5 Georgia Bulldogs under the most pressure in fall football camp

It’s been said that pressure is a privilege and if that’s the case, then Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs should feel honored to have the pressure of national championship-or-bust expectations heading into every season. Even with one of the toughest schedules in the country, featuring trips to Tuscaloosa and Austin, the Bulldogs are still the favorites to win the SEC and their third national title in four years. 

Every player on the roster will have to bear that pressure and that burden begins at the start of fall camp, but it won’t weigh on every player equally. Beyond just winning it all, Carson Beck bears the expectations of a Heisman Trophy hopeful and the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. For Beck, that pressure ramps up in Week 1 against Clemson, on a massive stage at Mercedes Benz Stadium, but for these five players, the pressure is on them to win a fall camp battle or even to prove Kirby Smart right in his belief. 

The Bulldogs lost a bevy of talent from last season’s roster, but the cupboard is always stocked in Athens with former four and five-stars ready to step into big roles. That’s the case for these players who need to make a statement over the next month. 

Last season as a true freshman, the former five-star linebacker played 390 snaps, the eighth most of any player on the Georgia defense. He was forced into action after a few injuries to the group of linebackers and played well, finishing with 38 tackles and 13 pressures on just 35 pass-rushing snaps. 

Now, after Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Xavian Sorey Jr. both transferred to other SEC programs, Allen isn’t just being counted on as depth, he’s the full-time starter next to Smael Mondon Jr. and he’ll be expected to take a big step forward. 

Allen needs to show that he’s a reliable option in the middle of the Georgia defense because, without Dumas-Johnson and Sorey, Smart went all-in on the youth movement and could be forced to lean on sophomore Raylen Wilson or true freshman five-star Justin Williams if Allen struggles. 

The strength of Georgia’s defense last season was the secondary with Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, and Tykee Smith all getting selected on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Defensive tackle Zion Logue was the only other Georgia defensive player drafted and he went in the sixth round. 

This season the identity will be much different, built around junior edge rusher Mykel Williams, who, like Beck, is in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick next spring. However, Georgia still needs to replace those three defensive backs, and the versatility of Smith may be most difficult to replicate. Smith played 434 snaps in the slot, his primary position, but also played 87 snaps in the box, 62 on the defensive line, 29 at corner, and 18 at free safety. 

Smart will likely turn to Joenel Aguero, a 5-foot-11 sophomore from Massachusetts, to fill that role. Last season, Aguero played in eight games and recorded 94 snaps in the slot, finishing with just five tackles and allowing nine receptions on 12 targets. Aguero has big shoes to fill and needs to prove he’s up to the task in fall camp or risk losing the job. 

A four-star quarterback, Gunner Stockton was one of the headliners of Georgia’s 2022 recruiting class that will likely send Malaki Starks, Mykel Williams, and Daylen Everette to the NFL after this season. However, Stockton only has 25 career dropbacks and after a 6/10 performance for 96 yards and two touchdowns in Georgia’s blowout win over FSU in the Orange Bowl, Smart went out and added 2023 four-star Jaden Rashada from Arizona State in the transfer portal. 

After outlasting Brock Vandagriff who transferred to Kentucky this offseason to take over the starting role in Lexington, Stockton appeared to be the clear QB2 and starter-in-waiting, but the addition of Rashada signals a lack of faith in the program’s succession plan and puts the pressure on Stockton. 

Beck is heading to the NFL after this year and if Stockton can’t beat out Rashada for the backup role in this fall camp, then he’ll likely be forced to transfer elsewhere to finally get on the field. 

London Humphreys had an exceptional season last year as a true freshman at Vanderbilt, catching 22 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns, and that production, along with his three remaining years of eligibility, earned him status as one of the top-rated players in the transfer portal this offseason. 

Then, Humphreys, who already proved himself at the SEC level, landed in Athens without a clear path to playing time, that was until Rara Thomas found himself in legal trouble less than a week before fall camp. Now, Humphreys will be under the microscope, expected to hit the ground running in a loaded wide receiver room that features Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell, and even Miami transfer Colbie Young. 

With Lovett likely entrenched as the starting slot receiver, Humphreys, who only ran 39 routes out of the slot compared to 193 out wide, will be in a three-man battle with Bell and Young for the starting outside spots and a significant target-share from arguably the best quarterback in college football.  

Even at Georgia, where nearly half the roster carried a five-star rating into their collegiate career, the No. 1 recruit in the class carries a different level of sky-high expectations. Ellis Robinson IV was considered either the No. 1 or No. 2 recruit in the entire 2024 class and needs to impress right away at fall camp. 

Daylen Everette is locked in as CB1, but there will be snaps available opposite him. Julian Humphrey played the second most snaps at outside corner among returners, but with Nyland Green off to Purdue and AJ Harris to Penn State, there is suddenly a significant lack of depth at the position. Sophomore Daniel Harris will be in the mix, but on pedigree alone, Robinson has to be in consideration for a starting role, so the pressure for his first camp is immense.