After the Ole Miss Rebels defeated Georgia under the lights of Caesars Superdome in the Sugar Bowl, the Bulldogs’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion. The ending of every college football season, whether it be in a bowl game or at the national championship, means that the roster will see change in the transfer portal, recruiting and players leaving for the NFL.

Luckily for Kirby Smart, he will not have to replace starting quarterback Gunner Stockton. His first season with the Bulldogs as a starter saw countless moments of success, most notably comeback wins on the road against Tennessee and Auburn and winning the SEC Championship against Alabama in dominant fashion. However, the Bulldogs fell short of winning a national championship, which has become the standard for this program.

In Coach Smart’s opening press conference for the 2026-27 season, he talked about the need for a more explosive offense in the passing game. “We’ve got to be more explosive offensively. That does not fall solely on Gunner, but that does fall partially with him. We have to be able to be more explosive in the run game which some of that is blocking downfield or making people miss. Same thing in the pass game.” There were also three areas he highlighted for what Stockton and the offense will need to do this season in order to get the Bulldogs back to the title game.

Take what the defense gives you:

Last season under the leadership of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, the Bulldogs’ offense did a solid job in this area. The best example of this was Georgia’s win over Georgia Tech. While Stockton threw for just 70 passing yards, the offense was efficient enough to win the game. The use of a strong run game and high-percentage throws underneath the defense might not be a flashy approach to a game, but every game is different and requires a game plan that matches what defense you’re seeing that week.

Use skill sets of players around you:

Another area of offense that Georgia has been successful is using each players’ skillset to be an impactful force. Last year, wide receiver Zachariah Branch’s speed was utilized through screens and quick routes, while the running back trio of Frazier, Bowens and Jones used their player profiles to be explosive in the backfield. In a recent press conference, Coach Smart expressed his feelings towards this year’s wide receiver room: “I’m excited about all the wide outs. They’ve done a good job. We want to be more explosive. We had some explosive plays in the pass game; we had some in the run game.” With this year’s team featuring new players such as transfer wide receiver Isiah Canion and transfer running back Dante Dowdell, G-Day will be a great chance for the coaching staff and Bulldog Nation to see where these players will fit into the system to help returning players find the explosiveness that the Bulldogs are looking for.

Be more explosive:

When you think back to the Stetson Bennett era of Georgia football, his unit seemed to turn up the volume offensively game after game, with high-caliber plays leading to Georgia’s first national title since 1980. While the offense showed flashes of big plays down the field, last year’s offensive unit was not as explosive as fans have seen in years past. “All the studies we did, a lot of our explosives came on unscheduled downs, unscheduled play; plays that maybe broke down, or something happened,” Coach Smart said in a spring press conference. “Then, he was able to scramble and make a play down the field. We’ve got to simulate those more for him and allow him to grow to make those plays.” There could be a number of reasons as to why there was a lack of explosiveness last season, but it seems like the coaching staff will be looking to turn the page in Stockton’s second season under center.

In Gunner Stockton’s opening press conference of the season, he highlighted the idea of taking every day like a game and making the most of every opportunity with your teammates for the younger members of the team. What we will see on the field at G-Day will be an extension of countless hours of offseason preparation by Georgia’s coaches and players to grow together and fix what held the Bulldogs from winning a third national championship in the Kirby Smart era.