Even a tough loss in the Superdome couldn’t diminish Georgia’s lasting influence in the NFL. With the Patriots winning the AFC Championship, the Bulldogs’ impressive 25-year Super Bowl streak persists. The pipeline of former Bulldogs continues to dominate at the professional level, keeping their underrated streak alive.

The Patriots’ 10-7 conference championship win over the Broncos sent them to the Super Bowl, where the Seahawks awaited. But that win also kept Georgia at 25 straight Super Bowls, with a former Dawg streak still going. Georgia offensive lineman Jared Wilson, a third-round draft pick by the Patriots, is now on a Super Bowl-bound team, keeping the streak alive.

25 straight Super Bowl appearances have at least one Georgia player, which makes it the longest active Super Bowl streak alive for any college program. Wilson was with Kirby Smart’s team from 2021 to 2024 and served as the starting center during the 2024 season. Most notably, he had a team-leading five QB pressures in the College Football Playoff Allstate Sugar Bowl Semifinal game against Notre Dame, showing his worth to Georgia.

With him, even Kenny McIntosh achieved a similar feat to Wilson, who was a key contributor in Georgia’s back-to-back national championship wins. He finished his career with the Bulldogs, recording 1,582 yards and 16 touchdowns.

However, the pipeline of Georgia NFL talent is pretty long; last season alone, eight former Bulldogs appeared in Super Bowl LIX, with six winning championship rings after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.

What adds to the buzz even more is that Georgia alum and graduate assistant Mike Macdonald is also part of the Super Bowl as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, who face the Patriots next week.

The streak began in 2002 when former Georgia players on the St. Louis Rams faced Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. Over the years, this tradition has grown to include talented players like Richard Seymour, Hines Ward, and Champ Bailey, as well as newer stars such as Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Wilson, and McIntosh.

Since 2020, the program drafted 62 players, the most among FBS programs. With that, 57 former Bulldogs were on active NFL rosters for the 2025 season across 24 teams. The program has produced 48 first-round picks in its history, with 17 of them coming during Kirby Smart’s tenure.

So now you know why players trust them for a better NFL transition. But this unparalleled success in sending players to the pros comes at a price for the program, and Kirby Smart is facing his biggest reloading challenge yet ahead of the 2026 season.

Georgia’s NFL pipeline takes a hit in Kirby Smart’s 2026 class

Georgia Football is entering the 2026 season with a mix of optimism and challenges after losing many of its stars to the NFL. The exodus of talent is stark, with key starters like linebacker CJ Allen, defensive tackle Christen Miller, wide receiver Zachariah Branch, and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling all departing for the NFL. CBS Sports analyst Robby Kalland has already placed Georgia on the list of teams most impacted by the 2026 NFL Draft.

Kalland made it pretty clear that this 2026 season is a real test for Kirby Smart and his team.

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“Kirby Smart has proven over the years that he reloads rather than rebuilds,” Kalland said. “But for a Georgia team that’s slipped from its perch of the nation’s unquestioned best to simply being “one of the best,” the 2026 season will be a test of how easily they can fill gaps in this new era.”

Despite the departures, Georgia returned talented players at linebacker and on the defensive front. While replacing Allen isn’t that straightforward, Smart has players like Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, and Justin Williams. On the defensive line, Elijah Griffin is ready to make an impact.

The offense has an even bigger challenge ahead, since replacing Branch isn’t simple. Georgia welcomed Isiah Canion from the portal and signed Craig Dandridge, Ryan Mosley, and Dallas Dickerson in the 2026 class, though they might not provide immediate results. Talyn Taylor is ready to support quarterback Gunner Stockton, with Branch himself praising his skills and explosiveness.

So, even with losing 13 players to the draft, Kirby Smart’s team is building for a major turnaround.