It’s time to face the truth. The Georgia Bulldogs are facing a rebuilding year after losing an insane amount of talent (17 players) to the 2025 NFL draft and the transfer portal.
Yes, Georgia is bringing in the nation’s No. 3 signing class and added a pair of elite transfer receivers, but UGA lost too much to feel confident projecting the Dawgs as a national championship contender.
Georgia’s 2021 and 2022 national championship teams were built off good quarterback play, dominance in the trenches and a stout defense.
Georgia lost starting quarterback Carson Beck, who is now at Miami, to the transfer portal. UGA returns Sugar Bowl starter Gunner Stockton. There’s no guarantee Stockton will start in 2025, but we saw a glimpse of what he’s capable of to end the 2024 season.
Stockton passed with accuracy in the Sugar Bowl and helped UGA win the SEC championship. However, his return brings turnover concerns for UGA. Stockton threw a questionable interception in the SEC championship game and had two fumbles (one lost) in the Sugar Bowl.
Stockton was not at fault for his lost fumble, but the offensive line in front of him will probably regress in 2025. Georgia is losing four offensive line starters to the 2025 NFL draft. The Dawgs return several experienced linemen but lack the depth they returned in 2024. UGA will need some young linemen to break out this spring and still may need to add a transfer.
Georgia finished second to last in SEC rushing offense and it is hard to envision that improving with Trevor Etienne and four starting offensive linemen headed to the draft.
Defensively, UGA lost seven starters and key contributors in their front seven. The Dawgs could have some breakout freshmen, but the depth and experience Georgia is losing is too much to overlook.
Georgia is losing a trio of projected first-round picks on defense, including a dynamic pass rushing duo of Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker. Georgia returns just one of its top eight sack leaders and only 21.6% of its sack production from a year ago (returns eight sacks from 37 sacks in 2024).
Coach Kirby Smart and Georgia will have one of the most talented teams in the country, but national championship expectations don’t seem realistic for 2025. A College Football Playoff berth is within reason, but the Dawgs just aren’t going to have the talent, depth and experience in the trenches to make a national title run.
