Georgia will enter the 2022 season as defending national champions for the first time in 41 years.
While much of the Bulldogs’ production – especially on its record-breaking defense – will be lost to the NFL draft, the Dawgs still return a multitude of talent and leadership in Athens thanks to some elite recruiting over the last six years under Kirby Smart.
Add that recruiting depth to the leadership of returning starting quarterback Stetson Bennett and defensive captain Nolan Smith, and UGA should be back at the top of college football.
ESPN has released its biggest question mark for each Top-25 team for the 2022 season.
What is Georgia’s?
“Championship letdown”
“So you’ve won your first national championship in 41 years. Now what? You’ve lost the heart and soul of your defense, lineman Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean. How do you bounce back? To beat Alabama over the long haul, Georgia has to reload rather than rebuild and avoid down seasons. Complacency can’t creep into the locker room, no matter how talented the roster might be. Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart seemed to acknowledge the tough road ahead after winning the national championship when he told fans, “I just hope they remember this feeling and understand they don’t need to get spoiled; they need to stay hungry like these players.” — Alex Scarborough
With the SEC East still attempting to catch up to Georgia, the Bulldogs will have a straight forward path back to the College Football Playoff.
Win the East and head to Atlanta to face possibly Alabama or Texas A&M. The winner – and possibly the loser if either team runs the table – will make it to the playoff if the past playoff scenarios are any indicator.
We’ve still got over 200 days before the Bulldogs take the field, but early looks point to another exciting season in Athens.