What does it take to win college football games? Five-star offensive players? At least that’s what people think. Based on Georgia’s offseason recruitment and the player roster for the upcoming season, things are looking very bright for Kirby Smart and his team as QB Carson Beck ascends the role of a starter for the second straight year. 

The Bulldogs were one of the best teams last season with just one loss against Alabama in their 14 games played. With Carson Beck leading the team, they advanced to the Orange Bowl, where they handed a humiliating 63-3 blowout loss to Florida State. But coming to this season, CFB analysts are concerned about the position gaps that have been left unaddressed by Smart. 

On July 23rd’s YouTube episode on Locked On Bulldogs, hosts Daniel Monroe and Clint Shamblin delivered their opinions on how they think Georgia is lagging as a national championship contender. Shamblin said, “I was told 5-star WRs is what Georgia is missing to win two championships.” Cutting in, Monroe corrected his host partner, saying, “They’re not missing anything to win two championships. But elite QBs, 5-star QBs and 5-star WRs, you can’t win without them. That’s what we know to be true in college football.”

The Bulldogs won two straight national championships in 2021 and 2022. But they’re suffering from a 5-star receiver drought. After much chase for elite WR Mike Matthews hoping he’ll join the Bulldogs, he still ditched Smart and committed to Tennessee last December. This is the fifth year that Georgia hasn’t landed a consensus 5-star receiver. 4-star Carson Beck, however, may have come off an incredible season last year recording 3,941 yards and 28 TDs, and promises to be a better leader. But he’s not a one-man show who can single-handedly turn the offense around. Still, Smart seems to be compensating for this gap with more elite defensive recruits. 

Georgia’s player haul in the offseason

This season, Kirby Smart put together a historic recruiting class landing four 5-star defensive players including CB Ellis Robinson IV and LB Chris Cole, among others. As far as elite defenders go, the Bulldogs have an impressive 2024 roster boasting 13 5-star defenders. And this preparation has spanned even to next year’s recurring class. 

On June 5, Smart secured another elite defensive prospect to their 2025 recruiting class. 5-star LB Zayden Walker is proud of his decision as he said, “They check every box… Great head coach, good winning program… So it’s more of a ‘Why not?’ type of deal with Georgia.” Walker ranks as the No. 10 overall player on CBS Sports and the No. 2 LB in the cycle. With his commitment, Georgia tops that 2025 recruiting rankings at No. 9 behind other powerhouses like Alabama and Ohio State.