With the NFL Draft over with and done, Kirby Smart and his Georgia staff can put their undivided attention into what all needs to happen before toe meets leather over Labor Day Weekend. While Georgia continued its dominance in the draft, there are many big shoes that need to be filled in the starting lineup for the Dawgs. Fortunately, spring practice may have provided some level of clarity.
G-Day came and went, with Georgia looking more and more like it will be a serious national championship contender again. Having Gunner Stockton back for another year at quarterback will be huge for this team. On offense, Stockton, Mike Bobo, and the rest of the offense will need to lean on the ground game. Defensively, the secondary may be an area of strength for Glenn Schumann's unit.
That being said, this is still far from a perfect team. There are some holes high-quality teams could potentially exploit next season if Smart and his staff do not rectify them later this summer. As long as competition remains at the forefront, Georgia should be in great shape. After all, these are the two-time reigning SEC champs we are talking about. Then again, another Sugar Bowl loss cannot happen.
So with that in mind, here are three important questions Smart will need to answer about his program.
3. How is the Georgia running back rotation going to look this season?
For as great as Stockton is at quarterback for them, this Georgia offense will go as far as the ground game will take it. Stockton can obviously carry it and run, but how will the running back rotation look this season? Georgia still has Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens at the very top of its depth chart. Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell expects to take on some of the carries Josh McCray had last year.
The other big key here is Cash Jones is no longer around as the savvy third-down specialist out of the backfield. Could that be a role Dwight Phillips Jr. fits into? Regardless, Georgia has plenty of depth in its backfield, but figuring out how to best implement each tailback appropriately is easier said than done. This is a good problem for Bobo, Smart, and the rest of the coaching staff to have.
Look for Frazier and Bowens to remain lightning and thunder in the wake of finding Jones' successor.
2. Will Georgia be able to have any semblance of a pass rush this fall?
This is impossible to overlook. While youth and inexperience may have sank last year's team in the end, the biggest season-long issue the 2025-26 Bulldogs had was an inability to get after the passer. Defensive line coach Tray Scott was under some scrutiny, but not to the degree that Schumann was as the defensive coordinator. He cannot have an utterly toothless pass rush for second year in a row.
With Auburn transfer Amaris Williams down for the count with his unfortunate injury during spring practice, it will have to be up to Gabe Harris Jr. and Quntavius Johnson to disrupt the timing of the many great quarterbacks Georgia will surely be going up against in SEC play this season. To be frank, anything will be an improvement over last season. Continued stagnation will no longer be tolerated.
If Georgia cannot generate a pass rush at all this season, Smart will need to move on from Schumann.
1. Who is going to step up in this revamped Georgia wide receiver corps?
No doubt about it. This is Georgia's biggest remaining offseason question. Why would it not be? After losing Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Dillon Bell, and Noah Thomas to the NFL, Georgia is in a less-than-advantageous spot in its receiving corps. Yes, London Humphreys remains, but the rest of the returning Georgia receiving corps is largely unproven. Who all is going to have to step up this season?
Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion is expected to do great things Between the Hedges. He is not as much of a concern as some others are... But besides Humphreys and Canion, look for Stockton, Bobo, and the rest of the offense to lean on Talyn Taylor and Sacovie White-Helton in the receiving game. Taylor may be the big-time playmaker, while White-Helton may be a great possession receiver.
If they can rise to the occassion, Georgia may have enough firepower on offense to be truly dynamic.
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