podlesny stepped in and made his share of big kicks. Woodring took over in 2023 and has kept things calm. Last season, he hit 17 of 19 field goals, did not miss an extra point, and landed on the All-SEC second team. For good measure, he was a Lou Groza semifinalist for the third time.

The punting job has not exactly been a weak spot, either. Jake Camarda set a high standard, and Brett Thorson followed with enough distance, hang time, and placement to win the 2025 Ray Guy Award. Meanwhile, Beau Gardner was named the nation’s top long snapper. So Georgia is not just replacing two starters. They are replacing the best in the country, at least if you trust the trophies.

Projecting the kicker position spot is about as simple as it gets. Unless something strange happens, Woodring will handle field goals and probably kickoffs, too. Connor Ferguson is still around as a backup, and freshman Harran Zureikat gives Kirk Benedict another name to develop. But Woodring is as established as anyone on the roster.

The punting competition has a bit more intrigue. Drew Miller is the favorite after filling in for Thorson in the 2025 opener, where he punted six times against Marshall and averaged 48 yards, with a long of 54. That is not a huge sample, but it beats guessing based on practice. Freshman Wade Register is the main challenger and got some spring reps, but Miller’s game experience puts him in front for now.

Long snapper looks like another spot where experience wins out. Will Snellings has been the backup for three years, including some work in the 2025 opener, and has learned behind Gardner. Freshman Colton Dermer is the other option and could be the future, but Snellings is the safe bet to start the season.

So the likely starting trio is Woodring at kicker, Miller at punter and Snellings at long snapper. Miller and Snellings have the classic specialist job: replace two award winners and try not to get noticed. For a special teams unit, that is usually the highest compliment.

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