Fall is upon us and that means Georgia football is back. After what felt like another eternal offseason, Sanford Stadium is soon to be once again covered in red and black.
Kirby Smart now enters his 11th season with the Bulldogs. It feels like just yesterday when Bulldog Nation watched Smart take the podium for his inaugural press conference on Dec. 7, 2015. Two national championships and four SEC championships later, Smart and company seek to add to the list of superlatives.
Just like every year, however, the accomplishments of the past have nothing to do with the goals of the future. The locker room mentality remains the same. The freshmen come in with no collegiate rings but enter a program with a foundation built around long term success.
It’s another fresh slate in Athens. The Bulldogs are 0-0 with everything ahead of them. The season begins Between the Hedges with Georgia taking on Tennessee State. The Tigers finished last season with a 2-10 record, going winless in conference play.
For the Bulldogs, the offseason chatter has provided some déjà vu. There aren’t many questions regarding the outlook of the defense. This group will be elite. Yet, on the other side of the ball, fans and media around the SEC continue to question the wide receiver room.
Concerns are bound to enter the minds of Georgia fans, especially when it has been over 200 days since the last game. That’s a lot of time to think.
“The more you question them, the more it helps me motivate them,” said coach Smart. He then went on to say that the wide receivers are listening to these comments, and that they’ll have a new challenge based on the questions around their group.
On another note, Gunner Stockton returns to lead the offense, and we’ve all seen what type of development a full season as a starter can provide. Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, Thunder and Lighting, Jr., again man the backfield. Although, the tight end room is arguably the most exciting heading into this season.
Headlined by returners and true freshman Kaiden Prothro, Georgia has one of, if not, the best tight end room in the nation. Fans might be seeing a lot of 13-personnel this year. When a team has guys like Lawson Luckie, Ethan Barbour and Elyiss Williams, it’s hard not to put them on the field at the same time.
It’s going to be a fun season. Buckle up and be loud. What an honor to take over this article for the great Jeff Dantzler. It’s going to be awesome to hear him from the booth!
