The Georgia Bulldogs start 2025 spring football practice today. The Dawgs are coming off a season of mixed results and emotions in 2024. There is always tremendous pride in winning an SEC Championship, but Dawgs fans have become accustomed to seeing Kirby Smart‘s squad being one of the last two teams standing, and they fell short of that with a Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.
Of course, that game was altered by the season-ending injury to longtime starting quarterback Carson Beck, but still, the loss in New Orleans has left a bitter taste in the mouths of the returning players on this Georgia squad, and they’ll be eager to ramp things back up this week. As a new season officially gets underway operationally; Georgia has many questions to answer this spring, but none more significant than how it will run the ball better in 2025 than in 2024.
Running back Trevor Etienne is gone and just showed out at the NFL Combine, posting a 4.43 40-time twice. When healthy, Etienne was Georgia’s workhorse and provided a veteran presence. Now, experience will be scarce for Georgia in the backfield with sophomore Nate Frazier set to be the guy. Frazier was electrifying at times for the Dawgs and led Georgia in carries and yards as a true freshman. Georgia expects a significant leap forward from him, but who steps up for Georgia as his primary backup is unclear.
There are many options, but health is an essential factor with a couple of them. Roderick and Branson Robinson were injured for most of the 2024 season, and it is unclear how soon they’ll be back up to speed for Georgia this spring. Georgia also has second-year players Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips, who each had some bright moments as freshmen a year ago. Bowens had key carries against Tennessee, and Phillips made plays against Florida and Georgia Tech. Georgia also has incoming freshman Bo Walker, who is a compact but explosive runner who could work his way into the fold.
The talent is apparent, but the question is how the offensive line gels in front of all the running backs. Georgia will have four linemen drafted from last year’s offensive line in April. Dylan Fairchild, Jared Wilson, Tate Rateledge, and Xavier Truss are pro players, but they did not produce an efficient rushing attack for the Dawgs a year ago. Granted, the quartet didn’t play together often due to injury, but still, it is perplexing why Georgia did not run the ball better.
Georgia’s 4.1 yards per carry was its lowest output since the 2011 season. So, offensive line coach Stacy Searels will be starting fresh with new starters like Micah Morris, Drew Bobo, and Daniel Calhoun, but maybe a blank slate is a good thing. Georgia has the experience of Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene returning at the tackle positions. They’ll be able to work on depth behind them as Freeling is out for the spring recovering from shoulder surgery.
In addition, Georgia will have a quarterback battle between Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi. Those two should add to the Georgia running game as each is more mobile than Carson Beck. The threat of QB keep on the backside of zone and gap scheme plays will be more present in the offense this season and could help slow down defensive fronts.
If there is one thing to watch out for this spring regarding Georgia football, it’s the health and progression of the offensive line and running backs. If Georgia can return to its historical marks of more than five yards per carry under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs will play well enough defensively to contend for a national title once again.
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Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire
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