NO COMPLACENCY
Less than a week into preseason practice, Georgia coach Kirby Smart pointed out that not every veteran player was building off last season’s success, saying “that’s one of the scariest things that can happen to our team.” Given the talent Smart and his staff are compiling in Athens and given the fact traditional Eastern Division rivals Florida and Tennessee are regrouping after going a combined 8-15 last season, the biggest obstacle for the Bulldogs may be the Bulldogs. Georgia won all six of its games against East opponents last year by at least two touchdowns, sweeping the division for the very first time, on its way to the SEC championship, and Bulldogs players have been showered with adulation since. It’s possible that Georgia could have several spots in which talented newcomers overtake returning players, which could result in a larger learning curve overall.
STRENGTH OUTSIDE
The Bulldogs are moving on without the running back tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel and without left tackle Isaiah Wynn, with each of those among the first 35 selections of April’s NFL draft. Yet it could be that the biggest offensive departure from a season ago is receiver Javon Wims, a seventh-round pick of the Chicago Bears who had a team-leading 45 catches for 720 yards last year and had seven catches for 89 yards in his NFL preseason debut. Wims was a 6-foot-4, 215-pound physical presence on the perimeter whom the Bulldogs may not be able to completely replace, though 6-2, 200-pound junior Riley Ridley believes he can produce a similar threat.
NEW LINEBACKERS