Back in 2020, Kirby Smart stockpiled so much talent for Georgia that even the backups looked like future NFL Draft picks. The starters were elite while the second-stringers could start and dominate any game. And the way those third-stringers eventually transferred elsewhere and became stars shows how much talent the Bulldogs had. That’s what made them terrifying during those 2021 and 2022 national title runs. 

Now, that formula is getting harder to sustain and coaches around the SEC are starting to notice. Athlon Sports gathered anonymous comments from SEC coaches ahead of the 2026 season, and one quote hints at Kirby Smart’s biggest problem entering the year.

“Do they still have the depth that they had in 2020? I think the answer to that is ‘no,’” the anonymous coach said. “Those backups or third-string guys are playing for Missouri or Georgia Tech. I don’t know that their process is the same. I don’t know that their depth is the same. Are those elite programs getting better? Probably not. They have a thinner margin for error.”

Georgia’s success wasn’t just because of top recruiting classes. Alabama, Texas, and other big programs also sign 5-stars. What made the Bulldogs different was the amount of elite talent they had across their roster. Even if players got injured or transferred, another future NFL-level player was ready to step in. But the transfer portal has now made that much harder to maintain. 

Back in 2020, Jamie Newman came to Georgia from Wake Forest after scoring 32 total touchdowns the previous season. Many believed he could become a Heisman contender in Todd Monken’s new offense. At the same time, Kirby Smart signed the nation’s top recruiting class, bringing in elite talents like Kelee Ringo, Darnell Washington, and Jalen Carter. Even after Newman left, the talent from that roster later helped Georgia win consecutive national championships. 

But not everybody from that 2020 roster stayed. Backup Jermaine Johnson moved on to Missouri and became one of the top SEC DLs before getting picked in the first round in the NFL Draft. Dominick Blaylock also left for Georgia Tech for more playing time. Now, elite recruits no longer wait two or three years for snaps when they have a good chance to win games now. 

Another anonymous SEC coach described Georgia as a playoff-caliber team that no longer carries the invincible aura from the early 2020s.

“They’ll look really similar to how they looked this past year,” he said. “I think they’ll be a playoff team, but I don’t know that they’re an elite SEC team like the ones you saw in the early 2020s.”

But even with those concerns, analysts feel Georgia might still have the most complete roster in the SEC. 

Georgia’s roster still looking strong

Georgia is bringing back 14 starters, the highest in the conference. QB Gunner Stockton is also returning after making 24 TD passes and 10 rushing scores. Defensively, the Bulldogs still have NFL-level talent on the roster. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford even called Kirby Smart’s team one of the deepest teams in the country.

“Georgia will not have to rely on one superstar or a single position group carrying the load this season,” he wrote. “The Bulldogs, who finished atop last season’s 247Sports Team Talent Composite, again boast one of the nation’s deepest rosters. Their strengths begin in the trenches – where championship teams are often defined – and extend through the secondary. Former five-star recruits KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV anchor the back end of the defense.”

Still, Georgia’s problem going into the 2026 season is not a lack of talent. The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back SEC championships and still have one of the best rosters. The bigger question is their recruiting plan. Because their old move of stacking elite backups and slowly developing future stars is much harder to maintain now.