ATHENS — At long last, game week is here for the Georgia football program. The Bulldogs get things started at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday when they host Tennessee State.

Georgia is eager to see someone else on the opposing sidelines after going against itself for much of the past month during preseason practices.

The Bulldogs held two intense scrimmages in hopes of getting better clarity as to where things stand with the roster.

“I thought there was really some positives on both sides of the ball,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said following the team’s second scrimmage. “Offense continues to be effective and efficient in the red area. Run game in terms of putting dents in the defense and being physical was really good. Defensively, I think, there was some good. Some turnovers in there, some sacks and created some havoc, which is important. But all in all, I thought both sides of the ball continued to get better.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs bring back a lot from last year’s team. Quarterback Gunner Stockton is expected to be one of the stars of the team, while the running game should be strong once again.

There is some concern about Georgia’s wide receiver room. They’ll get a chance to show they’re better than how they’ve been discussed starting this weekend.

You can see the full projected Georgia offense depth chart for the 2026 season below.

Georgia football offensive depth chart, starters for 2026

Quarterback:

  1. Gunner Stockton (Sr.)
  2. Ryan Puglisi (R-Soph.) Ryan Montgomery (R-Fr.), Hezekiah Millender (R-Fr.)
  3. Colter Ginn (R-Soph.), Bryson Beaver (Fr.)

Analysis: The story with this group is about what happened behind Stockton during fall camp. Puglisi didn’t have the best performances in either scrimmage, opening the door for Montgomery to close the gap. We still expect Puglisi to be Georgia’s first call as the backup quarterback, but it’s more important than ever that Stockton stay healthy. The gap between starter and backup is very steep here.

Running back:

  1. Nate Frazier (Jr.), Chauncey Bowens (R-Soph.)
  2. Dwight Phillips Jr. (Jr.)
  3. Bo Walker (Soph.)
  4. Jae Lamar (Fr.), Nick Peal (Fr.)

Analysis: The loss of Dante Dowdell will be felt at some point this season. The Bulldogs have been able to keep Frazier and Bowens healthy through fall camp, in part because of how they limited their workload. Georgia would love to get both of them going at the same time, something that didn’t happen a season ago.

Wide receiver:

X:

  1. Isiah Canion (Jr.)
  2. CJ Wiley (Soph.), Thomas Blackshear (R-Fr.)
  3. Ryan Mosley (Fr.)

Z:

  1. London Humphreys (Sr.)
  2. Talyn Taylor (R-Fr.), Landon Roldan (Soph.)
  3. Craig Dandridge (Fr.) Tyler J. Williams (R-Fr.), Jeremy Bell (R-Soph.)

Slot:

  1. Sacovie White-Helton (R-Soph.)
  2. Roldan (Soph.), Kaiden Prothro (Fr.)
  3. Dallas Dickerson (Fr.)

Analysis: This position group did not have the fall camp it needed to. Aside from London Humphreys, it’s hard to call anyone a standout from the August practices.

Humphreys, Canion and White-Helton are going to be key pieces in the rotation. After that, it very much feels up for grabs. Roldan had a strong second scrimmage, while it seems like the light may have come on for Taylor during the closing stretch of practices.

This is still the biggest question mark for Georgia entering the 2026 season. If anything, it might be an even bigger concern after preseason practices.

Tight end:

  1. Lawson Luckie (Sr.)
  2. Jaden Reddell (R-Soph.), Elyiss Williams (Soph.), Ethan Barbour (R-Fr),
  3. Prothro, Colton Heinrich (R-Soph.), Lincoln Keyes (Fr.), Brayden Fogle (Fr.)

Analysis: Just because Luckie is listed atop the depth chart does not mean he’ll be the only one to play. Thanks to some added weight, Luckie hopes to never come off the field for Georgia in 2026.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo can be creative with how he uses Reddell, Williams and Barbour, as all three bring something different to the table.

Prothro is expected to help more as a wide receiver, but the Bulldogs know his long-term home is at tight end.

Offensive line:

Left Tackle:

  1. Earnest Greene (Sr.)
  2. Ekene Ogboko (Fr.)
  3. Dennis Uzochukwu (R-Fr.)

Left Guard:

  1. Dontrell Glover (Soph.)
  2. Cortez Smith (R-Fr.), Daniel Calhoun (R-Soph.)
  3. Graham Houston (Fr.), Mason Short (R-Fr.)
  4. Tyreek Jemison (Fr.),

Center:

  1. Drew Bobo (Jr.)
  2. Smith (R-Fr.) Malachi Tolliver (R-Soph.)
  3. Waltclaire Flynn (R-Soph.)
  4. Zachary Lewis (Fr).

Right guard:

  1. Zykie Helton (Fr.),
  2. Marcus Harrison (R-Soph.), Gaston
  3. Michael Uini (R-Soph.), Calhoun

Right tackle:

  1. Juan Gaston (Soph.)
  2. Jah Jackson (Jr.)
  3. Uini

Analysis: Bobo is listed as the team’s starting center, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Georgia roll with Smith to open the season against Tennessee State. Bobo is dealing with foot and finger injuries and while the former is the bigger worry stemming from last season, it seems like it won’t be an issue to start the year.

Smart challenged Gaston during fall camp, so it will be worth monitoring how he starts the season. Georgia really likes its depth at the tackle position, especially with how Ogboko, a 5-star signee, has developed.

He’s been a popular player for a while, but it shouldn’t be overlooked how impressive Helton has been since arriving at Georgia. The last time a freshman generated this much buzz before his first game was either KJ Bolden in 2024, Malaki Starks in 2022 or Brock Bowers in 2021. That’s some pretty great company.