By: Joe Delaney

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The University of Georgia rolls into the 2026 football season with high hopes.

What we have all realized is that in the Kirby Smart era, every year has high hopes!  So, what makes this team special?

First is experience. The Dawgs won the SEC again last year and they did it with the second youngest team in the league. Now they return 14 starters from last year’s 12-2 outfit.

Add in a few portal pieces that were starters and this team is loaded with talent and experience. Kirby Smart’s mantra of building from within will show results this year. All that youth is a year older and bigger, stronger and faster.

Second is the schedule. While there are toughies at Alabama and at Ole Miss. They get Oklahoma at home and Florida in Atlanta. Throw in no Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee or LSU on the schedule and it is manageable.

Next and probably the most important is the system. Georgia builds from within. Kirby is the Saban of here and now. This staff, team and fan base are an ALL IN bunch of rabid DAWGS.

Georgia went 12-2 last year and lost 2 games by a total of 8 points. Ask anyone associated with this bunch of Dawgs and they will say that isn’t good enough. Such are the expectations now in Athens Georgia and throughout the Bulldog Nation. This edition of the Dawgs is hungry.

There are questions. Where did the receivers go? What the hell happened to the pass rush? Legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. Let’s take a quick look at the 2026 team.

On offense it all starts with Gunner Stockton. Back for his second year as a starter. Gunner is a leader and a player. He is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country. If Gunner has a great 2026 then the Dawgs will also. Enough said.

The running game will be one of the best in the nation. Returning are Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens who accounted for some 1500 yards last year. Add in 3^rd year Dwight “peanut” Phillips with his 4.28 40 and lets GO! This will open everything else up for what should be a dynamic offense.

The receivers will be a question mark. The plug and play transfer Isiah Canion will definitely be a go to.

Add in returners London Humphreys and Sacovie White-Helton along with youngsters Talyn Taylor, C. J. Wiley and others and while untested, there is talent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see UGA wide receivers mixed in on the outside and slot with some of the tight ends.

Speaking of tight ends, the tight end room at Georgia is arguably the best in college football. Lawson Luckie, Elyiss Williams, and Ethan Barbour are outstanding. Add in depth and new arrival Kaiden Prothro and Mike Bobo has the opportunity to ruin some defenses this fall.

None of the above will work without a solid offensive line and Georgia has that. Returning starters Drew Bobo, Earnest Green III, and Dontrell Glover are All SEC caliber players. Add in Jah Jackson, Juan Gaston, and exciting freshman Zykie Helton and others and the line should be one of the best in the conference.

Defensively the Dawgs will be good. Whether they can be elite will hinge on two things. First is consistency. As mentioned, in the two games Georgia lost in 2025 they gave up a combined 63 points. They lost those games by a total of 8 points.

Next is an answer to the first. It comes down to a pass rush. If Georgia has 35 sacks in 2026 then you can count them in. If they repeat 2025 and have 20 sacks then you can count them out.

The pieces of the puzzle are all there. Elijah Griffin, KJ Bolton and Ellis Robinson IV are All-Americans and potential first round NFL draft picks.

On the front seven Justin Williams Gabe Harris, Quentavius Johnson, Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, and Xzavier McLeod, all return.

In the secondary Khalil Barnes, Rasean Dinkins, and Demello Jones are back. There is depth and quality waiting to get on the field behind them.

The kicking will once again be handled by Peyton Woodring and the new punter Drew Miller has big shoes to fill!

After two years of SEC Championships it’s amazing that for Kirby and the Dawgs, that isn’t good enough. The 2026 Bulldogs know where they stand. They want it all.