ATHENS — Georgia was far from a perfect team in 2025. While the Bulldogs won the SEC and made the College Football Playoff, the season ended with a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame.

For a program that aims to win national championships, it was an unsatisfying conclusion.

Georgia’s team will be very different in 2025, with the Bulldogs losing double-digit players to the NFL and transfer portal. The Bulldogs have made some new additions, including signing the No. 2 ranked recruiting class for 2025.

Yet despite those additions, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach sees the running back position as one of concern once again.

"As hard as it is to believe, the program that produced NFL running backs Nick Chubb, D’Andre Swift and James Cook in recent years might have a question mark at the position going into the season," Schlabach wrote. "Nate Frazier returns after leading the team with 671 yards as a freshman in 2024. Trevor Etienne, who had 631 yards with nine touchdowns last season, left for the NFL."

“Georgia averaged only 124.4 rushing yards in 2024, which ranked next to last in the SEC and was the worst mark in the Smart era.”

Frazier will be tasked with leading this group. But as for those behind Frazier, it’s a major question this spring.

Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson are battling injuries this spring.

“I mean, they’re working out kind of separate from us,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Both dealing with significant injuries. So they’re not going to be doing much during the spring. So they’re working, they’re over ther doing things, but they’re not with the team. They’re not doing 11-on-11 or 7-on-7 or indy or anything.”

Behind them, freshman Bo Walker has impressed with his limited reps. Georgia is also hoping Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips Jr. can make a leap forward as second-year players.

Smart added that Dillon Bell has been working at running back this spring as well, looking to add another weapon to Georgia’s offense.

But it isn’t all bad for Georgia this spring. Schlabach pointed out that the linebacker room for Georgia should be a real strength.

Even after seeing Smael Mondon and Jalon Walker head to the NFL.

“Georgia’s linebackers figure to be the heart of the defense in 2025,” Schlabach wrote. “CJ Allen is the leader of the unit after ranking second on the team with 76 tackles to go with three tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries last season. Gabe Harris Jr. and Raylen Wilson got plenty of action last season, and Chris Cole was named to the All-SEC freshman team by the league’s coaches."

Allen and Wilson are the leaders in the inside linebacker room. But it’s the growth of Cole, a former 5-star prospect, that might be the biggest reason for optimism with Georgia’s defense.

“I don’t want to do comparisons, but he’s like J-Walk,” linebacker Justin Williams said of Cole. “He’s versatile, he can do pass rush, he can cover, he can key the line, he can play run, he can do whatever you need him to do, and he’s going be there.”  

To this point, Georgia has completed seven of its 15 practices this spring. The Bulldogs will conclude spring practice on April 12 with G-Day. That will give Georgia a chance to look at how its running backs and linebackers do against each other.