The first AP Top 25 of the 2026 season puts Georgia right where the Bulldogs expect to be: near the top, but still chasing the team ahead of them.
Georgia checked in at No. 3 in Monday’s preseason poll, trailing only Ohio State at No. 1 and Oregon at No. 2.
Notre Dame landed at No. 4, with Texas right behind at No. 5.
The Bulldogs were also slotted No. 3 in the initial Coaches Poll, which came out earlier in August.
Ohio State was the clear favorite with 40 first-place votes, while five teams got at least one vote. None of those votes came from the SEC.
The league still showed up in force. Nine SEC teams made the opening rankings, and Georgia’s schedule features several of them, including games against Oklahoma at No.
10, Alabama at No. 13, Ole Miss at No. 9 and No.
25 Missouri.
That ranking comes after a 12-2 season in which Georgia won the SEC. The Bulldogs opened last year at No. 5 in the AP poll, climbed to No. 2 after the regular season, then fell in their first College Football Playoff game before finishing No. 6 in the final AP poll. That’s been the frustrating pattern lately - Georgia has lost its first playoff game in each of the past two seasons.
Still, the roster brings back plenty to work with. Gunner Stockton is back at quarterback, and the defense should again be among the nation’s best with safety KJ Bolden leading the way.
Kirby Smart isn’t pretending the ranking means anything by itself. The Georgia coach made it clear the focus is on what this group proves once the games start piling up.
“I’m excited about this team, got a lot of growth needed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We have to test toughness, and a word we talk about a lot around here is ‘grit.’ We’ve got to find out what kind of grit we got.”
There are still real questions Georgia has to answer along the way. The pass rush needs to take a step after producing just 20 sacks last season, and the Bulldogs also have to rebuild at receiver after losing five of their top six pass catchers from a year ago.
Georgia already got its first scrimmage in on Saturday and is set for another this coming Saturday. The Bulldogs open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at home against Tennessee State.
AP Poll Top 25 Preseason rankings
Ohio State (40)
Oregon (14)
Georgia
Notre Dame (6)
Texas
Indiana (8)
Miami (1)
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
LSU
Texas Tech
Alabama
BYU
USC
Michigan
Washington
Penn State
SMU
Tennessee
Utah
Iowa
Houston
Louisville
Missouri
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Former Georgia standouts Zachariah Branch and Oscar Delp both got their first taste of NFL preseason action over the weekend, with Branch suiting up for the Atlanta Falcons and Delp debuting for the New Orleans Saints. It was a useful first look for two players who arrived in the league with plenty of college recognition and immediate expectations, and both got a chance to show some of the versatility that made them such intriguing pro prospects.
Branch finished with two catches for six yards, one run for three yards and a punt return for six yards, while Delp caught three passes for 10 yards and a touchdown. The early stat lines offer a reminder of how quickly the NFL can sharpen the edges for young players, though it is still only the beginning of their careers and there is time for both to settle in as the regular season moves closer. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smarts Son Is Already Creating Buzz Georgia Fans Will Notice
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Josh Alexander has not yet determined what role Andrew will play on Athens Academys varsity team, and that only adds to the curiosity around his first season. Kirby Smart has been clear that his son still has a long way to go in his development, but in Georgia circles, there will be no shortage of eyes on how the youngster grows into the next chapter. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Is Taking A Different Path In College Footballs Spending Race
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What makes Georgias approach notable is not a lack of resources. The coaching staff and athletic director have both made clear that money is not the limiting factor, even as the market around them keeps rising. Instead, the Bulldogs are choosing to manage roster spending through an internal philosophy, a sign that in todays college football, having the cash and deciding how to use it are increasingly two different things. [Read more 🡒]