ATHENS — Around the southeast, college students are moving back for classes as the school year approaches.

For those on the Georgia football team, Saturday will involve a different type of moving.

“I always view the first scrimmage as moving day,” defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “Like, hey, some people move up and down, and then, hey, after the second scrimmage, you kinda have to have a little bit of a pecking order because now you’re getting into game week prep.”

To this point, the Bulldogs have had seven practices. Most of those have been geared toward learning the playbook and development.

When Georgia steps inside Sanford Stadium on Saturday, it will do so with the intention of matching good-on-good. The first team offense and defense will face off against each other.

Those further down the depth chart will get a chance to shine as well, potentially proving that they’re worth an extra look as the Bulldogs continue their way through preseason practice.

“We have two big scrimmages in our stadium, and we feel like when we scrimmage, we’re going against one of the best defenses in the country in our defense,” Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “And they get a chance on a daily basis to practice against those.”

Bobo particularly highlighted the wide receiver room as a position that needs to have a big day. It has been the most questioned aspect of the Georgia team to this point.

The scrimmage will give Georgia the chance to figure out who belongs in that top rotation, in addition to which players can make plays against an elite secondary.

“Not that the scrimmages are the end-all, be-all. It’s a collective work, but we’re working toward that scrimmage for those guys to go out and make them in more gamelike situations,” Bobo said.

Georgia’s second scrimmage, set for Aug. 22, will go a long way in determining who starts the season at various positions.

To this point in fall camp, players like tight end Jaden Reddell, wide receiver Craig Dandridge, outside linebacker Chase Linton and safety Ja’Marley Riddle have all had strong showings.

If they can replicate those results under the intense August heat in Sanford Stadium, the Georgia coaching staff will feel all the more confident about what this group can bring to the table when the season officially starts for the Bulldogs on Sept. 5.

“As we get into our first scrimmage, and then the week after the first scrimmage and the second scrimmage, that you’re really able to assess, OK, who needs to be playing, starting, in that rotation from there,” Schumann said.

Following the conclusion of Saturday’s scrimmage, the Georgia players will move out of the Georgia Center, where they’ve spent the past two weeks during their fall practices.

They’ll move back into their normal living situations as the ramp-up for the 2026 season only heightens.

While they rest and recover on Sunday, the Georgia coaching staff will have a much clearer picture of who made legitimate moves for more playing time in the 2026 season.