The college football season ends tonight in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with eternal glory on the line. But for everybody else, sights are already set on 2025, with the Georgia Bulldogs hoping to bounce back after a much earlier College Football Playoff exit than anticipated in the first year of the expanded field.
That won’t be easy to do, as Kirby Smart will be tasked with replacing a ton of production, starting at quarterback. Carson Beck has transferred to Miami, but Gunner Stockton showed some chops in his first opportunity as a starter against an excellent Notre Dame defense.
The offensive line, which was probably the most disappointing unit of the 2024-2025 season, will also undergo a complete overhaul, with four starters heading to the NFL. While the weapons will look much different as well, with Arian Smith, Trevor Etienne, and Dominic Lovett entering the draft.
Defensively, the front seven will look a lot different, and the secondary will also have to replace All-American Malaki Starks. That’s a lot of talent leaving, but the Bulldogs don’t rebuild. They reload, which is why Andy Staples of ON3 Sports still has Georgia ranked highly heading into the offseason in his way too early rankings for the 2025 campaign.Â
6. Georgia
Ari: Our first look at quarterback Gunner Stockton was an encouraging view of Georgia’s history, even if it came in a loss to Notre Dame. Georgia recruits monster classes and are returning offensive starters like running back Nate Frazier, receiver Dillon Bell and tight end Oscar Delp. We know Georgia’s defense is going to be nasty, too.
Ahead of the Georgia Bulldogs are Texas, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Notre Dame. It’s hard to argue with any of those, but all of those programs — outside of Penn State — will also feature a new quarterback under center next season.
Gunner Stockton’s performance should inspire confidence for the future. The Bulldogs have also brought in some talent at the wide receiver position in the form of Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas, while Nate Frazier is an incredibly talented running back that will be asked to shoulder the load as a sophomore.
The defense will feature a lot more youth than previous seasons, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Georgia has recruited that side of the ball better than anybody, and nobody is better at squeezing the most out of his defensive talent than Kirby Smart.
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Photo: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire
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