ESPN ranked the Georgia Bulldogs No. 5 in its way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2025 college football season. ESPN is putting a lot of trust in Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who has to replace nearly his entire defensive front seven and starting offensive line.
Georgia is expected to start Gunner Stockton at quarterback and returns a significant amount of talent, but the Dawgs don’t have much proven talent.
“The Bulldogs seemed a bit disjointed throughout much of the 2024 season, but they still won an SEC championship and reached the CFP for the fourth time in the past eight seasons,” said Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
Georgia’s 2024 season should be considered a success since UGA managed to win an SEC championship with a backup quarterback. However, Georgia’s season ended with a rough Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame. The Bulldogs flashed issues with establishing the run and turnovers throughout the 2024 season. Georgia was unable to play consistent, dominant football and it cost the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff and in a pair of SEC road defeats.
“Georgia has to do a better job of blocking up front, catching the football and tackling on defense. It’s time for Kirby Smart to get back to the basics,” Schlabach continued. Georgia lost four offensive line starters to the 2025 NFL draft, so we’re not sure how realistic it is for UGA to improve its running attack.
ESPN notes Georgia’s schedule is not as tough in 2025 as it was in 2024, but UGA still has one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Bulldogs are going to have a fun home slate with games against Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas in Athens.
