On March 12 , the Dawgs return to the field for spring practice with exciting new players, and a handful of new coaches. On the offensive side of the ball, Coach Smart just hired James Coley (wide receivers) and Josh Crawford (running backs ) to replace Bryan McClendon and Dell McGee. On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Smart tabbed Travaris Robinson as his co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach and Donte Williams as the defensive backs coach. The staff is now fully in place when drills begin. Here are a few key objectives and top players to be on the lookout for this spring.

Key Objectives

1. How will Georgia utilize its incoming talent? – UGA comes into the spring season with the top rated recruiting class in the country. With all of the talent coming in from across the country, how will they be able to fit into the culture of the Dawgs program? Kirby Smart puts a lot of trust into his freshman, especially in the spring season, but it is ultimately up to the veterans of the program to show the young guys the ropes.
2. Can the Georgia D get pressure in the backfield? – One of the big problems of the 2023-24 season was the lack of pressure the Georgia D had on opposing team QBs. Although the front seven had a few games with multiple sacks and QB pressures, many games they gave QBs all the time in the world to pick apart our secondary. The current front seven isn’t near the same as the championship winning ones, so it will be interesting to see what type of schemes Glenn Schumann can install to make sure the Dawgs are a threat in the backfield.
3. Carson Beck needs to take the Heisman – It has been a while since the Dawgs have had a QB at the top of the Heisman race. It has seemed almost impossible for a Dawgs player to get on the stage in NYC, but this year it could become a reality. Beck’s Heisman campaign starts in the spring where he can earn complete trust of the team, and control the locker room. That will ultimately give him a surge of confidence and help strengthen his play heading into his senior season.
4. Make plays in big moments – Although UGA didn’t have many big games to make big plays, the lack of experience in big moments showed in the SEC Championship. There was a lot of sloppy coaching and play, resulting in a loss to a very beatable Alabama team. Going into this offseason, the Dawgs need to look to practice in big game environments and make sure every player is prepared for championship type games.
5. Can the secondary hold up? – With the loss of defensive backs coach Fran Brown, the secondary is getting a whole new look this offseason. The Dawgs are bringing in two of the best defensive backs in the upcoming freshman class, setting the bar high for new coaches Donte Williams and Travaris Robinson. The Dawgs have excelled in the defensive back position for many years and hopefully can sustain that for the upcoming season.
6. How can Coach Smart and his staff keep the young players satisfied? – In light of the new era of college football, with NIL deals, the transfer portal, and the ability for many different teams to make the CFP, young players are less likely to stay after their first year. It’s hard for teams to keep these young players satisfied when they have senior talent that can play ahead of them. The coaching staff needs to focus on getting the young guys as many reps as possible in the spring so they can end up producing in the fall. 
7. Make the fan base excited – With a disappointing end to the 2023-24 season, many fans are unsure if the window is beginning to close for Georgia. The spring game is great way to show Dawg Nation all of the talent that we have accumulated this offseason, and show that they are ready to be a championship caliber team again. They need to come to the spring game with lots of energy and excitement to let the fan base know the 2024 Dawgs are dialed in to bring another title to Athens. 

Top Players

1. Trevor Etienne (RB) – With Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards leaving Athens this year, the gap at the running back position needed to be filled desperately. Luckily, the Dawgs looked in the transfer portal and brought in The Swamp’s star player, Trevor Ettiene. Similar to his brother Travis, the starting running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he is an agile runner who can also put his nose down when he needs to. He is also an elite pass catcher and difficult to bring down in open space. In two seasons with the Gators, he had around 1700 total yards and 15 total touchdowns.
2. Carson Beck (QB) – After an impressive first season as a starter, Carson Beck hopes to replicate the success he had going into next year. Right now, Beck sits as the Heisman front-runner, and has big expectations from fans and the media. Beck threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns on 72% completion percentage last season, leading the Dawgs to 13-1 record. If the Dawgs want to be back on top, Beck is going to need to have a generational season.
3. Oscar Delp (TE) – Although the once and a lifetime talent that is Brock Bowers has declared for the NFL Draft, the Dawgs are in good hands with returning star Oscar Delp. Delp has shadowed Bowers for the past two years, learning what it means to be a Georgia football tight end. He had 284 yards and three touchdowns last season as one of the last options on the field, but his impact goes beyond the stat sheet. He is utilized heavy in the run game because he is one of our best blockers. It will be interesting to see the role he steps into this spring.
4. Ryan Puglisi (QB) – Puglisi was an under the radar QB commit due to star 2024 recruit Dylan Riola. With Riola’s decommitment from UGA, the name Puglisi began to pick up around Athens. Puglisi has the traditional pro-style, which is not seen out of many recruits today, but he also has the ability to use his legs when he needs to. This spring will be a good testament to what the future of our QB position will look like after Beck’s senior season.
5. KJ Bolden (DB) – Bolden is by far the best recruit out of the incoming freshman class. The 5-star out of Buford High School is simply a pure athlete. Bolden will be learning behind one of the best safeties in the country, Malaki Starks, who is now a two-year veteran. It will be interesting to see the skills he will learn this spring from one of the best defensive-back rooms in the country.
6. Daylen Everette (DB) – After a shaky first season for the junior cornerback, Georgia fans are hoping to see Everette take that next step to be a big time player on the Dawgs defense. Everette gained a lot of experience in his first season, having to guard opposing teams WR1 majority of the time. Fans are hoping to see a new surge of confidence in his play after having his first year under his belt. 
7. Justin Williams (LB) – This freak of nature out of Texas is the next beast at the linebacker position that UGA always seems to find. He was the 10th best player in the nation, and the best linebacker in the nation. He has the ability to apply a lot of pressure in opposing teams backfields, which is something that the UGA defense desperately needs this offseason. 
8. Colbie Young (WR) – Young was one of the better wide receiver prospects in this year’s transfer portal cycle. The receiver out of the University of Miami recorded 10 touchdowns and near 1,000 yards in two seasons. He is looking to play a big role on the Dawgs offense, pairing up with numerous returning weapons. Look out for the name because he will be one of the main targets for Beck, Stockton, and Puglisi this spring.