Spring Ball is over. The Transfer Portal is closed for entries. We have reached the college football off-season. Not that there really is an off-season, but for the next three months, there are no organized team activities. That doesn’t mean the Last Word is going on summer vacation. Instead, we will still keep you up to date on the evolution of what the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs are going to look like. We’ll have plenty of fun, but most importantly, prepare you for kickoff in August. Let’s start by looking at three challenges for the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs.
Three Challenges for the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs
#1 The U’s Money
Must be the money. This iconic line from Nelly in the early 2000s must be finding a resurgence in South Beach. Let’s hope so. That song was a vibe. The Miami Hurricanes headline our list of the biggest challenges to the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs. You may be thinking to yourself, Miami? The U? What could Georgia and Kirby Smart have to fear about Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes? This is the same coach and team that lost to Georgia Tech after deciding not to take a knee in the final seconds. The Hurricanes still have not won an ACC Title since coming over from the Big East in 2004. Surely, they can’t be a threat. Can they?
The answer is yes. While the Hurricanes may not threaten the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs on the field, they have allegedly used their money to threaten Georgia off the field. First, in January, they helped former QB1 Carson Beck decide to forgo the NFL Draft and enter the Transfer Portal. While Beck may have worn out his welcome in Athens, he was a key piece for the Dawgs. Beck was 24-3 as a starter and threw for 7,912 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. Gunner Stockton is now QB1. The former five-star from Tiger, Georgia, will be expected to transition seamlessly as he leads the Georgia offense in 2025.
Miami has also been a threat on the recruiting trail. Georgia got good news two weeks ago when Jared Curtis committed to the Bulldogs. Curtis is the top-ranked passer in the Class of 2026. Georgia coaches and fans were expecting more good news last week on the recruiting trail from the #1 player in the class, Jackson Cantwell. The multi-sport athlete has the makings of being an all-time left tackle in college and the NFL. He was in Athens with Curtis for a recruiting visit before his announcement. All seemed well, and he would be wearing the black and red. The Hurricane’s NIL had other plans. Cantwell committed to the Hurricanes, choosing Miami over Georgia, Ohio State, and Oregon.
Cantwell said in an interview after his announcement that money was a factor in his decision. “Anyone who has is a liar, but I think I mean I’m just happy I get to have the opportunity to make money playing the game that I love.” Look for Miami to continue to be a threat to Georgia in recruiting.
#2 The Big 3 Home Slate
The 2025 Georgia Bulldogs home slate is pretty, pretty, pretty good. No, we are not talking about Marshall, Austin Peay, or Charlotte. We will call those the warmup games. Instead, Sanford Stadium can expect to be rocking for College Gameday for three big SEC matchups. Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas are all headed to Athens for the 2025 season. Unlike in the Big Ten, these games will not be at noon and will likely be at night.
The 2025 SEC slate is a mirror image of the 2024 slate for all SEC teams. The three teams were Georgia’s biggest road tests in 2024. Unfortunately, they failed. Alabama raced out to a 30-7 halftime lead in Tuscaloosa before Georgia’s furious comeback came up just short in another loss to the Tide. A trip to Oxford was not Party in the Sip for Georgia in November. After handling Lane Kiffin’s Rebels the year before in Athens, Ole Miss had Georgia looking lost in a 28-10 game. The only bright spot was the October thrashing of Texas in Austin. It was one of the few times in 2024 when Georgia still looked like the elite of college football.
Georgia has been ELITE in Athens in the 2020s. They are a perfect 22-0 at home between the hedges. These three games will go a long way in determining the success of the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs. At stake will be another trip to Atlanta for a shot at the SEC Championship and a 2025 College Football Playoff spot.
#3 The 2025 Georgia Bulldogs Offense Lacks Bark and Bite
Mama always warned us that sometimes a dog can be more bark than bite. That was surely the case for the 2024 Georgia offense. The Dawgs had plenty of preseason accolades and hype. Unfortunately, the offense was downright offensive at times and couldn’t seem to get to the end zone with any consistency. Here are a few high, err, low lights?
- The offense ranked 51st nationally in total yards per game (YPG), averaging 405.4 yards.
- The scoring offense was not great; they finished 37th nationally in points per game at 30.2.
- Georgia was not RBU in 2024. Georgia was the 102nd-best rushing team in college football, averaging just 124.4 yards a game. How is that even possible?
Georgia will not find the same preseason fanfare as the 2024 team for 2025. They will also have a new quarterback, running back, offensive line, and wide receiver room. All that leads to more questions than answers. Maybe the 2025 Georgia Bulldogs can use that as a chip on their shoulder and play the nobody believed in us card. At least we have Smart and not Cristobal running our ship.
Main Image: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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