Over the years, we’ve heard so many catchphrases and mantras from Georgia coach Kirby Smart. These often pop up at SEC media days, though sometimes they appear during fall camp or throughout the season.
It’s usually a term or philosophy the Bulldogs plan to embrace that year.
In fairness, this isn’t an exhaustive list. Sometimes there’s more than one mantra per season, sometimes it evolves over time and occasionally there’s not one clear mantra that sticks out.
But for a while now, it’s typical for Georgia to have some sort of go-to slogan (remember “do more” in 2019 or “chopping wood” a couple years before?)
Addressing media Tuesday, Smart downplayed the idea of an annual catchphrase, mentioning he doesn’t want to introduce too many things for players to focus on.
But he did add that Georgia has studied the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2024-25 NBA champion, and focused on the theme of “being uncommon.”
“Being uncommon nowadays is hard to do in the world and kind of the culture of college football,” Smart said. “So we’re emphasizing those uncommon traits they have in terms of sharing the ball, passing, leading in all stats, whether it’s assists, turnovers, defense. They were really good at it all … They were the reigning NBA champs when we studied them.”
Smart spoke with local reporters earlier Tuesday morning and addressed all media at SEC media days in Tampa, Florida, not long before this newsletter will head your way.
The timing for today’s newsletter is a little funky, with information coming out in real time, but check back for full updates on media days at DawgNation.com throughout the day, and we’ll have much more for you in tomorrow’s newsletter.
Media days can get a little hectic, but here are a few injury updates we’ve already gotten Tuesday:
Injury updates from SEC media days
· What’s the latest with running back Dante Dowdell?
Smart revealed that the running back did indeed suffer a significant injury. The Georgia coach did not specify a timeline for a possible return, but expressed the seriousness of the injury.
“The Dante Dowdell situation is tough,” Smart said while speaking at SEC media days. “I don’t know when he’ll be back. He had an off-campus accident back home during our break, and we’re praying for him and his family. We expect a full recovery, but the outlook right now is we’re waiting to see.”
Dowdell transferred in from Kentucky this offseason. He rushed for 560 yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats last season. Dowdell spent the 2024 season with Nebraska and the 2023 season with Oregon.
Georgia’s offense was not the same after Bobo suffered a foot injury against Georgia Tech. With the injury coming so late in the season, one of Georgia’s biggest offseason questions has pertained to Bobo’s status to start the 2026 season.
Bobo was one of the best centers in the country last season and could very well be among the best offensive linemen in the conference, regardless of position.
Bobo spoke to reporters Tuesday as one of the media representatives for the Bulldogs. While he didn’t say whether or not he was ahead of schedule, he made it clear he felt good and is excited to help the team as it looks to have a better conclusion to the season.
Bobo ended last season on a scooter, watching as Georgia lost to Ole Miss.
“I was a little upset about it, but I still had confidence in what our offensive line would do,” Bobo said. “It was a little bit of mixed feelings, but I was confident that they would do great. But just really going back to being upset that I couldn’t play.”
· How is Justice Fitzpatrick doing?
Most of Georgia’s 2026 signing class was with the team during spring practice. The Bulldogs saw tight end Kaiden Prothro, defensive tackle Valdin Sone and defensive back Tyriq Green make strong first impressions.
But one player we did not see was one of Georgia’s top-rated defensive recruits. That would be cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick.
Smart shared that Fitzpatrick is still working his way back from ACL surgery he had following an injury he suffered in high school. Fitzpatrick finished the 2026 recruiting cycle as Georgia’s second-highest rated signee per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“Justice Fitzpatrick is working his way back,” Smart said. “He’s about — I want to say six months post, maybe seven months post-ACL — so we don’t know what he’ll be able to do completely in camp.”
Read Connor Riley’s full stories on injury updates here and here.
‘Smart deserves more attention’ at SEC Media Days
The 2026 SEC Football Media Days kicked off on Monday at the Tampa Marriott, storylines aplenty.
“I think the three top questions here are about the SEC versus the Big Ten, Lane Kiffin taking over at LSU and then whether the SEC can get back on top of college football,” SEC Network host Paul Finebaum told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“But I’m actually most intrigued about Kirby Smart and Georgia football from a national standpoint, because we’re hearing so little about them.”
It’s a fair point when one considers the two-time defending SEC champion Bulldogs haven’t won a College Football Playoff game since winning the CFP title following the 2022 season.
Stockton, Georgia’s gritty home-state quarterback, finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting last season. But with five of UGA’s six top receivers from a season ago moving on, there are questions about Stockton replicating his numbers and developing into an NFL draft prospect.
“I just did an ESPN interview, and the questions were about Arch Manning and Kiffin,” Finebaum said. “I mean, Alabama doesn’t even get mentioned anymore, but Kirby Smart deserves more attention than he’s getting.”
So it would seem, but back-to-back losses in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal have tarnished Georgia’s back-to-back SEC championships.
“Georgia is still in the top tier, but it looks like from the early read that Texas is going to be picked first to win the league,” Finebaum said. “The most important thing for Kirby Smart is changing January. All the SEC titles in the world aren’t changing the public opinion of him.
“It’s can he win another national championship and get back to the national championship game.”
Of Georgia football’s 16 largest margins of victory in program history, three have occurred this century. Can you name one of the three?
Halloween could give state of Georgia a storybook football moment
If the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party must be played in Atlanta for a year, 2026 seems to be the perfect time to do it.
The Georgia-Florida rivalry game — traditionally played at a neutral site in Jacksonville, Florida — will likely have extra Peach State flavor, with two of the most dominant quarterbacks in Georgia high school football history being projected to start for the Bulldogs and Gators.
UGA’s incumbent starter, Gunner Stockton, famously hails from North Georgia’s Rabun County. Stockton threw the most passing touchdowns of any high school quarterback in state history (177) as a four-year starter for the Wildcats.
Before Aaron Philo shone at Georgia Tech and transferred to Florida, he led Prince Avenue Christian to consecutive state championships. Philo also broke Georgia’s all-time passing yards record (13,922) as a three-year starter.
The potential Halloween matchup — which, coincidentally, falls just six days before Prince Avenue is scheduled to end the regular season at Rabun County — would be a climactic culmination of near misses over the past six years. Stockton and Philo have shared the field three times since 2020, but have never actually played against each other.
The first time the two former AJC Super 11 selections shared the field was Week 2 of the 2020 high school season. Stockton was a junior committed to South Carolina, and No. 1 Rabun County was hosting No. 3 Prince Avenue Christian in a small-school showdown televised on ESPNU.
Aaron Philo (left) and Gunner Stockton are two of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Georgia high school football history. Now, they could be facing off in the state's capital as the starting quarterbacks for Florida and Georgia, respectively, in October. (Jason Getz/AJC; Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
What latest 4-star commitment means for Georgia football recruiting class
The Georgia Bulldogs made another addition to their 2026 recruiting class on Saturday, as they secured the commitment of 4-star safety Adryan Cole.
Cole, who plays for Douglas County High School in Douglasville, picked the Bulldogs over offers from Florida, LSU and Ole Miss.
“It has been a childhood dream since I was younger,” Cole told DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell. “It would just be great playing for my hometown team. It is just great having a real relationship with everybody in the building.”
By committing to Georgia, Cole becomes the highest-rated defensive commit in the class.
With the addition of Cole, the Bulldogs now have 19 commitments in their 2027 recruiting cycle. He is the lone defensive back commit in the class. Georgia previously held commitments from 5-star Donte Wright and 4-star Jerry Outhouse, but they flipped to Miami and UCLA, respectively.
Georgia also missed out on in-state safety Ta’Shawn Poole, who committed to Florida State on Friday. He is the No. 5 player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite rankings, and the No. 64 player nationally. Cole ranks as the No. 15 player in the state and the No. 166 player in the class.
The addition of Cole did move Georgia ahead of Clemson in the 247Sports rankings, as the Bulldogs now have the No. 12 recruiting class in the country for the 2027 cycle.
