Happy Thursday to all!

Hopefully by this time next week, we’ll have things to discuss regarding the start of fall camp for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Georgia is set to report for fall camp on Tuesday, meaning the first practice will likely be Wednesday for the Bulldogs.

There’s a lot to look forward to with the Bulldogs and fall camp. Everyone will want to know the breakout stars, while keeping their fingers crossed for Georgia to limit injuries.

For me, I’m most looking forward to seeing how Georgia’s tight end room evolves. They have a lot to love at the position, but much could’ve been said of last season when the group combined for just 42 total receptions.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will be challenged to get the most out of this room, especially with questions at wide receiver. How it all comes together, with quarterback Gunner Stockton running point, will be fascinating to watch.

Elijah Griffin can be ‘as good as he wants to be’

Elijah Griffin was not one of the four Georgia Bulldogs to make First Team All-SEC in the preseason media voting.

But if he has the season some think he can, he’ll be a very real candidate to do so at the end of the 2026 season.

“Elijah, man, he could be as good as he wants to be,” linebacker Raylen Wilson told DawgNation at SEC Media Days. “He’s athletically gifted, strong, big, where he can take on two blockers.”

Griffin did get recognized as one of the top burgeoning talents in the league, as he did make Second Team All-SEC last week. As a freshman, Griffin finished with 22 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

He’s going to need to up those numbers in 2026 if he’s to stack up with the likes of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Christen Miller.

The lack of proven dominance is part of the reason head coach Kirby Smart is hesitant to put too much on the shoulders of the Pooler, Georgia native.

“His weight room numbers and his combine numbers, whether it’s twitch, movement, acceleration, all these things we measure, he’s comparable to some of the best defensive linemen we’ve had,” Smart said. “But we haven’t seen that on the field yet and he has only been a freshman. I you think back to those great ones we’ve had, they were not dominant as freshmen.”

For more on Griffin, read the full story.

Elijah Griffin (90) takes part in the second day of spring practice in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. (DawgNation staff photo)

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart greets defensive lineman Elijah Griffin (90) during the first half of the Georgia vs. Ole Miss NCAA College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Sugar Bowl in the Caesars Superdome, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New Orleans. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Georgia defensive lineman Elijah Griffin (90) reacts during a play against the Alabama offense during their NCAA football game in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. Georgia won 28-7. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Georgia defensive lineman Elijah Griffin (90) reacts after sacking Charlotte quarterback Grayson Loftis (not pictured) during the second quarter in their NCAA game at Sanford Stadium, Friday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 35-3. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Why Georgia embraces the Thunder

Kirby Smart has made it a point to study great teams and programs during his tenure at Georgia. To be the best, it helps to learn from the best.

Be it Nike or the New Zealand national rugby team, Smart has leaned on iconic brands to teach his team about what is needed to be great.

This offseason, Smart had his team study the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite being a small-market NBA team, Oklahoma City is the model franchise at the moment. The Thunder won the NBA championship in 2025 after going 68-14.

“You need it to study how other people are doing it and maybe the ways they’re doing it in creating roles for others.” Smart said at SEC media days. “It’s very unique what the Thunder was doing, especially when they won the championship in terms of leading in so many categories, but most importantly selflessness. That’s what we try to emulate.”

So with Georgia leaning on the Thunder, it’s hard to ignore the many crossovers between the two.

From Smart being Georgia’s Sam Presti, to the player parallels between Gunner Stockton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you can see how the two teams compare

For more on the overlap between the two, check out the full story.

Trivia time

Who was the last Georgia basketball player to win an NBA championship?

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How things look for Georgia baseball after MLB draft deadline passes

Since Georgia’s historic 53-14 season ended in the College World Series, the Bulldogs have been traveling at warp speed this offseason.

As expected, a significant chunk of key contributors from that historic 2026 team departed. That would include Golden Spikes winner Daniel Jackson, Joey Volchko, Tre Phelps, Kolby Branch and nine other Bulldogs who were drafted earlier this month. Georgia’s 13 draft picks not only led the country but also broke a program record.

Possibly the most surprising signee was Kenny Ishikawa, who inked his commitment to the Cincinnati Reds after being a 13th-round selection. He would have been the Bulldogs’ likely leadoff hitter and possibly one of the best arms on the roster.

Ishikawa hit .336 with 42 hits, 3 homers, 21 RBIs and an impressive 28-to-11 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

When it comes to the transfer portal, Georgia did a good job of retaining its top talent, despite nine players departing the program.

To no surprise, Georgia coach Wes Johnson was active again this portal cycle. He stacked another strong transfer portal class, just as he had done in each of the previous three off-seasons.

For more on what the team looks like next season, read the full story from Hunter DeLauder here.

Greg McElroy sounds off on Georgia offense

Greg McElroy knows the Georgia program well.

Be it from his time at Alabama with Kirby Smart to the extra access he gets as one of the game’s top broadcasters, few have gone as deep on the Georgia program as McElroy has in recent years.

He’s seen Georgia win a lot of games and play well.

In 2026, he wants to see them open it on the offensive side of the ball.

“I would like them to be a little more aggressive this year,” McElroy said in an interview with DawgNation. “I think Gunner (Stockton) can do it. I think he has plenty of arm. I think the one game last year, like front of mind that I can really remember him just ripping it downfield with reckless abandon was Tennessee, and he met that challenge beautifully. So I know they’re going to run the rock. I know they’re going to want to pound the line of scrimmage, lean on you, limit the snap exposure defensively. But I just want to see them press the gas pedal a little bit more often this year. And if they can do that, I’ll feel really comfortable if and when they get to the playoff and they have to go against a team that can hang 40 and your defense has an off day.”

Georgia averaged 32.1 points per game last season. Georgia has one of the top offensive lines and a proven winner at quarterback in Stockton. The biggest question comes at the wide receiver position.

If the Bulldogs are able to generate some explosive plays in the passing game, Georgia can be as aggressive as they want to be in 2026.

For more on what McElroy had to say about Georgia’s offense, check out Brandon Adams’s latest episode of DawgNation Daily.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) runs with a ball during the second half in an NCAA football game at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Georgia won 44-41 over Tennessee in overtime.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) attempts a pass during the fourth quarter against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Georgia won 44-41 in overtime. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) attempts a long pass to Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young (not pictured) during the first quarter against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) runs against Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) for yards during the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium, Saturday, September 13, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. Georgia won 44-41 in overtime. (Jason Getz / AJC)

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Trivia answer

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He was a member of the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets.