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By Brett Daniels
The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs delivered the program’s first National Championship since 1980 and featured 15 players drafted including No. 1 overall pick Trayvon Walker and four other first round selections. Most programs who have that much talent leave need a season or two to recover, however the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs followed up their 14-1 National Championship season with a 15-0 record and back-to-back National Championships.
This team would see 10 players drafted lead by DT Jalen Carter at No. 9 to the Philadelphia Eagles and three first round picks overall. Once again, the writers and talking heads predicted a drop off in the 2023 season, instead Georgia completed its third straight undefeated regular season in the Southeastern Conference going 12-0 and finishing 13-1 overall with an Orange Bowl annihilation of Florida State 63-3. The 2023 team would see eight players drafted led by TE Brock Bowers at No. 19 to the Las Vegas Raiders and T Amarius Mims to the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round.
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The predicted drop off finally happened in 2024 which saw Georgia lose two games in the regular season for the first time in four years. A slew of injuries and a tougher schedule made the fact that the Bulldogs won the SEC Championship a small miracle. Georgia would go on to earn a No. 2 seed in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and lose to eventual National Championship runner-up Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
As the Dawgs start the 2025 campaign with Spring Practice beginning on March 11, there are five questions that need to be answered if Georgia is to contend for a National Championship this fall.
1. Gunner Stockton or Ryan Puglisi?
Gunner Stockton came into the SEC Championship game against Texas after the injury to Carson Beck and led the Dawgs to the SEC title. He also started the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame and played well, all things considered. According to those who cover the UGA beat, Stockton has improved over the course of the offseason and looks to have a large lead over the big armed former four-star recruit Puglisi. There are still 14 spring practices and fall camp to sort the matter out before the Marshall Thundering Herd come to town on Aug. 30. There is also the possibility that Georgia dips into the transfer portal for a QB post spring as depth or to challenge Stockton and Puglisi for the starting role.
2. Will the Offensive Line Be Better?
Since Kirby Smart’s arrival in 2016, Georgia has had a proud tradition of being a line of scrimmage team on both offense and defense. The Dawgs have had five first round offensive linemen and 11 drafted overall. The 2025 draft will not see a Georgia offensive lineman selected according to most mock drafts until the third round. The talent on this unit was not up to the standard of the previous three years and spent most of the season battling major injuries.
To get back where Georgia wants to be it all starts up front being able to run the football and protect Stockton or Puglisi in pass protection. Tackle Monroe Freeling will miss the spring recovering from surgery which will give younger players an opportunity to earn playing time while T Earnest Greene will be healthy after battling a shoulder injury for much of the season. The interior of the offensive line will be entirely new faces with C Drew Bobo expected to take over for the departed Jared Wilson. Micah Morris and Daniel Calhoun will man the guard positions.
3. Can the Defensive Line Return to Glory?
Much like the offensive line, the defensive line underachieved in 2024 due to injury and players not playing to preseason expectations. DE/EDGE Mykel Williams suffered a knee injury in the season opener against Clemson missing the Tennessee Tech and Kentucky games before playing sparingly against Alabama and missing two more games against Auburn and Mississippi State while DT Jordon Hall battled stress fractures in both shins which kept him out most of the season. The Dawgs were also missing a disruptor in the middle of the line in the same vein as Jordon Davis or Jalen Carter. The 2025 line has talent but most of it is young and/or unproven. Top recruits Isaiah Gibson and Elijah Griffin will need to contribute early along with the growth of DT Xzavier McCloud and a healthy Jordan Hall. DT Chrisitan Miller had a big 2024 and will miss spring recovering from surgery.
4. Do the Dawgs Resurrect R-B-U?
Injuries to the offensive line as mentioned above along with injuries to RB Trevor Etienne, RB Roderick Robinson and RB Branson Robinson left freshman running back Nate Frazier as the primary ball carrier for much of the season. Offensive line injuries limited the amount of pulling on gap runs and lateral movement on zone runs which often resulted in minimal gains or negative yardage. Georgia would finish 15th in the SEC in rushing at a paltry 124.4 yards per game. A healthy offensive line along with a healthy running back room that only loses Etienne should go a long way in returning the Dawgs to the top of the conference running the football.
5. Will Smart Reunite the ‘Connection?’
“Connection” was a prevalent word anytime players from the 2021-2023 teams were interviewed or appeared at press conferences. Kirby Smart has always said the best teams are ones that are player lead, and your best players are also your hardest workers.
The 2024 team never seemed to have the connection or the leadership to overcome the adversity last season whether it be injuries, turnovers or taking a punch from an opponent. To get back to the championship level, Georgia will need players to step up and lead on both sides of the ball and enforce the standard that has been set by the teams before them.
Spring and summer are where those connections are made that will make or break the 2025 season for the Dawgs.
