Winning the offseason different for Georgia compared to other elite programs

ESPN’s Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg recently came together to determine which college football programs have had the best offseasons.

The trio lauded the moves made by LSU, Texas and Miami, programs that all spent big to add an influx of talent.

Knowing that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Georgia did not crack their top 10. The Bulldogs were fourth among SEC teams, per ESPN’s rankings.

Winning the offseason looks different for a program like Georgia compared to some of the other top teams in the sport. The Bulldogs brought back both of their coordinators from last season. The only “starter” it lost via the transfer portal — Joenel Aguero — did not play in the final two games.

Coach Kirby Smart doesn’t want to spend above and beyond to turn over his roster. Georgia isn’t cheap, as those making big money earn it. That’s why the Bulldogs placed a premium on retaining key players, including Elijah Griffin, Nate Frazier and KJ Bolden.

The ESPN article did get us thinking. What does winning the offseason look like for Georgia? And once that is defined, how did the Bulldogs go about those achieving those objectives?

Goal No. 1: Retain talent

Why? Under Smart, the goal has always been to overwhelm teams with talent. That was easier to do five years ago, before the transfer portal offered easier exit ramps for players.

With Georgia recruiting at an elite level in the high school ranks, the challenge will always be convincing those blue-chip recruits that they’re better off developing at Georgia, as opposed to packing up and leaving after just one or two seasons.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Yes, especially compared to previous seasons. Georgia had 12 players leave via the portal, which was the fewest in the SEC. Other than Aguero, the only significant loss was Dominick Kelly, who transferred to Ohio State. Kelly was not expected to be a starting cornerback for the Bulldogs in 2026.

Goal No. 2: Limit coaching turnover

Why? In multiple offseasons, Smart has had at least four on-field assistant coaches leave for other jobs. This past offseason proved to be an anomaly when the Bulldogs didn’t lose any. Georgia greatly values stability. That goes for both players and coaches.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Yes. Georgia hired two new on-field position coaches in Phil Rauscher and Larry Knight. Rauscher will take over the offensive line, but he worked with the group last season as an analyst. Stacy Searels, Georgia’s previous offensive line coach, is still with the program as an analyst.

Mike Bobo returns as the offensive coordinator, as he will look to get even more out of Gunner Stockton than he did a season ago. Defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is entering his 11th season in Athens. While Oregon, Texas and Ohio State all had to replace at least one coordinator, Georgia doesn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.

Goal No. 3: Minimize injuries during spring practice

Why? Georgia wants to get the most out of the 15 practices it gets in March and April. Smart proudly boasted that no one gets more reps for their players during practice than Georgia.

Those practices are often physical, a stark contrast to the way Indiana does things under Curt Cignetti. That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.

“You have to be smart about how you practice, so we try to do more of that, but we know that our identity becomes a physicality, so we have to do that,” Smart said in an interview with Paul Finebaum.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Not entirely. While some contributors missed spring practice because of preexisting injuries, a few key players picked up injuries during the 15 practices.

The biggest was that of Amaris Williams, one of Georgia’s few transfer additions. He suffered an ACL injury, and his status for the upcoming season is in question. Georgia also had wide receiver Isiah Canion, linebacker Zayden Walker and cornerback Ellis Robinson all miss time. Those injuries, however, are not as significant as the one Williams suffered.

Goal No. 4: Have a few newcomers surprise

Why? Georgia had eight players taken in this year’s NFL draft, giving it plenty of holes to fill. The Bulldogs signed the sixth-ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle, putting them in better shape than most when it comes to fresh talent.

The Bulldogs have often said that if you’re good enough to play, you’re certainly old enough to do so. While Georgia has its fair share of blue-chip prospects, some of the best players under Smart have been those who were not all that highly rated. In every recruiting class, Georgia needs to land a few gems to keep up with the higher-spending programs.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? While we’ve yet to see it translate to a fall Saturday, there’s a lot to like about Georgia’s newcomers. Safety Khalil Barnes has fit in seamlessly after arriving from Clemson.

As for the freshmen, Zykie Helton looks like a key piece at guard. Tyriq Green made plays in the secondary all spring. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 5-star prospect Kaiden Prothro immediately delivered on his immense potential. Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class appears to have a handful of players across the roster who can play early.

When factoring in coaching turnover, a new recruiting class and internal improvements, there are a lot of moving pieces. To this point, Smart seems satisfied with how the program has juggled everything this offseason.