ATHENS — The 2024 season didn’t end the way many Georgia fans had hoped. The Bulldogs fell in their first playoff game against Notre Dame, losing 23-10.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton had to make his first career in the game, completing 20 of his 32 pass attempts for 234 yards. There were some positive takeaways from Stockton’s showing, with obvious areas for improvement.

Stockton is the favorite to be Georgia’s starting quarterback next season, potentially taking over for Carson Beck on a full-time basis.

And while Georgia has to replace a number of key pieces, ESPN’s Bill Connelly still expects Georgia to be the best team in the SEC.

In an early prediction for the 2025 College Football Playoff field, Connelly had Georgia winning the SEC once again and entering the playoff as the No. 1 seed.

Quarterback is part of the reason why there’s optimism for Georgia, but not in the way you might think.

“Like each of the other three contenders, the Dawgs will have a new starting quarterback in 2025, but on average the quarterback position seems to mean a bit less when Georgia is involved,” Connelly wrote. “The Dawgs threw for only 136 yards in the 2024 SEC championship game, after all, and still won. So Georgia grinds out Smart’s fourth SEC title.”

Like Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn and Texas all have new quarterbacks for the 2025 season.

In his article, Connelly pointed out that every SEC champion since the 2017 season has been won by either Georgia or a coach who had beaten Georgia in a previous season.

Lane Kiffin and Kalen DeBoer did so this past season with Ole Miss and Alabama respectively. The only other active SEC coach to beat Smart is Auburn’s Hugh Freeze, who last did so back in 2016. Steve Sarkisian of Texas is 0-2 against Smart, losing both times last season. Arch Manning is expected to start at quarterback for the Longhorns.

Of the SEC teams that bring back their quarterback, South Carolina, LSU and Florida are the biggest threats to win the league. Georgia only plays Florida of that trio in 2025. The Bulldogs beat Florida 34-20 this past season, with DJ Lagway exiting the game in the first half.

While Georgia does have to replace Beck and a host of draft picks, the Bulldogs still have plenty of talent. The Bulldogs are a consensus top-10 team when it comes to the Way-Too-Early Top-25 polls for next season.

Players like running back Nate Frazier, tight end Oscar Delp and safety KJ Bolden are a big reason for optimism.

Georgia’s schedule also doesn’t appear as difficult on paper as it was in 2024. The Bulldogs open with Marshall on Aug. 30, as opposed to Clemson.