Good morning!

Today, we’re going to attempt to prepare you for the next few weeks in the same way that Kirby Smart is preparing his team for the first game of the season.

With fall practice looming closer, we’ll have a new batch of headlines, stories and questions to discuss about Georgia.

That will come with a new batch of faces and names that not every Georgia fan would know off the top of their head.

Some, like Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier, are obviously household names. But there are other Bulldogs that we expect to share a solid portion of the limelight that we need to make sure you’re aware of.

Without further ado …

Enjoy the rest of the news in our coverage below.

Trivia time

There is only one active head coach that has been in the SEC longer than Kirby Smart. Who is it?

Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.

Projecting the Georgia offense’s depth chart

With fall practice now just days away, we’re officially close enough to kickoff to start talking depth chart.

Obviously, positions can be won and lost as easily as the fourth quarter in the SEC championship. But our Connor Riley projected what Georgia’s first offense will look like when the Bulldogs take the field against Marshall on Aug. 30.

Which, by the way, is exactly 32 days away.

For brevity’s sake, we’re going to give you the starters at each position. To get Riley’s analysis along with the depth at each spot, check out the DawgNation story below.

Projecting what Georgia’s starting offense will look like to open 2025 season

• Quarterback: Gunner Stockton (Jr.)
• Running back: Nate Frazier (So.)
• “X” receiver: Noah Thomas (Sr.), Colbie Young (Sr.)
• “Z” receiver: Dillon Bell (Sr.)
• Slot receiver: Zachariah Branch (Jr.)
• Tight end: Oscar Delp (Sr.), Lawson Luckie (Jr.)
• LT: Monroe Freeling (Jr.)
• LG: Micah Morris (Sr.)
• C: Drew Bobo (Jr.)
• RG: Daniel Calhoun (R-Fr.), Michael Uini (R-Fr.)
• RT: Earnest Greene III (Jr.)

Fall camp: Top 10 players to talk about

Soon, the practice reports will start filing in. Smart quotes will be cross-referenced with rumors from inside sources and the few minutes of action that us lowly media members actually get to see.

We’ll get updates on everything from position battles to injury status, to which freshmen are standing out and taking first-team reps.

With all that in mind, Riley complied another list for us: the 10 players we’re prepared to discuss the most from now until kickoff.

As stated above, for Riley’s analysis, check out the DawgNation story below.

The 10 Georgia football players we’ll be talking about the most during fall camp

1. QB Ryan Puglisi
2. RB Josh McCray
3. WR Zachariah Branch (see below)
4. TE Jaden Reddell
5. OG Daniel Calhoun
6. DL Elijah Griffin
7. EDGE Elo Modozie
8. LB Chris Cole
9. CB Ellis Robinson
10. P Brett Thorson

UGA needs Branch to sprout taller than special teams star

There was a time when the name Zachariah Branch was preceded by the term “No. 1 receiver in the country.” The former 5-star talent showed up at USC with sky-high expectations, viewed as an instant-impact freshman.

Branch did make himself known quickly as a specialist, returning a 96-yard kickoff return for six in his college debut against San Jose State. Branch also had a touchdown catch that day, but it was one of two for the entire season.

Then Branch followed with just one touchdown in 2024. He left USC after two seasons with 78 career receptions for 723 yards and three touchdowns.

Zachariah Branch: What Georgia needs to change for his time in Athens

Georgia’s probably going to need more than that from Branch.

UGA hopes things will run smoother in Athens, seeing as Branch is surrounded by other weapons that require as much focus as he does. The physical tools are certainly there, showcased with a massive circus catch at G-Day in April.

Those are the kinds of explosive plays Georgia will rely on Branch for, whether it’s from a quick-hit hitch or screen pass or a 45-yard bomb. UGA is expected to tap into Branch’s special teams talent, but the team’s top-rated transfer is expected to be more than a returner this season.

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Photo of the Day

Georgia offensive lineman Michael Uini (52) and Marques Easley (58) run a drill during spring football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility.

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Quote of the Day

Heisman winner, Atlanta native Cam Newton on the state of Georgia’s high school football superiority:

“You want to go get a good lineman, you may want to go to the Midwest, but our fail-safe is Georgia. You want to go get a quarterback, yeah, we’re going to go to California, yeah, we’re going to go to Texas, maybe Florida. But you can go to Georgia.

Cam Newton praises state of Georgia as a hotbed for high school football talent

“You want an old, physical tight end? Yeah, we can go Midwest again, we can go to Texas again, maybe go up north to Maryland or something like that, but you can always come to Georgia.”

“Just imagine if Georgia was as big as California, just imagine if Georgia was as big as Texas, just imagine if Georgia was as big as doggone Florida. What would that look like?”

Georgia’s SEC odds ranked second place by national outlet

It’s not abnormal that ESPN’s Bill Connelly picked Georgia to finish second in the SEC.

It was abnormal that he picked them to finish second behind Alabama.

The statistic-driven Connelly posted every SEC team’s percent chance to win the SEC, and according to his models, the Crimson Tide have the best shot at 16.1%.

The Bulldogs are right behind them at 15.6%, followed by preseason SEC favorite Texas at 13.6%.

After that, the chances drop to single digits, with LSU at 9.6% and Ole Miss at 7.4%.

Georgia was predicted to finish second, two spots ahead of Alabama, in the conference preseason poll at SEC Media Days. The Bulldogs play the Crimson Tide in what many are considering the most-anticipated game of the season at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.

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Trivia answer

Mark Stoops, Kentucky