Kirby Smart led Georgia to back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022, but the road hasn’t been nearly as smooth since then. The Bulldogs are among the elite programs feeling the pressure from the rapidly changing landscape of college football.
What Roster Challenges Is Kirby Smart’s Georgia Facing in 2026?
Athlon Sports collected anonymous feedback from SEC coaches, and one comment may have revealed Georgia’s biggest concern entering the 2026 season.
“Do they still have the depth that they had in 2020?” the coach said. “I think the answer to that is ‘no.’ Those backups or third-string guys are playing for Missouri or Georgia Tech. I don’t know that their process is the same. I don’t know that their depth is the same. Are those elite programs getting better? Probably not. They have a thinner margin for error.”
Programs like Georgia could stack four- and five-star recruits and convince them to patiently wait their turn in the years before the transfer portal changed college football. Back in 2020, players like Jalen Carter were rotational pieces while Kelee Ringo redshirted, even though both ultimately became NFL-caliber talents.
Now, if a former five-star defensive lineman is told he is third on the depth chart behind two future NFL draft picks, he may not stick for a long time. He will be far more likely to enter the transfer portal for playing time and NIL opportunities than to wait multiple seasons.
Smart himself acknowledged the same issue in an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” last year.
“You’re thinner now,” Smart said. “The drop-off is greater between you lose one starter and it’s like, whoa. Because most of the guys that were backups were gone in the portal.”
Georgia is still recruiting at an elite level, with Smart and his staff continuing to pursue several major targets following a strong recruiting weekend in Athens. The Bulldogs already hold a commitment from five-star running back Kemon Spell in the 2027 class, but the group currently has only seven commits. Meanwhile, Georgia lost 15 players to the transfer portal, including offensive tackles Bo Hughley and Jamal Meriweather.
The Bulldogs’ strategy around high school recruiting and the transfer portal has seemingly changed. Instead of taking many transfers like some schools, they brought in only nine transfers this cycle. It was the fewest in the SEC, but Smart’s staff focused on quality over quantity by securing players like Amaris Williams, Khalil Barnes, and Gentry Williams.
Meanwhile, Georgia is bringing back 14 starters, the highest in the conference. Gunner Stockton is coming back after finishing last season with an 88 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric, ranking No. 12 in the nation.
Another anonymous SEC coach told Athlon Sports that Georgia remains a legitimate playoff contender but no longer carries the untouchable reputation it had during the early 2020s. According to the PFSN CFB Playoff Meter, the Bulldogs currently have a 50.9% chance to reach the College Football Playoff in 2026.
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