Entering his tenth season as Georgia football's head coach, Kirby Smart said there are two things that his best teams are consistent about. "They’ve been able to run the ball when they have to run it, and they’ve been able to stop the run when they have to stop it," Smart shared via dawgnation.com.
Kirby Smart's biggest concerns entering 2025 season
Given that over half of the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs are first or second-year players, what are Smart's concerns as he prepares the team for the upcoming season?
“People don’t want to confront and demand anymore for fear of losing a player,” Smart said. ”I would rather go get the right player that buys into that and then I’ve got something special when they do develop.”
Losing 13 players to the NFL Draft from last year's team has left holes in the offensive line and the core of an elite defensive unit. Those holes will have to filled with new players who don't have much, if any, college football game experience. Can Smart still turn the corner with these obstacles?
With home games versus Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas, plus a neutral site showdown with eternal rival (and much-improved) Georgia Tech, Smart is going to have to demand top execution on both sides of the ball for the entire game, not just for some big plays in the second half. A grueling season, a young team, and inexperience on both sides of the ball add up to perhaps the biggest challenge of Smart's career at the University of Georgia.
It's a challenge he appears to be ready for because he knows who he is and why he is coaching, as he mentioned in a recent press conference for fall camp.
"What does this team need from me? What does this staff need from me? Where can I be at my best for our team? That's my why."