Georgia football projected defensive depth chart, starters for 2025 season

System · January 22

Georgia football projected defensive depth chart, starters for 2025 season

ATHENS— The 2024 college football season has come to a close. Georgia did not play in the final game of the year, as Notre Dame ended its season.

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dawgfromduluth · January 22

Just for grins, been saving this as an homage to old friend and the king of corn pone, Leonard Postero:

Well, folks, gather ‘round and let me tell you a tale of the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs—because if Leonard Postero were here, he’d probably start off by saying, “Man alive, Georgia football is in a bit of a pickle, but don’t count these Dawgs out just yet!”

The Defensive Line – The Big Uglies Gettin’ a Makeover

Let me tell you somethin’, friends: the defensive line has been Georgia’s bread and butter, the sturdy wall of red and black that SEC offenses run into like a fly hittin’ a windshield. But this year, that windshield’s got a crack or two. Veterans like Warren Brinson and Mykel Williams are off to greener pastures—well, NFL green, that is—and what’s left is a group of young pups lookin’ to fill some mighty big paw prints.

Christen Miller, bless his heart, is gonna be the cornerstone here. If he doesn’t step up, Georgia’s defense might feel like a three-legged stool wobblin’ under the pressure. And then there’s Elijah Griffin, the No. 1-ranked defensive lineman in the nation. Son, if you’re gonna carry that title, you better play like you’ve been baptized in red clay and Vince Dooley’s blessings. Otherwise, this line might end up as thin as a slice of Vidalia onion.

Outside Linebackers – Hold On Tight, Folks

Now, let’s talk about those outside linebackers—if this position were a kitchen sink, it’d be leakin’ like a sieve. Losing Damon Wilson to Missouri? That stung like a yellow jacket in August. Gabe Harris is a fine player, but he’s like a man trying to patch holes in a boat while it’s already takin’ on water. And those freshmen? Oh, they’re talented alright, but throwin’ them into the SEC fire is like teachin’ a calf to swim in the deep end of the Chattahoochee—somebody’s gonna sink before they learn to paddle.

Kirby Smart better have the transfer portal bookmarked, because if this group doesn’t pan out, he’s gonna need reinforcements faster than you can say “Go Dawgs.”

Inside Linebackers – A Rock-Solid Pair

Here’s where we can breathe a little easier, folks. CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson are as dependable as a Waffle House waitress at 3 a.m. They’ve been around, they know the drill, and they’re ready to lead. If Georgia’s defense is the Dawg House, these two are the guard dogs at the gate.

Now, there’s some potential behind them, but it’s like a fresh crop of peaches—you’ve got to give them time to ripen. Chris Cole’s versatility is exciting, but he’s gonna need to prove he’s more Swiss Army knife and less dollar-store knockoff.

The Secondary – Puzzlin’ Pieces

Oh, the secondary—it’s like a jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces are still in the box. KJ Bolden is the real deal, folks. He’s got the talent, the swagger, and the chops to anchor this group. But the rest? It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

That left cornerback spot is wide open, and Daniel Harris better watch his back because Ellis Robinson and DeMello Jones are comin’ for it. Meanwhile, the safeties are a bit of a hodgepodge. Joenel Aguero’s versatility is nice, but this whole “cross-training” idea sounds like a fancy way of sayin’, “We’re still figuring it out.” Replacing Malaki Starks is gonna be tougher than getting a straight answer out of an SEC ref.

Special Teams – As Solid as Mama’s Biscuit Recipe

Special teams? Now there’s a silver lining for ya. Brett Thorson’s injury is a bit of a question mark, but Peyton Woodring is one of the best kickers in the nation. As long as he’s splitting the uprights, Georgia fans can relax a little—at least until the defense takes the field again.

The Big Picture – The Dawgs Ain’t Dead Yet

Now listen here: Georgia’s got talent. They’ve always got talent. But this year, the Dawgs are gonna have to earn their biscuits. There are more question marks on this roster than at a Scripps Spelling Bee, and Kirby Smart is gonna need every ounce of his coaching genius to piece it all together.

Can they do it? Well, this is Georgia, folks. When the chips are down, the Dawgs have a way of showin’ up. So grab your sweet tea, settle into your favorite chair, and get ready for a wild ride. Because as Leonard would say, “Man alive, if this ain’t gonna be one heckuva season, I don’t know what is!”

It was fun to try but I just can't do Leonard justice. He and Lewis were originals, never to be duplicated.

GtheGreek · January 22

D-tackle, Nose and D-End…I expect a WAR for starts and playing time then combined with Gabe, Quintavious, CJ, Justin, Raylen, Chris, Daylen, Ondre, Daniel, Ellis, KJ, Chris, JaCory, Jaden, Jonel, Zion and Adrian…..I welcome "The Dawgs of DOOM"….no worries here.

khummel · January 22

Better play those top recruits early and often (versus portaling in help), or lose them sure as the day is long (where they'll turn heads for another team). Go Dawgs!

UGADad20 · January 22

Looking down that depth chart we see unprecedented levels of inexperience under CKS. Many of those young players were highly decorated in HS. They will be expected to learn fast and step up immediately. There is something to be said for having mature CFB players. Just ask OSU.

The 1st thing that jumped out at me was DE and DE depth. No experience there. I was also surprised to see IGibson listed at OLB. Based on their listed stat's Gibson is a bigger player than JJA. Seems like UGA would be better served with that 2 man rotation at DE. There would still be 4 other highly ranked players at OLB plus Jalon Walker 2.0 (Chris Cole). And that is before we can "expect Georgia to be aggressive in the transfer portal" at the OLB position.

Six (!) solid candidates for 1 DT position? Better hope 2 or 3 of those guys are athletic enough to play DE in UGA's 3 man fronts. I would not mind seeing McCloud and Griffin be given some reps there.

UGA just added 3 S's through transfers and none are projected to be starters by CR? How can UGA add 3 S's and still look like a step down from '24 and a massive step down from '23? IF none of those transfers can elevate the S position by starting it will not bode well for this defense in '25.

On D the Star position seems like primarily a coverage position. FS and SS seem like they have more run support responsibilities. Aguero struggled in coverage last season at Star. I like Bolden at FS as a centerfielder. But wonder if he would be more valuable taking away a receiver/TE from the offense as the Star. Starks did quite a bit of that in '24. Flexibility at S will depend heavily on whether any of the 3 transfer S's are UGA/SEC level players.

MontanaDawg · January 22

LOTS of inexperienced young guys on both sides of the ball next season. And if what @Stiffneck posted this morning on another comment thread is true - that Georgia has spent $18.3M on the transfer portal and retention monies this season going into 2025- I'd say we didn't get a great bang for our buck. The guys we've gotten from the portal aren't near the same calibre as the guys Ohio State just spent $20M on last season and a National Championship. I'd say Kirby got ripped off.

From @Stiffneck 's post….spending per team going into 2025 season for NIL/TP:

5. Texas A&M Aggies ($17.2M)

4. Georgia Bulldogs ($18.3M)

3. LSU Tigers ($20.1M)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes ($20.2M)

1. Texas Longhorns ($22.2M)

The stakes are getting higher boys, the competition stiffer, and the checkbooks are open. Who's going to win the competition of recruiting, coaching, development, retention, and TP/NIL that is happening right now in college football. It's going to take the RIGHT combination of all of those factors to make it to a National Championship.

Run_Lindsey_Run · January 22

Dawgs are gonna be stretched for sure. I see a lot of yards and a lot of points going on the board against these pups. They will handle the puffers OK, but once the grind of the SEC begins, they could fold like cheap lawn furniture. Gotta let them play, let them learn and let them grow under a baptism of fire. 2026 could be much more promising if they are allowed to make mistakes and work to be better.

lucydog · January 23

(1)—dawgfromduluth—excellent read! (2)—MontanaDawg—You are absolutely correct—"the stakes ARE getting higher". I wish we could all preface that statement with-"the football is getting better". I'm not liking that college football is becoming—NFL02.