Georgia's season has long been shaped by a single moment of fragility: when quarterback Carson Beck was lost to injury in the 2024 SEC championship, the team's fortunes passed to a young backup who would carry the weight into a new campaign. Now Yahoo Sports places the Bulldogs at No. 5 in its 2025 preseason Top 25, a ranking that reflects both the promise of a settled quarterback position and the lessons of a year that ended in playoff disappointment. The story of this program is one of reckoning and renewal, as a team that once stood at the top of the polls now looks to rebuild its offense a
No. 5 Georgia Chases a Third SEC Title in Four Seasons With a Retooled Roster and Favorable Home Slate
Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas all come to Athens this time
Mark
Georgia lost three games last year and still starts at No. 5. Why so high?
Mimi
Mostly because of what the roster looks like and what the schedule does. Recruiting depth, a quarterback with a full spring as the starter, and Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas all coming to Athens.
Mark
The offense is the big question, right?
Mimi
Yes. It gave up 92 yards a game and 1.3 yards per play compared with 2023. Receiver was a weak spot, so they added Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas through the portal.
Luke
Careful with Branch. His USC numbers swing wildly, from 102 yards against Washington to 6 against Penn State. The piece says Georgia must use him better, which is a hope, not a result.
Mark
And Stockton?
Mimi
He was 20-of-32 for 234 yards and a touchdown in the Sugar Bowl, and Kirby Smart praised his preparation.
Luke
That's one game, in a loss. The same Sugar Bowl had Georgia scoring only 10 points. Smart's praise is also the coach talking about his own quarterback.
Mark
What about the defense?
Mimi
It slipped too. Opponents topped 5 yards a play for the first time since 2016. The secondary is the best-positioned group to fix that.
Luke
Though Starks and Jackson left, and the replacements are mostly unproven here. Depth is real, but how good it is remains unknown until games are played.
Mimi
The schedule is the clearest advantage. Only three true road games, and Texas on Nov. 15 could matter for the SEC title game.
Le Pouls
- Georgia's offense fell sharply in 2024, losing 92 yards per game and 1.3 yards per play, and the pressure to recover is immediate.
- Gunner Stockton has taken over as the undisputed starter after a full spring of reps, turning a question mark into a source of confidence.
- The Bulldogs are rebuilding their receiving corps through the transfer portal, bringing in Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas to replace departed stars.
- The defense slipped against both the run and the pass, yet its secondary is viewed as the strongest unit, with new faces and rising talent ready to answer.
- A home-heavy schedule, with Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas all coming to Athens, could place the SEC title race in Georgia's hands.
Georgia's season has long been shaped by a single moment of fragility: when quarterback Carson Beck was lost to injury in the 2024 SEC championship, the team's fortunes passed to a young backup who would carry the weight into a new campaign. Now Yahoo Sports places the Bulldogs at No. 5 in its 2025 preseason Top 25, a ranking that reflects both the promise of a settled quarterback position and the lessons of a year that ended in playoff disappointment. The story of this program is one of reckoning and renewal, as a team that once stood at the top of the polls now looks to rebuild its offense and reassert its defensive identity in a demanding schedule.
Georgia's 2024 season turned on one play late in the first half of the SEC championship game, when quarterback Carson Beck hurt his elbow and was finished for the year. Gunner Stockton stepped in, and the Bulldogs beat Texas anyway. Now Yahoo Sports ranks Georgia No. 5 in its 2025 preseason Top 25, and Stockton's place at the center of the offense is the clearest reason the team enters the fall with a settled answer at the most important position.
Last year's Bulldogs went 11-3 after opening No. 1, and their flaws were visible throughout. A 41-34 loss at Alabama, a 10-point night at Ole Miss, and a Sugar Bowl defeat to Notre Dame that ended their playoff run all pointed to an offense that struggled in key moments. The numbers tell the same story: 92 fewer yards per game and 1.3 fewer per play than in 2023, with a run game thinned by backfield injuries.
Stockton has answered the questions so far. In the Sugar Bowl he completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown. Kirby Smart says he prepared all year as if he were the starter, and after a full spring of first-team reps he is now the undisputed No. 1. Around him, Georgia is rebuilding its targets through the portal, adding Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas, while the staff hopes Nate Frazier and a retooled line will restore balance to the ground game.
The defense slipped too, allowing more than 5 yards a play for the first time since 2016. Yet the secondary is considered the strongest group on the roster, with Daylen Everette returning and KJ Bolden positioned to become a star.
The schedule may do as much as the roster. Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas all visit Athens this season, and the November 15 meeting with Texas could decide whether Georgia reaches the SEC title game. Smart points out that more than half his roster is in its first or second year, so the bet is on depth and on young players stepping forward.
Georgia's 2024 season turned on a single play at the end of the first half of the SEC championship game, when quarterback Carson Beck hurt his elbow and was done for the year. Gunner Stockton came in for the second half against Texas, and the Bulldogs won the game. Yahoo Sports now opens its preseason Top 25 reveal for 2025 with Georgia at No. 5, and Stockton is the reason the team enters the fall with a settled answer at the most important position.
The Bulldogs finished 11-3 last year. They started the season ranked No. 1 and handled Clemson in the opener, but the flaws showed in a 41-34 loss at Alabama in Week 5, where a late comeback fell short because the offense wasn't sharp enough in key moments. Georgia beat Texas 30-15 in October, then scored only 10 points in a loss at Ole Miss. After beating the Longhorns again for the conference title, the Bulldogs scored 10 points against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl and were out of the College Football Playoff after one game. BetMGM lists them at +700 to win the national championship and -285 to make the playoff.
Stockton was not overwhelmed in his first real start. In the Sugar Bowl he went 20-of-32 for 234 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Kirby Smart said Stockton prepared every week as if he were the starter, putting in extra film study, and entered the Texas game against one of the nation's best defenses with few snaps behind the first team. After a full spring of starter's reps, about a month of continuous practice by Stockton's account, plus offseason 7-on-7 work and daily workouts, he is the undisputed No. 1.
He has more to throw to. Beck's interceptions rose in 2024 as Georgia searched for dependable targets after Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey left for the NFL. Dominic Lovett led the team in receiving but averaged just over 10 yards a catch, Arian Smith was inconsistent as the deep threat, and running back Trevor Etienne, fourth on the team in catches, averaged 6 yards a reception. Georgia attacked the problem in the transfer portal, adding USC's Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M's Noah Thomas, while Colbie Young, formerly of Miami, returns for a second season. Branch's USC production was uneven: six catches for 98 yards against Michigan and six for 102 against Washington, but three for 10 against Minnesota, two for 6 against Penn State and two for 13 against UCLA. The task for Georgia is to use him better than USC sometimes did.
The numbers explain why the offense is expected to rebound. Compared with 2023, Georgia averaged 92 fewer yards per game and 1.3 fewer yards per play. The ground game suffered too, as injuries in the backfield left freshman Nate Frazier as the leading rusher. He returns, and although four new starters join the offensive line, the run game is expected to improve.
The defense also slipped. Opponents averaged more than 5 yards a play for the first time since 2016, and opposing quarterbacks completed 59% of their passes for 200 yards a game. The secondary lost Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson but is considered the strongest position group. Cornerback Daylen Everette is back, and safety KJ Bolden, who made 59 tackles as a freshman, is positioned to be the next star. Newcomers include safety Zion Branch, Zachariah's brother, from USC, Miami's Jaden Harris and former UAB safety Adrian Maddox.
The schedule helps. After the SEC grew to 16 teams in 2024, Georgia played road games at Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas. This year all three visit Athens, while the Bulldogs travel to Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State, their only true road games. Starkville is the longest trip. Yahoo singles out the Nov. 15 home game against Texas, the Bulldogs' final conference game, which could decide whether they reach the SEC title game while other teams still have league games left. At SEC media days, Smart noted that more than half his roster is in its first or second year at Georgia, so the rankings lean on recruiting depth and the expectation that new stars will emerge.
Citations marquantes
Stockton prepared every game as if he was the starter, and he actually did the extra work.— Kirby Smart, Georgia head coach (paraphrased)
Going through spring was a big deal, with about a month straight of work and a lot of banked reps.— Gunner Stockton, Georgia quarterback (paraphrased)
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