Well, it always feels good to head a program with a strong history. But nobody talks about the pressure that comes with it. And Kirby Smart knows it best. After all, the Georgia Bulldogs proudly boast four National Championship feathers in their hat. 1942, 1980, 2021, and 2022. So, naturally, the expectations are touching the ceiling. Along with Smart, the seat is hot for their quarterback, Gunner Stockton, to lead his program to the Natty. But turns out that more than his talent, the surrounding imposes more pressure on the quarterback. With whatever resources he has got, Stockton will have to live up to Smart’s expectations.
“This year everyone’s hungry, everyone’s got something to prove,” junior tight end Lawson Luckie said. Well, it was bound to be like this. After all, in the 2024 season, with the Sugar Bowl loss, Smart’s boys lost the natty race. But the head coach is still following his promise to the T that he made after losing to Nick Saban’s Alabama in 2018. “I think everyone can see Georgia is going be a force to be reckoned with.” Smart emphatically mentioned the ideas of retention, stability, and being built to last as key values of this championship-caliber program. That’s how only counting on the quarterbacks won’t count.
On the April 16 episode of the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast, analyst Brandon Adams drew a clearer picture. “If anyone knows how important the trenches are it’s Kirby Smart. We know it’s important to have quarterback play but the last two national championship teams, JJ McCarthy was good. I wouldn’t say he was elite… but they didn’t need him to go out there and win games with his arm and win the national championship, right? Will Howard got better as the year went on, but Will Howard as good as he played in the playoffs. He’s not the reason they won the national championship.” Moral of the story? Having a good quarterback is enough for Smart’s squad, and he no longer has to obsess over the quarterback position in the mission of making it ‘elite.’ Then what’s the key?
“What you need is to be elite in the trenches, and yes, probably need to have a couple of stable running backs. You need to have playmakers on the outside, and you need to have guys at linebacker. And in the secondary, who can make plays, but at the end of the day, this is still a game in the trenches.” Things have already been tough lately for Stockton with Ryan Puglisi entering the scene. Adams could not stop obsessing about Puglisi’s smooth throwing skills. Plus, owning a rocket of an arm comes off as a bonus. Now, Smart’s returning quarterback’s National Title dreams are threatened, worrying about the supporting cast and the trenches as well. Georgia lost 17 players to the 2025 NFL draft and two of the nation’s top-ranked transfers, Carson Beck and Damon Wilson. In that way, Smart’s trenches lost production and experience.
On top of that, Smart’s words must be haunting Stockton ever more now. As the head coach had set his expectations straight. “Now we’ve got time to get there and we’ve got to get there.” Now, will the Bulldogs be able to bring the natty? Well, an analyst has been stirring the pot.
Kirby Smart mixing, matching, and masterminding the frontline
According to FanDuel, Smart’s squad holds the second-best championship odds at +650, just behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now that’s a grounding alert. But at the same time, they have to buckle themselves up. The Bulldogs’ head coach has some figuring out to do this season. While tackling the quarterback hoopla, Smart now has to replace potential first-round picks like Malaki Starks, Mykel Williams, and Jalon Walker on defense. But analyst Dean Legge dreams big for Georgia.
“This team can win the national championship. This is a really talented bunch of players,” claimed the analyst. Already, Smart’s competitors like LSU and South Carolina boast of having an edge over returning their good ol’ quarterbacks – Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers, respectively. However, according to Legge, Smart needs to worry about only two schools, Penn State and Texas. While trenches are a concerning factor in Athens, Georgia has already taken a precautionary measure against one of CFB’s biggest problem areas.
Thanks to Kirby Smart. Over the past years, the Georgia head coach has signed a ton of offensive linemen. Last season, the Bulldogs had seven offensive linemen signees, including Daniel Calhoun, Michael Uini, and Marcus Harrison, among others. But for that, he did catch many side-eyes for cramping up that position. Kudos to the head coach for having the far sightedness. After all, the school’s offensive line was affected by injuries. However, Coach Smart capitalized on the situation, “mixing and matching some of the offensive linemen throughout the season” due to their depth. If the Dawgs can plug the leaks, that natty run might just be destiny.
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