When a team consistently secures the top or second-best recruiting class in the nation and boasts a two-time national champion coach benefiting from substantial NIL earnings, it’s challenging to identify significant gaps in the roster that remain unaddressed.
Should Kirby Smart face the departure of his top two running backs to the NFL, as was the case with Daijuan Edwards and Kendall Milton this offseason, he has the option to pursue Trevor Etienne from Florida. In the event Ladd McConkey departs, Smart could seek a replacement like London Humphreys from Vanderbilt, bearing an equally Southern name.
Labeling Georgia as having “glaring needs” is always a bit of a stretch, but as demonstrated in the previous season’s SEC title game against Alabama, the program is not flawless. The 2023 team exhibited flaws, and despite the addition of six highly talented transfers and securing the top high school class in the country, not all of these deficiencies have been fully addressed.
Even with the influx of new players, Georgia may still benefit from a few more additions. If Kirby Smart maintains the status quo during the May transfer portal window, there’s a possibility that these three position groups could become potential weaknesses if Georgia were to lose a game next year.
Offensive line
In the transfer portal, Kirby Smart prioritized filling the skill positions vacated by Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Daijuan Edwards, and Kendall Milton, rather than bolstering the offensive line. However, the departures of Amarius Mims and Sedrick Van Pran to the NFL left the front group in need of reinforcements.
Xavier Truss and Earnest Greene II are set to play the tackle positions, with Truss on the right and Greene on the left, while Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild will return at right and left guard, respectively. Although it’s a solid unit, the experienced depth has departed, and Jared Wilson is thrust into the starting center role after playing just 111 snaps in that position in 2023.
For a team emphasizing the run game, a dominant center becomes crucial. While less critical for pass protection with Carsen Beck better equipped to handle line checks in his second year as the starter, there might still be some early-season growing pains.
In the previous season, when Mims was sidelined, Truss seamlessly filled in at right tackle, and Wilson took snaps behind Van Pran. However, these experienced depth pieces are now full-time starters, and Georgia is compelled to develop more versatile backups who could find themselves in significant roles in 2024.
While there is ample talent on the roster for the Bulldogs to address these gaps, the addition of a veteran offensive lineman through the transfer portal could have been a wise move for Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo.
