Kirby Smart is carrying the ghost of the past season and looks to fire back in 2025. Carson Beck left the house for good, forcing Smart to turn to Gunner Stockton, who took the reins in the SEC Championship game and took the Bulldogs to the title. However, that run didn’t last long. Notre Dame’s defense was too much for a young QB. Now, a new season, a start as the QB1. However, there has already been a slew of narratives about Stockton’s potential downfall at Athens. The veteran SEC network journalist Paul Finebaum took a direct dig at the quarterback’s ability to make an impact, saying he is not someone worth the hype. Does Smart care? Not yet.
However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t glaring issues that need his attention. Let’s recap a bit. The Bulldogs’ offensive performance in 2024 wasn’t up to the mark. You can put some of it on Carson Beck, but he didn’t drop those passes. The offense ranked 37th nationally in points per game (30.2), 50th in yards per game (398.4), and 75th in 3rd down conversions.
To add to this glaring issue, a lot of players on Georgia’s offense have moved to the draft. They include OG Tate Ratledge, OG Dylan Fairchild, Center Jared Wilson, RB Trevor Etienne, OT Xavier Truss, and WRs Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith. That means a lot of new faces on the offense. How are they faring?
Even before the NIL era took over, recruitment seemed to be the biggest focal point of Kirby Smart’s program, with the veteran head coach prioritizing good leadership at the top over any other trait. The years have passed, but the problem remains the same. The team lost a host of experienced players, leaving the room open for the newbies to try their hand at the respective spots. Spring games seem to be a good opportunity to taste their potential, but there has been a looming threat. There are a lot of portal signees and freshman high school recruits shaping up Smart’s 2025 offensive fate. Now, the question is whether they can match up to the tempo
Smart called out all the wide receivers and other new players who aren’t in shape. ‘‘There’s not a guy out there, a freshman, that’s sustaining his reps and just flourishing,” Smart said after the fourth spring game this weekend. The Georgia head coach asked them to immediately be ready physically, but at the same time, he acknowledged how the spring game made them tired and worn out, so a little anxiety can be just. They need some time off to recharge to start with, and then you can expect some bangers.
But in the time-restrictive reality of college football, it’s a myth. “I am trying to speed up a process that you can’t speed up… feel like I am going through it every year. I am like, okay, I have seen this. It takes two years for this guy to be completely ready to play. That’s toughness, calloused importance, attention to detail, and focus. He can do all that. He can sustain practice,” Smart continued. But still, there is a temporary fix.
Spoke with Kirby Smart about demanding the same UGA standard while being honest about new realities pic.twitter.com/H1OcKa1qgX
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) March 23, 2025
All the teams seemingly had to experience the same thing with their newcomers, marking a transition from one year to another. They also can’t afford to give their freshmen any added time to adjust. So, it’s not just the Dawgs that have been dealing with this thing. A plus for Georgia!
Explaining for the rest, Kirby Smart divulged, “It’s not like a magic growth pill we gave them, and they just all of a sudden snap out and do it. So, you have to be prepared to play with kids that might not be ready. And you have got to have yours more ready than the opponent has theirs.”
Smart also outlined Georgia’s progress despite dealing with a young, inexperienced group. It’s just the spring. The Bulldogs will get ample time to get themselves in place before the regular season kicks in. However, Georgia got some real blow in the off-field.
Kirby Smart struggles to discipline his players
Gunner Stockton’s untested potential and Mike Bobo’s questionable playcalling continue to be a recurring debate for the Bulldogs stepping into another year. But that’s not all. Their O-line seems extremely shattered as two more players received a police ultimatum on their road ethics and behavior.
According to the latest reports, police arrested Georgia’s offensive lineman Marques Easley on Friday after they issued a charge of reckless driving with an insane speed. Although he was released on bail just after some minutes. Georgia and Kirby Smart imposed a suspension on him for an indefinite period. The OL told the officers present that he was driving quite slow at around 25-30 mph, which is outright contradictory to the narrative.
Wide receiver Nitro Tuggle, the UGA freshman, has also been charged with reckless driving and speeding and is reportedly suspended from the school visit and any other activities. Another player, Ondre Evans, was also reported to be there during the crash, although he wasn’t taken to the hospital. So far, the statistic says Georgia’s players or staffers have drawn more than 30 speeding and reckless driving cases since Chandler LeCroy’s tragic loss in Jan 2023.
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