Mike Bobo is entering his third season as the offensive coordinator of the Bulldogs. While last season’s conclusion in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl did not end in a great offensive showing, there should be plenty of optimism for what is to come in Mike Bobo’s 2.0 Georgia offense led by Gunner Stockton.

While a lot of offseason talk is about Georgia’s gauntlet of a schedule that includes matchups with Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss, one of the most intriguing stories will be the performance of quarterback Stockton.

During the SEC’s Spring Meetings, SEC Network anchor Paul Finebaum said Georgia was “not fine” with Gunner Stockton at quarterback in his “Fine/Not Fine” segment. Head coach Kirby Smart later sat with Finebaum as the show’s host hoped Smart hadn’t seen the comments.

“Oh, I didn’t miss it,” said Smart. “Gunner got the message, man… You did your job… That’s why I always come on your show. Because I love the fact that you give me that motivation.”

The redshirt junior quarterback heard Finebaum loud and clear. Now, as the clear starter entering 2025 after Carson Beck transferred to Miami in the offseason, Stockton will look to uphold the respect he gained from Bulldog Nation after leading Georgia to an SEC Championship win last December.

“[Gunner] earns respect by how he works and how he carries himself,” said Smart in the opening press conference of spring practice. “He’s got a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability. He’s got a lot of knowledge of our system, and I think that kind of resonates with the other players. They rally around Gunner because they have a lot of respect for him.”

In a college football world full of disloyal players, Stockton has patiently waited his turn to become the next quarterback in Athens. His Stetson Bennett-esque approach could be just what this team needs to return to the national championship with Bobo in his ear.

One of the biggest letdowns last season was the wide receiver room as frustrated fans saw countless dropped passes that kept the offense from reaching its full potential. Coach Smart was able to bring in Zachariah Branch, a junior transfer from USC, and Noah Thomas, a senior transfer from Texas A&M.

Branch has blazing speed, a potential threat in open space with Bobo dialing up the plays to get him in the weak spots of opposing defenses. Thomas is a large frame with a long wingspan. In the red zone and along the sideline, Bobo must get Thomas in 50/50 ball situations, allowing Stockton to find the back shoulder and giving Thomas the opportunity to go up and win those battles.

“Zach is my dog,” said Thomas. “As soon as we got here, it was straight work. Every chance we got that we were just chilling on the weekends, we were at the facility putting in extra work instead. I love the way he works.”

Alongside Thomas is Colbie Young, who missed a portion of last season due to off-the-field issues. Young is another big body with a high point advantage. Georgia had these 50/50 guys on recent teams that made deep postseason runs. Think George Pickens, Riley Ridley, Jeremiah Holloman, Javon Wims and Brock Bowers. Now with two, think of what Bobo can scheme in the passing game.

In the backfield, sophomore Nate Frazier will likely get his first full season as the starting running back after Trevor Etienne was selected by the Carolina Panthers in this year’s NFL Draft; however, the running back depth doesn’t end with Frazier. Cash Jones returns as a serious threat out of the backfield in the passing game. Bo Walker emerges as a thunderous back in the freshman class while Josh McCray, a transfer from Illinois will see significant minutes in goal to go situations. Don’t forget about Dillon Bell in the run game as well, a “Swiss Army Knife” with the ability to cause chaos for defenses. Despite losing Etienne to the Draft and Branson Robinson to the portal, this running back room somehow seems deeper, and Bobo can use multiple guys in varying scenarios to keep their legs fresh.

Finally, where the game is won: the trenches. A lot of new faces will emerge in the Bulldogs’ offensive line, but Bobo’s son Drew will be the catalyst of it all. At center, young Bobo will be a commanding voice in a young O-line corps. Next to him, redshirt senior Micah Morris is a big body that must take a step forward as a leader, directing the younger teammates on how to manage SEC defensive lines in the run game and pass protection.

Bobo took criticism after the Sugar Bowl and throughout the season thanks to some unfortunate ways the ball bounced, but his O-line coach Stacey Searles took even more heat from the Red and Black faithful and media. Searles, by the direction of Bobo, must get his unit right in 2025 if Georgia wants to have any success. We all know the saying: “football is won in the trenches.” The 2025 campaign will thrive or die by those trenches.

As many new Bulldogs will fill the shoes of players leaving for the portal and the NFL, Georgia fans should be hopeful for what is to come with Bobo’s revamped offense. Last year’s frustrations are in the past, and this will be a new chapter of Georgia football in the Kirby Smart era with Stockton and Frazier in the backfield. Though much of the talent that Bobo will be coaching is unproven, this program has developed players at the highest level of any team in the nation, sending countless players to the next level. This is a new Bobo breed of Bulldog.