The Dawgs are in prep to play Marshall with several wide-open position battles, like at the start of the preseason camp. The Georgia Bulldogs have held dozens of practices, workouts, walkthroughs, and scrimmages combined since they got things rolling in late July, and a lot of positives and a few injuries is what this year usually looks like. And yet, as Kirby Smart put it, the calendar flipping into game week forces a reckoning. Health, depth, and clarity — those three pillars set the tone for Georgia’s latest march.

The injury news, however, came as a reminder of how thin the margins are, even for a roster built like a fortress. The first update was on defensive tackle Jordan Hall, a player UGA fans have been waiting to see at full strength. Hall’s story is one of grit and recovery, battling stress fractures in both legs that required surgery and cost him nearly his entire freshman campaign. Smart’s praise carried weight: “His resiliency pops out to me… Jordan, number one, he’s bright. Number two, he cares… He’s passionate, and he plays really hard.” That kind of language doesn’t get thrown around lightly in Athens.

Hall, once a Top 100 prospect, played only 49 snaps last fall but looks poised to jump into a rotation desperate for interior disruptors. His own words underscored his hunger: “I’ve been wanting to play good since I got here,” Hall said Monday at Georgia’s press conference. “So, I have the opportunity to showcase it more now than I did before. I’m just really glad that I’m playing.” For a defensive front replacing Jalen Carter’s wrecking-ball presence just a season ago, Hall’s availability could be the X-factor.

Then there’s Brett Thorson, Georgia’s punter with the leg — and résumé — that can flip a field in an instant. The Australian senior, who was one of three Ray Guy Award finalists last season, is battling back from torn ligaments in his left knee suffered during the SEC Championship. Kirby Smart kept his status vague: “He has continued to kick. I don’t know if he’ll be kicking in this game. That hasn’t been decided yet… It’ll be one of those things that we decide by the end of the week.” On paper, it sounds like cautious optimism. The good news is Thorson punts with his right leg, and special teams coordinator Kirk Benedict said earlier this month he is “on schedule and doing great.” His junior year numbers — 42 punts for 1,998 yards, a 47.6-yard average, 22 downed inside the 20 — explain why Georgia wants him back as soon as possible. If not, redshirt freshman Drew Miller will get his baptism under fire.

The biggest cloud hanging over Smart’s camp isn’t at special teams or the defensive line — it’s under center. Georgia’s QB1 competition remains unsettled, and Gunner Stockton’s role has yet to be defined. Ryan Puglisi has made this battle tighter than expected, while Stockton’s silence on the depth chart leaves more questions than answers. Smart’s approach hasn’t wavered; he prefers to drag competitions as long as possible, forcing young QBs to prove themselves across weeks of live reps. Yet this year’s uncertainty feels after Carson Beck left them hanging.

The positional churn doesn’t end there. When camp began, right guard was circled as the most heated competition. Daniel Calhoun and Michael Uini were the early frontrunners, but true freshman Juan Gaston has muscled his way into the conversation, setting himself up for a shot at starting in his very first game. Elsewhere, outside linebacker and safety rotations are still unsettled, with Smart noting there’s more than just “starters” to consider. Depth matters just as much in Athens, where three-deep rotations are the oxygen of a championship push.

That’s why the next three practices loom so large. Georgia, even with its wealth of blue-chip talent, isn’t immune to attrition, hesitation, or late-breaking clarity. As Kirby Smart reminded, these competitions never stop, and opening week is only the first reveal of what a roster really looks like.

Kirby Smart’s gamble

Georgia is riding into the new season with a fresh face under center, and all eyes are on Gunner Stockton. After Beck’s departure, Stockton is the man tasked with steering the Bulldogs’ offense, but not everyone’s convinced he’s ready to grab the wheel and floor it.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum, never shy about stirring the pot, voiced his skepticism on SportsCenter. “It is Gunner Stockton at Georgia, and there has been a big narrative after he took over for Carson Beck late last year,” Finebaum said, pointing straight at the spotlight now shining on the young quarterback. Stockton’s Sugar Bowl performance against Notre Dame left room for debate. “He was not spectacular when he played against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, but some of that was his coaching on the sideline, but I’m just worried about him at this moment.”

That’s not to say Finebaum’s completely writing him off. Stockton, according to those inside the locker room, is adored by his teammates. “He is well-loved by his teammates, that’s what I hear from the team. But can he handle the moment?” Finebaum asked, sharpening the question that will define Georgia’s season. The true proving ground comes fast—Alabama looms at the end of September, and as Finebaum reminded, “Alabama seems to have Georgia’s number lately.”