Georgia wants to build its program through the high school recruiting ranks. Only Notre Dame signed more blue-chip recruits in the 2026 recruiting cycle, while the Bulldogs added the fewest number of transfers in the SEC this offseason.

With so much new incoming talent, a few are bound to break through right away. It happens every season, with Dontrell Glover, Elijah Griffin and others all making an impact for the 2025 team. All of those players are entering their second seasons at Georgia this fall.

Even with so much talent on the roster, Georgia is going to see a few freshmen help out right away this season.

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports circled two freshmen on the offensive side of the ball who can help the Bulldogs. In tabbing the top incoming freshmen, Crawford labeled tight end Kaiden Prothro and offensive guard Zykie Helton.

“Helton brings SEC-ready size, physicality and a nasty edge that Georgia starters routinely model in the trenches,” Crawford said. “For a team with national championship expectations, finding immediate production from Helton provides a significant boost to the offense.”

Helton wasn’t some hyped recruit, as he was the No. 486 overall player in the class per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Yet he was a two-monster for Carrollton High School, one of the best programs in Georgia.

He arrived at Georgia well prepared. That showed up this spring as he was a starter for the offense at right guard on G-Day. Helton earned the starting spot because of how well he performed in the previous 14 spring practices, according to Kirby Smart.

“He’s a worker, he’s tough, he practices hard. He’s a bright kid to be around. He loves practice every day,” Smart said of Helton this spring. “He’s always smiling, it’s a joy to be around. And just have a lot of respect for what he’s been through as a kid to grow and mature, and he’s seen some things people haven’t seen. And he’s hopefully gonna be able to help us when he’s fully developed and ready to go.”

Prothro was also a G-Day star, as he led Georgia in receiving yards. The talented pass catcher also hauled in a touchdown pass, showcasing his tremendous athletic ability.

Prothro was listed as a tight end and that will be his position long-term at Georgia. But the Bulldogs believe he can help most immediately by working out of the slot. Per DawgNation’s tracking numbers, 42 of his 45 snaps came out of the slot on G-Day.

“That’s kind of the only place he played because we wanted him to grow in that position,” Smart said of Prothro. “We think he’s a mismatch. He’s really an elite catch radius guy. He put that on display today. And that kind of summed up his spring in his ability to go make plays on the perimeter. He’s a matchup problem.”

Georgia does have holes to fill on both the offensive line and out on the perimeter. Offensive guard Micah Morris was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, while London Humphreys is the team’s only returning pass catcher who had more than 15 receptions last season.

The Bulldogs will need someone to replace that production. Helton and Prothro have the talent to do so, even if they don’t yet have the experience in an SEC program.