Georgia football raised the bar so high for itself with back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 that going 11-3 last season didn’t quite measure up — even after winning an SEC championship and making an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
The Bulldogs open spring practices Tuesday in hopes of making another run in 2025, still considered among the top tier programs in the sport with the likes of Texas, Ohio State, Penn State.
Much of the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class has joined a program that returns nine starters from the Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame in the CFP quarterfinals, saw 12 scholarship players transfers and brought in six through the portal.
“The glue staying together nowadays looks different than it used to,” coach Kirby Smart, entering his 10th season, said before the Sugar Bowl. “A 98% retention rate was pretty normal ten years ago, and now 70% retention rate will probably get you in the top of the country. And we’re trying to coach and develop our players better than anybody, and keep our players together, and make sure they believe in the system they’re in. And I think we’ve done that as well as anybody.”
Here are five storylines to watch this spring:
New weapons energizing Bulldogs offense
Georgia’s dropped passes were a season-long issue last year, including one by Dillon Bell on a deep ball in the Sugar Bowl.
The Bulldogs lost three of their top four pass-catchers in Dominic Lovett, Arian Smith and running back Trevor Etienne, but the addition of Southern Cal transfer Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas could bring more big plays. The return of Colbie Young, sidelined for much of last season due to an arrest, would bring even more depth.
Bell is back for his senior season after having 43 catches for 466 yards and four touchdowns last season and tight ends Lawson Luckie, Oscar Delp and running back Cash Jones also return.
Gunner Stockton’s hold on the starting QB job
Gunner Stockton begins the spring as the favorite to be QB1 this fall after getting his first college start in the Sugar Bowl after stepping in for an injured Carson Beck in the SEC championship game win.
Stockton was 20 of 32 for 234 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame in a game he was sacked four times and the Bulldogs gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown.
“I’d like to, heck, always get better,” Stockton said. “Just watch the tape, the little stuff. Just watch it back. I know I can play better.”
Redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi will have a chance to compete with Stockton for the job.
He missed practice time last spring with a stress fracture in his left leg and did not play in the G-Day scrimmage or last season.
He’s still working on the mental side of the game.
“The more I know about football, the more I know what’s going on, how confident I am with the playbook,” Puglisi said in an interview with The Players’ Lounge. “I always tell myself I want to be so confident in the playbook that I can teach it. That has helped me just going up there and doing whatever I can, meeting with coaches, drawing plays just so I can be as sharp as I can mentally going into this spring.”
The shape secondary takes with new starters
Georgia’s secondary will have to fill the void of losing two of its top leaders and most productive players in Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson.
Senior cornerback Daylen Everette’s return is a big boost and sophomore safety KJ Bolden was an impact contributor as a freshman. Cornerback Daniel Harris and nickel back Jonel Aguero also have starting experience.
The Bulldogs addressed the secondary in the transfer portal and it will be interesting to see if Adrian Maddox (UAB), Jaden Harris (Miami) and Zion Brach (Southern Cal) can earn significant snaps, if not starting jobs.
Bounceback year for offensive line with new starters galore?
One look at the NFL combine offensive line group showed how much change is coming to the Georgia offensive line with starters Tate Ratledge, Xavier Truss, Jared Wilson and Dylan Fairchild getting ready for the next level.
Add in Monroe Freeling coming off shoulder surgery and the offensive line will be in transition this spring.
Earnest Greene battled injury last season but is among those with starting experience along with Micah Morris and Drew Bobo. Redshirt freshmen Daniel Calhoun and Jahzare Jackson and redshirt sophomore Bo Hughley could be ready to have more prominent roles.
Freshmen who could carve out roles in year one
Georgia has two of the nation’s top 11 rated wide receiver prospects in the 247Sports Composite in Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley. Strong springs could give them inroads to work into the rotation.
The Bulldogs certainly have opportunity at running back behind sophomore Nate Frazier and Bo Walker arrives as the only scholarship freshman at the position.
Defensive lineman Elijah Griffin from Savannah Christian could be ready to aid the pass rush after losing Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Chaz Chambliss.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Here are five storylines to follow at Georgia football spring practices
