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B2 | THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2025 The Eatonton Aessenger www.msgrnews.com Dawgs rely on youth heading into season Lance McCurley lance@msgrnews.com Georgia football’s roster will look a bit different heading into the 2025 season after the Bull dogs lost a lot of starters and talent during the offseason, either to the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart addressed the inexperience and youth of his new roster at SEC Media Days last week. “Our team will be comprised of 54 percent first- and second-year players,” Smart said. “Very big change for us.” The Bulldogs will replace 14 of their 22 starters this season. They lost several key players on offense, including quarterback Carson Beck, running back Trevor Etienne, four offensive linemen, and multiple wide receivers. Their defensive MINDFUL MOVEMENT line and secondary also experienced key departures, including Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Dan Jackson, and Malaki Starks. Losing first- round edge rushers Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams also hurt on the defensive side of the ball. However, Georgia does return several players on each side of the ball who received valuable reps last season. Quarterback Gunner Stockton will replace Beck, while offensive linemen Earnest Greene and Monroe Freeling return. Tailback Nate Frazier, tight ends Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie, and wide receiver Dillon Bell also return. The additions of transfer wideouts Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch will also help their receiving core. The defensive line will return Christen Miller, Jordan Hall, and several others, along with Daylen Everette, Daniel Harris, and KJ Bolden in the secondary. Georgia line backers CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson will also return. Adding edge rusher Elo Modozie and defensive backs Adrian Maddox and Jaden Harris will be crucial. Smart has also recruited well since he arrived in Athens and landed the nation’s No. 2 class in 2024. A few freshmen are expected to step up, such as running back Bo Walker and defensive lineman Elijah Griffin. A primary area of concern is experience, as Georgia could not consistently perform well on either side of the ball last season. The Bulldogs struggled offensively with trouble scoring points, especially in the first half of games, and the defense didn’t play up to its standard, as seen when they won back-to-back national championships (2021-22). Despite those returning and new additions, replacing the in-game experience remains Smart’s biggest concern. “Last year was probably one of the most veteran teams I’ve been a part of. That COVID class has aged out, so we had multiple players who were in their fifth and sixth year last year, especially across the offensive and defensive line,” Smart said. “We had a tremendous group that all went out kind of at the same time, aged out at the same time, and so we’re going to be really young, especially on the offensive and defen sive lines.” Regardless, the 10th- year coach hopes this year’s group catches on quickly. “What do you get with that? You get youthful exuberance,” Smart said. ‘We’ve had practices that have been spirited. We had a great spring practice where we talked about the words ‘fire, passion, and energy.’” COURTESY OF UGA ATHLETICS Georgia transfer wide receiver Zacariah Branch (1) will be a vital contributor to the team's offensive success this season. 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I believe they’ll shake things up on this team, and they’ll bring a lot of energy,” Stancil said. “I think, with the leadership of the seniors and the fire these young players have, we’re looking pretty strong.” The Lady Gators’ coach also emphasized her younger players have put in a lot of effort this summer to succeed. “They’ve got strong bats,” she said. “Three have been taking pitching lessons all summer, and two of them are my middle infielders. One of them will get a lot of work behind the plate this year because I think that she’s probably going to be my catcher for the next several years. They have a lot to offer this team, a wealth of talent.” Gatewood has played several scrimmages this summer and competed well, so Stancil hopes this team can “surprise” those in the region and make a statement this season. “I expect us to show up and maybe surprise some people, especially in our region,” Stancil said. “Our goal is to make the [GIAA Class AA state] playoffs. 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