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Kirby Smart was noncommittal early in spring practices about exactly what shape Georgia football’s annual G-Day game may take this year — or if the intrasquad scrimmage scheduled for Saturday would even happen.
It turns out, Saturday's game may look similar to the others under Smart, who is entering his 10th season with the Bulldogs.
“It’s gonna be as close to every year, it looks like,” Smart said Tuesday on Atlanta’s 680 AM The Fan. “We’re pretty healthy. We’ve got a couple of kids that are out, but we’ve got the numbers we need to divide into teams. …The format will be very similar to what we’ve done in the past. We’re going to play a game and let guys go compete.”
G-Day starts at 1 p.m. It won’t be televised or streamed, but still offers Bulldogs fans in attendance a chance to catch a first glimpse of the 2025 team.
“It will be a little different because we’ve been playing in front of nobody right now,” safety JaCorey Thomas said. “You want to see who can play in front of a crowd."
Tickets still remain listed at $11 on the Georgia athletic website with upper level tickets not being sold.
Here are five things to watch at G-Day:
Redshirt junior Gunner Stockton, who started in the Sugar Bowl and helped Georgia rally to win the SEC championship game, has the inside track for the starting quarterback job.
Ryan Puglisi, a redshirt freshman from Paxton, Mass., will take part in his first spring game after missing much of last spring with a leg injury.
“Being with the offense for a good amount of time now, everything’s starting to slow down, I’m making faster decisions,” Puglisi said.
Smart said Puglisi “has great arm talent…and he’s catching up in terms of his own timeline.”
Stockton has picked up from where he left off in the Sugar Bowl, according to senior wideout Dillon Bell.
“I see a more talkative Gunner,” Bell said. “He’s very mature. He’s taking action. He’s being a leader. He’s putting guys where they need to be. I like what I’m seeing from him.”
Former Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson stoked the hype for five-star Elijah Griffin from Savannah by comparing him to Eagles star Jalen Carter after seeing him on the first day of practice.
Smart would prefer to do without raising the expectation level for top recruits.
“The speculation, the, ‘Oh, this guy is going to be the greatest thing ever,” he said. “Like Elijah Griffin, He’s a great player, he’s a good player. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, God, he’s the next Jalen Carter.’ I’m like, guys, Jalen Carter was one of one. He was probably the greatest defensive tackle athlete. He could have gone on to play tight end, he could dunk, he could play point guard. He’s an athlete. That’s different than most kids. And Elijah is going to be a good player. I don’t want to take that for granted. To put that status on some of these kids is hard.”
Others from the 2025 signing class already creating buzz include 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end Elyiss Williams and running back Bo Walker.
With just Earnest Greene returning as a starter on the offensive line, guys like redshirt sophomore Bo Hughley, redshirt freshman Jahzare Jackson and freshman Juan Gaston Jr. can close out their springs strong.
“First impressions, that’s a big guy, that’s a big man,” tackle Monroe Freeling said of the 6-foot-7, 360-pound Gaston from Westlake High. “Probably one of the biggest I’ve seen coming to Georgia. He’s a hard worker, always has a smile on his face. He’s coachable. That’s all you can ask for.”
Micah Morris and Drew Bobo also have starting experience for a unit that didn’t live up to expectations last year.
“Overall, as an offensive line, it wasn’t what we wanted,” Morris said. “All we can do it just work harder towards it this offseason, really, just put an emphasis on that being able to improve as an offensive line and just trust the teaching and coaching and trust the process.”
Georgia added six newcomers to the wide receiver corps and Colbie Young was reinstated after his legal issues were resolved.
“Day by day, they're getting better, and there's good depth in that group,” Smart said. “You got to show toughness and grit, and I like that group right now. I really do. I like that. I think that group has a chance to be good.”
While Southern Cal wide receiver transfer Zachariah Branch has dealt with a hamstring injury, according to Dawgs247, Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas will debut as a Bulldog before fans.
“A deep threat,” JaCorey Thomas said. “We have a lot of deep threats this year. We’ve got a lot of big guys this year like Elyiss, Noah, Colbie. A lot of big guys that can go up and get the ball for us.”
Freshmen CJ Wiley, Talyn Taylor and Landon Roldan will play before Georgia fans for the first time. Tyler Williams underwent ankle sugery.
“I like how they came in ready to work, not thinking they’re too good,” Noah Thomas said. “Not carrying that ego with them and ready to learn new things.”
KJ Bolden looks solid in one safety spot and there is competition at the other where senior JaCorey Thomas and Southern Cal transfer Zion Branch are in the mix along with transfers Adrian Maddox (UAB) and Jaden Harris (Miami).
“Zion is a big, physical safety,” JaCorey Thomas said. “Zion is about 6-1, 210. That’s a big safety. We need big guys to come down and hit.”
At cornerback, Daylen Everette has been limited this spring due to a sports hernia injury. Daniel Harris started down the stretch last year and redshirt freshman Ellis Robinson is competing for a more prominent role.
“Ellis, man, he’s a problem,” Noah Thomas said of the former 5-star. “I can’t wait to see him lock up some wide receivers this year. He’ll ball out.”
Harris started the final four games last season, but said: “It’s Georgia so everybody’s got to compete so there ain’t been no spots solidified right now.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Five things to watch at Georgia football G-Day game Saturday
Continue reading...
It turns out, Saturday's game may look similar to the others under Smart, who is entering his 10th season with the Bulldogs.
“It’s gonna be as close to every year, it looks like,” Smart said Tuesday on Atlanta’s 680 AM The Fan. “We’re pretty healthy. We’ve got a couple of kids that are out, but we’ve got the numbers we need to divide into teams. …The format will be very similar to what we’ve done in the past. We’re going to play a game and let guys go compete.”
G-Day starts at 1 p.m. It won’t be televised or streamed, but still offers Bulldogs fans in attendance a chance to catch a first glimpse of the 2025 team.
“It will be a little different because we’ve been playing in front of nobody right now,” safety JaCorey Thomas said. “You want to see who can play in front of a crowd."
Tickets still remain listed at $11 on the Georgia athletic website with upper level tickets not being sold.
Here are five things to watch at G-Day:
How QBs Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi are progressing
Redshirt junior Gunner Stockton, who started in the Sugar Bowl and helped Georgia rally to win the SEC championship game, has the inside track for the starting quarterback job.
Ryan Puglisi, a redshirt freshman from Paxton, Mass., will take part in his first spring game after missing much of last spring with a leg injury.
“Being with the offense for a good amount of time now, everything’s starting to slow down, I’m making faster decisions,” Puglisi said.
Smart said Puglisi “has great arm talent…and he’s catching up in terms of his own timeline.”
Stockton has picked up from where he left off in the Sugar Bowl, according to senior wideout Dillon Bell.
“I see a more talkative Gunner,” Bell said. “He’s very mature. He’s taking action. He’s being a leader. He’s putting guys where they need to be. I like what I’m seeing from him.”
Elijah Griffin and other early enrollees
Former Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson stoked the hype for five-star Elijah Griffin from Savannah by comparing him to Eagles star Jalen Carter after seeing him on the first day of practice.
Smart would prefer to do without raising the expectation level for top recruits.
“The speculation, the, ‘Oh, this guy is going to be the greatest thing ever,” he said. “Like Elijah Griffin, He’s a great player, he’s a good player. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, God, he’s the next Jalen Carter.’ I’m like, guys, Jalen Carter was one of one. He was probably the greatest defensive tackle athlete. He could have gone on to play tight end, he could dunk, he could play point guard. He’s an athlete. That’s different than most kids. And Elijah is going to be a good player. I don’t want to take that for granted. To put that status on some of these kids is hard.”
Others from the 2025 signing class already creating buzz include 6-foot-6, 235-pound tight end Elyiss Williams and running back Bo Walker.
A new-look offensive line
With just Earnest Greene returning as a starter on the offensive line, guys like redshirt sophomore Bo Hughley, redshirt freshman Jahzare Jackson and freshman Juan Gaston Jr. can close out their springs strong.
“First impressions, that’s a big guy, that’s a big man,” tackle Monroe Freeling said of the 6-foot-7, 360-pound Gaston from Westlake High. “Probably one of the biggest I’ve seen coming to Georgia. He’s a hard worker, always has a smile on his face. He’s coachable. That’s all you can ask for.”
Micah Morris and Drew Bobo also have starting experience for a unit that didn’t live up to expectations last year.
“Overall, as an offensive line, it wasn’t what we wanted,” Morris said. “All we can do it just work harder towards it this offseason, really, just put an emphasis on that being able to improve as an offensive line and just trust the teaching and coaching and trust the process.”
Impact newcomers at wide receiver
Georgia added six newcomers to the wide receiver corps and Colbie Young was reinstated after his legal issues were resolved.
“Day by day, they're getting better, and there's good depth in that group,” Smart said. “You got to show toughness and grit, and I like that group right now. I really do. I like that. I think that group has a chance to be good.”
While Southern Cal wide receiver transfer Zachariah Branch has dealt with a hamstring injury, according to Dawgs247, Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas will debut as a Bulldog before fans.
“A deep threat,” JaCorey Thomas said. “We have a lot of deep threats this year. We’ve got a lot of big guys this year like Elyiss, Noah, Colbie. A lot of big guys that can go up and get the ball for us.”
Freshmen CJ Wiley, Talyn Taylor and Landon Roldan will play before Georgia fans for the first time. Tyler Williams underwent ankle sugery.
“I like how they came in ready to work, not thinking they’re too good,” Noah Thomas said. “Not carrying that ego with them and ready to learn new things.”
The battle for starting spots in the Georgia Bulldogs secondary
KJ Bolden looks solid in one safety spot and there is competition at the other where senior JaCorey Thomas and Southern Cal transfer Zion Branch are in the mix along with transfers Adrian Maddox (UAB) and Jaden Harris (Miami).
“Zion is a big, physical safety,” JaCorey Thomas said. “Zion is about 6-1, 210. That’s a big safety. We need big guys to come down and hit.”
At cornerback, Daylen Everette has been limited this spring due to a sports hernia injury. Daniel Harris started down the stretch last year and redshirt freshman Ellis Robinson is competing for a more prominent role.
“Ellis, man, he’s a problem,” Noah Thomas said of the former 5-star. “I can’t wait to see him lock up some wide receivers this year. He’ll ball out.”
Harris started the final four games last season, but said: “It’s Georgia so everybody’s got to compete so there ain’t been no spots solidified right now.”
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Five things to watch at Georgia football G-Day game Saturday
Continue reading...
