ESPN’s Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg recently came together to determine which college football programs have had the best offseasons.

The trio lauded the moves made by LSU, Texas and Miami, programs that all spent big to add an influx of talent.

Knowing that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Georgia Bulldogs did not crack the top-10 of said list.

Georgia did have the No. 4-ranked offseason among SEC teams per ESPN’s rankings.

Winning the offseason looks very different for a program like Georgia compared to some of the other top teams in the sport. Georgia brought back both of their coordinators from last season. The only “starter” it lost via the transfer portal — Joenel Aguero — did not play in Georgia’s final two games of the season.

Kirby Smart doesn’t want to spend above and beyond to turn over his roster. Georgia isn’t cheap, as those making big money earn it. That’s why Georgia placed a premium this offseason on retaining key pieces like Elijah Griffin, Nate Frazier and KJ Bolden.

The ESPN article did get us thinking. What does winning the offseason look like for Georgia? And once that is defined, how did the Bulldogs go about those objectives in this current offseason?

Goal No. 1: Retain talent

Why? Under Smart, the goal has always been to overwhelm teams with talent. That was easier to do five years ago prior to the transfer portal offering easier exit ramps for players.

With Georgia recruiting at an elite level in the high school ranks, the challenge will always be convincing those blue-chip recruits that they’re better off developing at a place like Georgia, as opposed to packing up and leaving after just one or two seasons.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Yes, especially compared to previous seasons. Georgia had only 12 players from last year’s roster leave via the transfer portal. That is the lowest mark in the SEC. Other than Aguero, the only loss for the Bulldogs came in the form of Dominick Kelly. He transferred to Ohio State. Kelly was unlikely to play for Georgia in 2026.

Goal No. 2: Limit coaching turnover

Why? In multiple off-seasons, Smart has had at least four on-field assistant coaches leave for other jobs. The 2025 offseason proved to be an anomaly when the Bulldogs didn’t lose any assistant coaches. Georgia greatly values stability. That goes for both players and coaches.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Yes. Georgia hired two new on-field position coaches in Phil Rauscher and Larry Knight. Rauscher will take over the offensive line, but he worked with the group last season as an analyst. Stacy Searels, Georgia’s previous offensive line coach, is still with the program as an analyst.

Mike Bobo returns as the offensive coordinator, as he will look to get even more out of Gunner Stockton than he did a season ago. Defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is still at Georgia, entering his 11th season in Athens. While Oregon, Texas and Ohio State all had to replace at least one coordinator, Georgia doesn’t have to deal with that uncertainty.

Goal No. 3: Minimize injuries during spring practice

Why? Georgia wants to get the absolute most out of the 15 practices it gets during the March and April months. Smart proudly boasted that no one gets more reps for their players during practice than Georgia.

Those practices are often very physical, a stark contrast to the way Indiana does things under Curt Cignetti. That does increase the chances of an injury, something the Bulldogs had to deal with yet again this spring.

“You have to be smart about how you practice, so we try to do more of that, but we know that our identity becomes a physicality, so we have to do that,” Smart said in an interview with Paul Finebaum. 

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? Not entirely. While some contributors missed spring practice because of preexisting injuries, a few key players picked up injuries during the 15 practices.

The biggest was that of Amaris Williams. He was one of Georgia’s few transfer additions. He suffered an ACL injury, and his status for the upcoming season is very much in question. Georgia also saw wide receiver Isiah Canion, linebacker Zayden Walker and cornerback Ellis Robinson all miss time because of various injuries. For those, though, their injuries are not as significant as the one Williams suffered.

Goal No. 4: Have a few newcomers surprise

Why? Georgia had eight players taken in this year’s NFL draft, giving the Bulldogs plenty of holes to fill. Georgia signed the No. 6-ranked recruiting class for the 2026 cycle, putting it in better shape than most when it comes to fresh talent.

The Bulldogs have often said that if you’re good enough to play, you’re certainly old enough to do so. While the Bulldogs have their fair share of blue-chip prospects, some of their best players under Smart have been those who were not all that highly rated. In every recruiting class, Georgia needs to land a few gems to keep up with the higher spending programs.

Has Georgia succeeded in this regard? While we’ve still yet to see it translate to a fall Saturday, there’s a lot to like about Georgia’s newcomers. Safety Khalil Barnes has fit in seamlessly after arriving from Clemson.

As for the freshmen, Zykie Helton looks like a key piece at guard. Tyriq Green made plays in the secondary all spring long. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that five-star prospect Kaiden Prothro immediately delivered on his immense potential, but Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class seems to have a handful of players across the roster who can play early.

When factoring in coaching turnover, a new recruiting class and internal improvements, there are a lot of moving pieces for Georgia.

To this point, Smart seems satisfied with how the program has juggled everything this offseason.

“We had a good spring,” Smart said. “Got some guys coming back. Got some youthful spots that I worry about, but at the end of the day, you know, that’s what they pay you to do as a coach. All summer we’re going to work with these guys. We’re going to find things they can do and try to find an advantage we can put them in matchups.”