TAMPA, Fla. — For some reporters and media personalities, SEC media days are their Super Bowl.

With that in mind, you have a better idea of why Kirby Smart feels the way he does about not just the event at large but the media as well.

When Smart steps to the podium on Tuesday morning, he’ll likely be peppered with questions about a number of college football topics. Based on Monday, it seems like the league’s nine-game conference slate will come up, even though Smart publicly questioned the move last December following the SEC championship game.

There will be a few reporters posing ‘gotcha’ questions, while others will intentionally try to create viral moments.

But in between all the nonsense, Smart hopefully offers real insight into his team this season. We know coming out of spring practice he likes where his program is at, even if it’s young in some key spots.

Below are the actual questions we expect Smart to answer on Tuesday, as he is set to step to the lectern in Tampa, Florida, just after 9:45 a.m. ET. Also representing Georgia this week will be quarterback Gunner Stockton, center Drew Bobo and linebacker Raylen Wilson.

What’s the latest with running back Dante Dowdell?

The Kentucky transfer was one of the stars of Georgia’s spring game. He ripped off multiple explosive plays while finishing with 34 rushing yards.

That performance may be the last we see of Dowdell for a while, as there are online reports that Dowdell suffered a significant injury in May.

Smart likely won’t reveal specifics on how Dowdell sustained his injury or how long he’ll be out, but should Smart confirm the injury, it would be a blow to the Georgia rushing attack.

Georgia already saw one of its top transfer additions suffer a serious injury, as Amaris Williams injured his ACL during spring practice. His status for the upcoming season is unknown. Williams transferred in from Auburn and was thought to be a big part of Georgia’s potential pass rush.

Even if Dowdell misses considerable time, running back is one of Georgia’s deepest positions. Georgia returns its top four rushers from last season, with one of those being Stockton. Nate Frazier is one of the most exciting running backs in the country, while Chauncey Bowens is expected to take on a bigger role.

One of the challenges for Georgia’s offense this season will be to become more explosive. Dowdell was expected to help in that regard. Losing him before Georgia even takes the practice field would be a blow for one of the SEC’s top teams.

Could Drew Bobo start Week 1?

Georgia’s offense was not the same after Bobo suffered a foot injury against Georgia Tech. With the injury coming so late in the season, one of Georgia’s biggest offseason questions has pertained to Bobo’s status to start the 2026 season.

Bobo was one of the best centers in the country last season and could very well be among the best offensive linemen in the conference, regardless of position.

That Smart elected to bring Smart to Florida should offer some hope that the Georgia center will be ready to go to start the upcoming. Smart normally prefers to keep injuries under wraps.

Georgia’s offensive line is expected to be a strength this fall, with Bobo being one of the key reasons why. A fully healthy Bobo should give Stockton and the Georgia offense the to get off to a fast start, something it didn’t have last season.

The Bulldogs close the month of September against an Oklahoma team that could have the best defensive line in the country. Having Bobo playing well going into that game will go a long way in determining how that game could go for Georgia.

How much talk is there about the College Football Playoff?

There’s already been tons of chatter about an expanded College Football Playoff field and whether 12, 16 or 24 is the right size.

As it pertains to Georgia, the conversation is a little different. Most expect Georgia to be one of the final teams standing at the end of this season.

The Bulldogs have made the 12-team field in each of the previous two seasons. Smart’s team has also lost its first College Football Playoff contest in each of the last two years.

It’s a conversation that will be impossible to ignore this week for Smart. How does Georgia have more success at the end of the season?

Smart will want to focus on what’s directly in front of the Bulldogs and not look too far down the road. Even with Georgia having one of the easier schedules on paper this fall.

But Smart has been candid when it comes to how this team needs to play its best football at the end of the season. That hasn’t been the case in each of the previous two seasons, leading to premature playoff exits.

Smart is well aware the SEC hasn’t won a national championship since Georgia did so to cap the 2022 season. It will be interesting to see if Smart addresses how his Georgia team can help snap that streak.

How is Justice FitzPatrick doing?

Most of Georgia’s 2026 signing class was with the team during spring practice. The Bulldogs saw tight end Kaiden Prothro, defensive tackle Valdin Sone and defensive back Tyriq Green make strong first impressions.

But one player we did not see was one of Georgia’s top-rated defensive recruits. That would be cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick.

He opted not to enroll early after suffering an ACL injury in the semifinals of Florida’s high school state playoff. Fitzpatrick was one of just four 2026 signees who did not enroll early at Georgia.

Fitzpatrick, who was Georgia’s second-highest-rated defensive signee as the No. 97 overall player in the 247Sports Composite rankings, has an impeccable pedigree. His brother was All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick, who played for Smart last decade at Alabama.

The younger Fitzpatrick played for one of the top high school programs in the country in St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Georgia hasn’t been afraid to play young players in the secondary, with KJ Bolden starting as a true freshman back in 2024.

Fitzpatrick will have an uphill climb to seeing the field this fall, especially if he isn’t fully cleared to start fall practice.

But given the Bulldogs have just one defensive back commit and zero cornerbacks, Fitzpatrick will be a very important player for the Bulldogs moving forward. It will be interesting to see what Smart has to say about him.