ATHENS - Georgia finally gets to stop scrimmaging itself and line up against somebody else on Saturday, when the Bulldogs open the season at 3 p.m. ET against Tennessee State.
That shift can’t come soon enough. After a month of preseason practices, Kirby Smart’s team put itself through two heavy scrimmages in search of clearer answers, and the head coach came away encouraged by what he saw on both sides of the ball.
“I thought there was really some positives on both sides of the ball,” Smart said after the second scrimmage. “Offense continues to be effective and efficient in the red area.
Run game in terms of putting dents in the defense and being physical was really good. Defensively, I think, there was some good.
Some turnovers in there, some sacks and created some havoc, which is important. But all in all, I thought both sides of the ball continued to get better.”
The offense brings back a lot from last season, and the spotlight starts with Gunner Stockton. He is expected to be one of Georgia’s top players, and the run game should again be a strength. The real unease sits at wide receiver, where the Bulldogs head into the season with more questions than certainties.
At quarterback, Stockton is the clear starter, but the backup picture was shaken up during camp. Ryan Puglisi did not have strong showings in either scrimmage, and Ryan Montgomery narrowed the gap.
Georgia still appears likely to turn to Puglisi first if Stockton goes down, but the separation behind the starter is significant. The Bulldogs need Stockton healthy.
The backfield looks deeper, though there is still a loss to account for. Dante Dowdell is gone, and that will show up at some point.
Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens both made it through camp healthy, helped by Georgia keeping their workloads in check. The Bulldogs would love to get both rolling at once, something that never quite happened last season.
The biggest uncertainty remains out wide. Isiah Canion, CJ Wiley, Thomas Blackshear and Ryan Mosley are in the mix, but the group did not have the kind of August that settled much of anything.
London Humphreys stands out as the one dependable name there, and Georgia will need him, along with Canion and Sacovie White-Helton. After that, it feels wide open.
Landon Roldan turned in a strong second scrimmage, and the staff may be seeing something click with Talyn Taylor late in camp. Even so, this still looks like Georgia’s biggest question entering 2026, and maybe a bigger concern now than it was before preseason practices.
At tight end, Lawson Luckie sits at the top of the chart, but that does not mean he’s the only one who will matter. With some added weight, he wants to stay on the field all the time in 2026.
Mike Bobo has plenty of ways to mix in Jaden Reddell, Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour, each of whom brings a different skill set. Kaiden Prothro is expected to help more as a wide receiver for now, though Georgia sees his future at tight end.
Up front, Georgia has a few spots worth watching. Drew Bobo is listed as the starting center, though there would be no surprise if Cortez Smith gets the nod to begin against Tennessee State. Bobo is dealing with foot and finger injuries, and while the foot issue from last season remains the bigger concern, it does not sound like it will keep him out to start the year.
Smart also pushed Juan Gaston during camp, so his opening-game status will be worth tracking. Georgia likes the tackle depth, especially with Ekene Ogboko continuing to develop. Ogboko, a 5-star signee, has impressed enough to draw real attention.
And then there is Zykie Helton, who has generated plenty of buzz since arriving in Athens. The excitement around him has reached a level Georgia fans have seen before from KJ Bolden in 2024, Malaki Starks in 2022 and Brock Bowers in 2021. That is a pretty high bar, and Helton has already put himself in that conversation.
In Other News...
Georgia Leaves Fall Camp With Two Troubling Questions On Offense
Georgia came out of fall camp with a clearer picture in the backfield, where Dwight Phillips took advantage of the extra work and looked like one of the more encouraging offensive developments before the opener against Tennessee State. The defense also got a boost from Ellis Robinsons strong showing, but the offense never quite found the same level of rhythm through the passing game, leaving Georgia with a few more questions than it would have liked as the season gets ready to start.
The most obvious concern is at wide receiver, where the group had issues creating separation and securing catches, and the staff even moved freshman Kaiden Prothro from tight end to receiver to help address the depth and consistency problems. Behind center, Ryan Puglisi still has not locked down the backup quarterback job, which only adds to the uncertainty around an offense that is otherwise trying to turn a promising camp into a clean start once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Frazier Is Chasing A Georgia Running Back Rarity
Nate Frazier has quickly become one of the most dependable pieces in Georgias offense, and his rise has already put him in rare company. Since arriving in 2024, he has led the Bulldogs in rushing in back-to-back seasons, earned SEC All-Freshman honors and came close to the 1,000-yard mark in 2025, all while looking like the kind of back the Bulldogs can build around.
Looking ahead to 2026, Frazier is expected to be Georgias starting running back again, which gives him a chance to chase a milestone the program has not seen in a long time. If he finishes as the Bulldogs leading rusher once more, he would become the first Georgia running back to top the team in rushing yards three straight seasons since 1992, a reminder of just how unusual sustained production has been at that spot. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Suddenly Has A Defensive Line Depth Issue To Solve
Georgias defensive front took an unexpected hit this week when Xzavier McLeod disappeared from the roster and, according to a social media post, retired from football. McLeod had been part of the mix for two seasons after transferring from South Carolina, and he was a steady presence last fall, appearing in all 14 games as Georgia leaned on its depth up front through another long season.
The timing matters because Kirby Smart had already been talking about the lines depth and the need to keep that group stocked for the grind ahead. Georgia did at least get a boost with the addition of freshman Valdin Sone, but McLeods exit creates another opening in a room that was built on competition and rotation. For a program that usually expects answers to be waiting on the bench, this is one of those developments that forces an early recalibration. [Read more 🡒]