After finishing the 2025 season with a 12‑2 record and a second straight SEC championship, the Bulldogs enter 2026 ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP poll, determined to capture their first national title since 2022, beginning with a September 5 opener against Tennessee State.
Season Outlook
Quarterback Gunner Stockton, returning for his redshirt senior year, posted a 69.7% completion rate, 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025, finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting, but now faces the challenge of establishing his leadership to steer the team toward a championship.
The loss of wide receivers Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and Noah Thomas has left the passing game thin, prompting senior Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys to become a primary target, while junior Isiah Canion, a transfer from Georgia Tech, and younger receivers Talyn Taylor and Landon Roldan are expected to earn larger roles.
Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed an average of 17.5 points per game in 2025 but recorded only 20 sacks, the lowest in the SEC; however, veterans Raylen Wilson and KJ Bolden return, and junior cornerback Ellis Robinson IV was named an AP Preseason All‑American.
Opponent Analysis
Tennessee State, which averaged 12.9 points per game in 2025, has added Daylin Lee, a transfer from Winston‑Salem State, as its new quarterback, making the season opener a low‑stakes but valuable test for Georgia’s starters.
The demanding SEC schedule that follows, featuring matchups against Oklahoma, Alabama and Ole Miss, will require depth on both offense and defense as the Bulldogs aim to translate early-season experiments into a championship run.