Jump To Top of Page
SEC East Collision Course: Bulldogs and Vols Set for Early 2025 Showdown
A pivotal early-season Southeastern Conference clash is set for September 13, 2025, as the Georgia Bulldogs face the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. This Week 3 game will be a critical test for two programs with SEC East aspirations, both navigating significant personnel changes. The early timing means neither team will be a finished product, amplifying the impact of new player integration and scheme adjustments.
Georgia’s Reload: Returning Stars and New Challenges
Under coach Kirby Smart, Georgia aims for another national title run despite offensive transitions. Quarterback Gunner Stockton steps in as QB1 after his first career start in the College Football Playoff, benefiting from a full offseason in the lead role. His success hinges on a significantly rebuilt offensive line, described as the “biggest rebuild for Georgia in recent memory,” potentially replacing up to four starters. Key returning linemen are listed below, but their cohesion by Week 3 is a major question.
- Monroe Freeling: Projected to be the starting left tackle, and previously split starts with Earnest Greene at the position.
- Micah Morris: Expected to start at left guard. He has played in 33 career games and made four starts at Georgia.
- Earnest Greene: Expected to be the starting right tackle. He also split starts at left tackle with Freeling in the past season.
- Drew Bobo: Expected to be the starting center.
- Daniel Calhoun: The most advanced of the 2024 offensive line signees.
- Bo Hughley: Expected to be a rotation player at left tackle.
The running back room will feature sophomore Nate Frazier, who is expected to take on a larger role as the lead back, and Cash Jones, who will likely continue as a reliable third-down back. Illinois transfer Joshua McCray is expected to provide crucial support. Dawg fans hope that Roderick Robinson’s return from injury could also be a factor, while Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips, who gained experience as freshmen, are also expected to contribute more.
Experienced wideout Dillon Bell is joined by explosive USC transfer Zachariah Branch, while Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie return at tight end. The offense must replace key 2024 producers Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith.
Defensively, Georgia expects to maintain its elite standard. The linebacker unit, ranked No. 4 nationally by Pro Football Focus, is anchored by C.J. Allen and Raylen Wilson. Freshman standout Chris Cole is poised for a larger role. Safety KJ Bolden is a projected star in the secondary, alongside nickel/star Joenel Aguero and highly-touted cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. The defensive line returns Christen Miller, with Jordan Hall expected to step up. Freshmen Elijah Griffin and Isaiah Gibson are also anticipated to contribute after the loss of Mykel Williams to the NFL. Smart is integrating 38 newcomers (28 recruits, 10 transfers) following 13 NFL draft departures and 16 transfers out, testing his renowned player development system.
Tennessee’s Transition: Volunteers Look to New Leaders
Tennessee, under coach Josh Heupel, also faces significant offensive changes. With Nico Iamaleava’s departure, UCLA/Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar takes over at quarterback. In 2024 at Appalachian State, Aguilar threw for 3,003 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Heupel is focused on integrating Aguilar and building timing with receivers. Some see Aguilar’s “gunslinger” mentality as a potential offensive catalyst.
The Vols must replace star running back Dylan Sampson (1,491 yards, 22 TDs in 2024). DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, and Duke transfer Star Thomas will form a committee. Leading receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. also departed for the NFL. Sophomore Mike Matthews and senior Chris Brazzell II are key returning wideouts, with Miles Kitselman at tight end. The offensive line returns left tackle Lance Heard but adds transfers Sam Pendleton (LG) and Wendell Moe (RG), with freshman David Sanders Jr. projected at right tackle. Tennessee ranked 87th in returning offensive production even before Iamaleava’s exit.
Defensively, Tennessee is expected to be a strength, ranked No. 7 nationally by SP+ and returning the 22nd most production, including four secondary starters. All-SEC edge rusher James Pearce Jr. (7.5 sacks in 2024) is a significant loss. Senior LEO Josh Josephs (9 TFL in 2024) will be key in filling that void. The interior line features returning starters Bryson Eason and Dominic Bailey. Linebackers Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander return, as do cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson, STAR Boo Carter, and safety Andre Turrentine.
Smart’s Shadow: The Kirby Factor vs. Tennessee
Kirby Smart holds an imposing 8-1 record against Tennessee, his only loss coming in 2016. Since then, Georgia has won eight straight, the Bulldogs’ longest streak in series history, with an average victory margin of 26.4 points from 2017-2023. The 2024 game ended 31-17 in Georgia’s favor. This dominance creates a psychological hurdle for the Volunteers. Smart has acknowledged Heupel’s unique, up-tempo offense, stating his defense employs specific schemes to counter it, emphasizing rapid alignment and execution.
Kirby Smart’s Head Coaching Record vs. Tennessee Volunteers
Early Verdict: Key Factors for a September Showdown
This early 2025 matchup hinges on how each team navigates its offensive transitions—Georgia’s offensive line rebuild versus Tennessee’s new quarterback and skill position players. The team whose new units gel faster will have an edge. The coaching battle between Smart and Heupel will be critical, especially given Smart’s series dominance.
Defensive strength will be paramount. Tennessee’s highly-ranked defense will test Georgia’s evolving offense, while Georgia’s perennially talented defense will challenge Aguilar and Tennessee’s new offensive configuration. The immediate impact of numerous newcomers on both sides—38 for Georgia and key offensive transfers/starters for Tennessee —will also be crucial. Amidst these variables, Smart’s consistent success against Tennessee and Georgia’s proven reloading capability offer the Bulldogs a historically validated advantage in this early, high-stakes SEC East encounter.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Tennessee 20
T/F: Stephanie Ratcliffe Wins Hammer Throw National Title
Georgia’s Stephanie Ratcliffe won the second hammer throw title of her career and three other teammates posted top four finishes during the second day of the NCAA Outdoor Championships Thursday.
In addition to Ratcliffe, freshman Manuela Rotundo and senior Lianna Davidson collected second and fourth-place finishes, respectively, in the javelin and senior Kelsie Murrell-Ross lengthened her throws as her shot put series continued to take sixth.
Ratcliffe a fifth-year graduate transfer who is a native of Melbourne, Australia, lifted her fourth attempt a national leading distance of 71.37 meters/234 feet, 2 inches to edge the nearest competitor by just over a foot. This is Ratcliffe’s second national championship in the event after she won the 2023 crown at Harvard.
In fact, Ratcliffe is the first competitor in NCAA history to win two national championships in the women’s hammer at two separate schools and the first competitor to win the title in non-consecutive years. Her title is the first in the event for Georgia since 2010 (fourth overall) and she is the first scoring All-American in the event for the Bulldogs since 2017.
“It feels incredible to win,” said Ratcliffe. “It’s so nice to be doing it for something other myself. I am so, so excited for this women’s team and I think we have such a great chance of doing something really special (in Oregon). I am proud I have done my job to kickstart the team.”
Team Scores: The Georgia women have the lead with 26 points while Illinois (16.5), Washington (16), Louisville (15), Colorado State (10), Missouri (10) and New Mexico (10) make up the rest of the top five.
Following the completion of the decathlon for the men on Thursday, Minnesota (23) has the lead over New Mexico (18), Florida (18), Kansas (13.5) and Ole Miss (12) in the top five. The Bulldogs are in an eight-way tie for 15th with six points.
Georgia also finished with four qualifiers during the first day of the women’s competition. Junior Aaliyah Butler was the first Bulldog to advance to Saturday’s final in the 400m. Training partner Dejanea Oakley joined her teammate in the 400m final two heats later. A third leg of the 4x400m relay, freshman Michelle Smith, won her heat in the 400m hurdles and punched a ticket to the final. Finally, Smith, Butler, sophomore Sydney Harris and Oakley combined to complete four laps in the 4x400m relay semifinal as the second-fastest qualifier,
Other than the decathlon running Wednesday-Thursday and the heptathlon going Friday-Saturday, the meet is set up to be a men’s competition on Wednesday and Friday and a women’s competition on Thursday and Saturday.
On Wednesday, senior transfer Moustafa Alsherif finished fourth in the javelin to give the Bulldog men a scorer in the event for the fourth straight year. Also, freshman Jayden Keys complemented his Southeastern Conference long jump title with an eighth-place finish in the event to score for the men.
When Do The Bulldogs Start Day 3: A pair of Bulldog high jumpers – senior transfer Eddie Kurjak and 2025 SEC champion Riyon Rankin – start the action on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Where To Catch The NCAAs: ESPN has exclusive rights to broadcast the meet and will feature the Nationals on ESPN2 this week:
Friday: 5-8 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday: 6-9 p.m., ESPN2
Live Results: To check out live results throughout the four-day season finale, please check: https://gado.gs/da0
The Lowdown: Rotundo, a native of Paysandu, Uruguay, answered an opening foul in the javelin with a second attempt of 60.35m/198-0. This mark gave the true freshman an early lead and then helped her hold on to the silver medal when all six rounds were complete. Rotundo’s finish was the best for Georgia since Marie-Therese Obst won the 2021 crown.
Davidson, a native of Sydney, Australia, also reached her top distance of 59.03m/193-8 on her second try and this performance secured her fourth place when the final throw was in the ground. A Texas A&M transfer, Davidson has now scored at the last three NCAA meets after taking second in 2023 and 2024. The Georgia pair earning scoring All-America honors marked the first time since 2005 when UGA teammates earned top eight finishes in the event in the same season.
In her first season with the Bulldogs last year, Murrell-Ross, a native of St. David’s, Grenada, took 19th. This time around, the 6-foot-8 shot putter sent the ball 17.80m/58-4.75 on her fifth attempt to lock down sixth place after steadily improving throughout her series. Murrell-Ross’ scoring finish in the shot put is the first for the Georgia women since Rhonda Hackett took third in 2000.
Qualifiers: Butler, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., took control of the 400m semifinal’s first heat on the second to last turn and distanced herself in the final straightaway with a 50.16 out of lane six. She was the top qualifier with her second-fastest time of the year. Butler will race in the 400m final on Saturday at 10:02 p.m.
Oakley, a native of Clarendon, Jamaica, bettered her No. 3 time in the school record books with a 50.18 to win the third heat from lane seven. Similar to Butler, Oakley was well in control of her group by the final 100 meters and shot to No. 18 on the collegiate all-time performer list.
Smith, a native of Frederiksted, St. Croix, and a third leg on the relay, shot out of the 400m hurdle blocks in the second heat and won her group and was third overall with a 55.65. She will race in the final on Saturday at 10:27 p.m.
The aforementioned trio joined sophomore Sydney Harris in the 4x400m relay semis and cruised through to the next round with a 3:26.89. Speeding to the second-fastest split of the competition (49.96), Butler put Georgia in the lead in the third heat and Harris and Oakley maintained the foursome’s top placing.
Junior Kaila Jackson, who was slowed by a minor injury at the NCAA East Prelims, finished 12th in the 100m semifinal. She clocked an 11.15, which is her second best this season, to take fifth in the third group.
Redshirt freshman Reign Redmond ran out of the opening heat in the 100m semifinal and finished sixth in her group with an 11.30. When the event was complete, Redmond took 19th overall in her first NCAA meet appearance as an individual.
Graduate transfer Erin McMeniman, in her seventh year of collegiate after getting a combined three degrees from Brown and Georgia, completed her career by taking 18th in the javelin. She sandwiched a competition best mark of 50.11m/164-5 at her third straight NCAA meet for the Bulldogs.
The first group on the track was Karsen Phillips, Redmond, Sanaa Frederick and Oakley. The quartet locked up an automatic qualifier after earning runner-up honors in the second heat. However, Georgia was disqualified for an exchange zone error in the final handoff.
Bulldog Day 1 Scorers
Name Event Mark/Time – Place
Moustafa Alsherif M. Javelin 76.69m/251-7 – 4th
Jayden Keys M. Long Jump 7.80m/25-7.25 – 8th
Bulldog Day 2 Scorers
Stephanie Ratcliffe W. Hammer Throw *71.37m/234-2 – 1st
Manuela Rotundo W. Javelin 60.35m/198-0 – 2nd
Lianna Davidson W. Javelin 59.03m/193-8
Kelsie Murrell-Ross W. Shot Put 17.80m/58-4.75
*national leading mark
Bulldog Day 2 Qualifiers
Name Event Mark/Time – Place
Aaliyah Butler W. 400m 50.16 – 1st
Dejanea Oakely W. 400m ^50.18 – 2nd
Smiith, Butler, Harris, Oakley W. 4x400m Relay 3:26.89 – 2nd
Michelle Smith W. 400mH 55.65 – 3rd
^personal best mark
MBB: The Dawgs Will Meet FSU in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge
The Georgia Bulldogs will meet the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday, Dec. 2 in Tallahassee, Fla., as part of the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge, ESPN announced on Thursday.
The 2025 competition will be the third edition of the Challenge. After the leagues split their 14 men’s meetings in 2024, the SEC went 14-2 in the men’s portion of the Challenge a year ago as part of the most dominant non-conference campaign by any league in college basketball history.
Georgia is 2-0 in Challenge outings. The Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point deficit with 6:37 remaining to defeat Florida State, 68-66, in Tallahassee in 2023 before besting Notre Dame, 69-48, last season in Athens.
Four games on Georgia’s 2025-26 schedule have been announced. In addition to the trip to Florida State, the Bulldogs will host Georgia Tech on Friday, Nov. 14, at Stegeman Coliseum. In addition, Georgia will take part in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic on Nov. 21 and 23. Though matchups have not been announced, the four-team event also includes Clemson, West Virginia and Xavier.
Georgia against Florida State is one of 32 games – 16 men’s and 16 women’s – staged over three days during the Challenge. The men’s games of the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge will be contested on Tuesday, Dec. 2, and Wednesday, Dec. 3. All 16 games were announced on Thursday. The additional Dec. 2 contests include Florida at Duke, North Carolina at Kentucky, Miami (Fla.) at Ole Miss, Missouri at Notre Dame, Oklahoma at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech at South Carolina, Tennessee at Syracuse and Texas A&M at Pittsburgh. The outings on Wednesday, Dec. 3 feature Clemson at Alabama, Louisville at Arkansas, N.C. State at Auburn, Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, LSU at Boston College, Virginia at Texas and SMU at Vanderbilt.
The Bulldogs are coming off their best season in a decade, a 20-13 campaign that culminated with Georgia’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015. That continued the consistent improvement during head coach Mike White’s three years in Athens. In his first season, Georgia improved its regular-season win total by 10 victories, the second-largest increase of any Power conference program. In 2023-24, the Bulldogs reached the NIT semifinals in their first postseason appearance since 2017 and in the process reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2016.
Georgia’s 2025-26 roster will feature seven returnees – including starters Blue Cain and Dylan James – and eight newcomers – three freshmen and five transfers.
The Bulldogs’ 2025-26 home schedule is expected to feature 18 games, including the matchup against arch-rival Georgia Tech and nine SEC dates. The renewal process for existing season ticket holders will begin in July. Information on new season tickets is available here.
Jump To Today’s Discussion Thread