Ever since Carson Beck decided to leave Athens, growing concern has been raised around the country as to what Georgia is going to do at quarterback. Eyes have been glued to the quarterback competition between Gunner Stockton and teammates Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery. However, the media attention for this position battle has overshadowed one that is much more important: the secondary. More specifically, the cornerback position.
Georgia is going to face a lot of highly talented wide receivers in 2025. Not to mention arguably the best receiver in the country in Ryan Williams, the Bulldogs will have to face Eric Singleton, Cam Coleman, Cayden Lee, and a host of other receivers. Georgia does return senior cornerback and leader of the secondary in Daylen Everette, but after that, what does Georgia have to offer?
Georgia's loaded CB room behind Everette
In 2024, though the pass defense was solid and ranked No. 10 in the country, the team had some questionable moments. In some games, the secondary's inexperience struggled to keep up with high flying offenses. Alabama and Georgia Tech found weaknesses in Georgia's pass defense and exploited it last season. With returning players coming back in 2025, who is likely to step up and improve?
The most notable name that is projected to step up for Georgia is former five-star Ellis Robinson IV. The redshirt freshman was the 4th highest rated recruit coming into Georgia in the program's history. The talent is obviously there, but with a loaded depth chart last year, Robinson found difficulty getting meaningful snaps. With Robinson coming back this season, he is expected to be battling for a starting role on this defense.
Though the talent is there, experience is something Georgia fans should watch for in the first few weeks of the season. Robinson will be tested early, but fans should not have to worry about what he can provide for this defense.
Along with Robinson, Georgia brings back returning starters Joenel Aguero and Daniel Harris. Although both of these players did not have eye-popping numbers, they were solid defenders for Georgia's defense. They were sure tacklers that did their job nearly every time. Like Robinson, Aguero is a former five-star recruit, so the talent is clearly there. Now that both Harris and Aguero are experienced and fully comfortable in this defense, expect them to make major strides in 2025.
Overall, this position group is the most important one for the Bulldogs heading into the regular season. Yes, Georgia is starting a new quarterback, but this group is different. This defense brings back almost every defender in the box in 2025. The same cannot be said about the secondary.
KJ Bolden will have big shoes to fill with Malaki Starks leaving for the draft, but Bolden had an outstanding freshman season last year, so the cornerbacks have more to prove behind Everette. However, Georgia fans should not sweat it too much. Going into 2025, they bring back more talent and experience that should bolster them to contending once again for championships.