Georgia football enters the 2026 season as one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Being one of the favorites to win it all and actually doing it though are two very different things, and no program has learned that more than Georgia over the past few years.
There are a lot of reasons why Georgia fans should be extra confident this year though, and the biggest reason is that they have the second most returning starters in the country.
Georgia's immense experience could lead them back to the top of college football
CBS Sports researched every Power Four roster in the country to see how many starters they are returning. They found that Georgia is bringing back 14 starters which is the second most in the country only trailing USC's 15.
Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier lead the way on offense which brings back six starters. Then there is KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson who will anchor Georgia's defense which brings back a whopping eight starters.
Having this much experience returning to Georgia is one of the biggest reasons why they could win a national title next season. A common theme the last few years is that the teams with the most experience are the ones who were typically making the deepest runs in the College Football Playoff. Experience was something Georgia was seriously lacking last year, so that may be why they ultimately fell short when they got to the playoff.
The Bulldogs however will have more experience than almost every team in the country, and that could be the thing that leads Georgia to their third title under Kirby Smart.
Winning a championship won't be easy, but the Bulldogs have all the experience they need to get it done. But combining that experience with the best coach in the country makes it is easy to see why Georgia could be the last team standing at the end of January.