The beginning of the 2025 season has been pretty tough for Kirby Smart. The Georgia Bulldogs suffered a mass exodus of players, as 18 players jumped off the Bulldogs’ wagon. While Smart was yet to wrap his head around the loss, here came more blows. Smart’s squad has lost a $5 million NIL fortune, and as per On3 reports, their adjusted value dropped to $4.3 million. However, the head coach did not let the outside pressure crush him. 

Instead, he rose like a phoenix, filling the gaps in his players’ roster. As per On3’s 2026 Team Recruiting Rankings, Smart’s Georgia has already locked in 18 recruits and holds the No. 3 rank. But their 2026 class can wait. As of now, a college football analyst has spotted red flags when it comes to Smart’s 2025 roster. 

The Georgia Bulldogs’ defensive line has been listed among the top 10 ahead of the 2025 college football season. However, not to forget, Smart and co. have lost a handful of contributors from last year’s roster. The list includes Mykel Williams, Nazir Stackhouse, and Warren Brinson, all departed for the NFL Draft. So, it’s obvious from a raw numbers standpoint that this group isn’t as deep as it has been in years past. This has been doubled down by Pete Thamel on the June 18th episode of the See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack podcast. “There are a lot of unknowns. But I still think if you look at it, we’ve talked about this from the offensive standpoint. I think they may not be as talented at quarterback, but will get better quarterback play. And their offense, the weapon around the quarterback be better.” 

Thamel continued, “I think the defensive lineman, who becomes the true difference maker in the defensive line. Because that to me is the difference between 21 and 22, and what you’ve seen from Georgia in the last few years is that you didn’t have any, especially in the interior. A singular presence that can affect first and second down, especially when teams try to pass against them.” In their face-off against Alabama, the Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe had constantly beaten the Georgia defenders to the edge. The position has been plagued by injuries, too. Yet they managed to turn heads.

On the interior, Smart’s squad featured three solid defensive tackles, including senior Warren Brinson. In 2023, he recorded 21 tackles, including three for a loss and two sacks in 13 games played. Last season, Brinson totaled 26 tackles, including six for a loss and two sacks in 11 games played. He missed two games with a lower leg injury. The same went for Smart’s redshirt sophomore Christen Miller. He was experiencing a breakout season before missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. So, for the 2025 season, multiple questions prevail. 

As Thamel noted, “Who steps up? Is it Elijah Griffin, the true freshman? Does Jordan Hall come back? Does Christen Miller become more than just a run defender? Xzavier McLeod, does he make it out of the big league? Somebody, especially in the interior defensive line, that’s where, to me, is the biggest question.”  While Smart needs to ensure to pull through another successful season ft. the interior defensive lineman, he can let out some sigh of relief.

Kirby Smart is blessed with a secret weapon to protect Gunner Stockton

Georgia could not mark itself safe from the quarterback battle. With a Gunner Stockton vs. Ryan Puglisi narrative, Stockton is said to be the better starting quarterback. The expectations are also looming high for the quarterback. “Gunner is that guy who is still talented, very athletic. Obviously, more athletic than Jake Fromm was. Has a good arm, maybe not like first-round caliber arm talent, but still a good arm, but can bring a locker room together.” Smart’s probable QB1 knows he needs to play better for Georgia to win a championship. 

He feels that leadership and communication with teammates are key, especially to get comfortable with his receivers. The Georgia Bulldogs’ wide receiver room has been listed as one of the best in the SEC ahead of the 2025 college football season. Smart has inked five freshmen receivers in the 2025 class, including top-100 recruits Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley. However, one particular receiver has caught the hype to be Stockton’s top wingman.

On the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast, Dean Legge and Cole Cubelic shared, “We’ve been talking about Georgia’s wide receiver room basically the entire off-season. It’s loaded with talent. It’s deep, but there is a secret weapon in that room that I’m not sure Georgia fans are really expecting.” Now, who is it? That’s none other than London Humphreys. The analyst could find some Ladd McConkey vibes in him. Plus, Kirby Smart is blessed to have him as the best package, being a great route runner and having a high football IQ. The offensive engine is humming in Athens—now Kirby’s got to patch the leaks on D.