Athlon Sports recently released their college football post-spring top-25 rankings and, no surprise, Georgia football is listed at No. 1.
Naming the back-to-back national champions at the top isn’t exactly note worthy, but why Athlon chose UGA even after massive NFL turnover and coaching changes is intriguing.
“There’s a new king – or should we say top dawg? – in college football,” the outlet writes. “For most of Nick Saban’s tenure at Alabama, the path to a national championship has gone through Tuscaloosa. But after the past two years, a changing of the guard has officially taken place: College football’s path to the title now runs through Athens. Thanks to head coach Kirby Smart’s relentless pursuit of perfection and work in stockpiling blue-chip talent at every position, the Bulldogs have claimed back-to-back championships and are positioned for a rare third title in a row in 23. The roster and coaching staff have experienced their share of turnover, but Georgia’s schedule is favorable, and the aforementioned talent will grow up as the season progresses. Outside of the Nov. 18 road date at Tennessee, the Bulldogs are likely to be favored by double digits in their other 11 regular-season contests.
“Former offensive coordinator Todd Monken played a key role in Georgia’s rise in recent years as he helped to modernize the offense to blend the power rushing attack with a robust and explosive passing game. However, Monken departed to the NFL this offseason, and instead of going outside the building for a replacement, Smart simply promoted former coordinator (and Georgia quarterback) Mike Bobo to the role. Bobo isn’t expected to tweak too much, but his first order of business is to sort out a quarterback competition that went unresolved in the spring. Carson Beck worked as the backup to Stetson Bennett IV and impressed in limited action last year. He’s likely to begin ’23 as the No. 1 quarterback. As always in Athens, the Dawgs have plenty of talent at running back. The offensive line lost both starting tackles from last fall, but the interior is strong, and capable replacements are waiting to step up on the outside. The receiving corps was considered the weakest link on last year’s championship squad. However, Smart addressed that need by adding a pair of playmakers via transfer – Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) from the portal to team with Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers on the outside.
“The ’22 version of Georgia’s defense wasn’t quite as salty as the ht unit that limited teams to just 102 points per game. However, last year’s group still suffocated opponents, limiting rom to 14.3 points per contest and allowing only two teams to eclipse 22 points. As one wave of talent exits – lineman Jalen Carter, linebackers Robert Beal Jr. and Nolan Smith and defensive backs Kelee Ringo and safety Christopher Smith I – another is ready to emerge. Up front, Mykel Williams is an emerging superstar and the next Georgia defender to create constant havoc in the trenches. Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon Jr. are two of the best linebackers in the SEC. Finding running mates for Dumas-Johnson and Mondon off the edge is one of Smart’s biggest concerns this offseason. Safety Malaki Starks (68 tackles and two INTs) is already among the top defensive backs in the nation after a standout freshman season. Add in cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Javon Bullard, and it’s easy to see why Georgia won’t miss a beat in pass coverage despite some personnel turnover on the back end.
“With a roster loaded with talent and high expectation fighting complacency is one of Smart’s biggest challenges this year. But unless the quarterback situation fails to pan out or ti defense has a surprise regression, there doesn’t appear to be much that can slow Georgia’s path to a third consecutive national championship.”
The Bulldogs will play two programs listed in Athlon’s top-25 in Tennessee (No. 15) and Ole Miss (No. 21).
Complete schedule rankings:
- Kentucky: No. 27
- South Carolina: No. 31
- Auburn: No. 39
- Florida: No. 49
- Missouri: No. 50
- Georgia Tech: No. 67
- Vanderbilt: No. 69
- UAB: No. 110
- Ball State: No. 119
