You don’t lose the likes of Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Lewis Cine and maintain the level of excellence you had in the previous season.

The Bulldogs have to replace a lot off their 2021 defense. Thanks to the numbers tabulated by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Georgia returns 44 percent of its defensive production. That ranks 122nd in the country.

The offense brings back much more, returning 73 percent of its total production. That ranks 43rd in the country The numbers extend beyond just raw stats, with Connelly explaining his metrics and how it ranks teams. Georgia’s total team number comes in at 59 percent. That ranks 96th in the country.

Offensive numbers are tabulated by:

  • Percent of returning WR/TE receiving yards: 37% of the overall number
  • Percent of returning QB passing yards: 29%
  • Percent of returning OL snaps: 28%
  • Percent of returning RB rushing yards: 6%

Defensive numbers are determined by:

  • Percent of returning tackles: 59%
  • Percent of returning passes defensed: 28%
  • Percent of returning tackles for loss: 8%
  • Percent of returning sacks: 5%

Now, Georgia obviously won’t have the No. 122 ranked defense in the country. Georgia will look for Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Chris Smith to take on bigger roles next season. Georgia will also have to replace defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae. Chidrea Uzo-Dirbie will take over Lanning’s duties as outside linebackers coach.

Related: What departure of Jahmile Addae means for Kirby Smart, Georgia football secondary

The Bulldogs did sign the No. 3 recruiting class in the 2022 cycle, with many of the top signees coming on the defensive side of the ball. Of the 11 top-100 signees that are now Bulldogs, eight of them will play on the defensive side of the ball. Five-star prospects Mykel Williams, Malaki Starks and Daylen Everette have all enrolled and will go through spring practice as they get acclimated to the college game.

One area where Georgia’s lack of production stands out is in comparison to other championship contenders.

“It’s worth noting that they rank 96th in returning production while last year’s two other top-three teams rank 65th (Alabama) and 25th (Ohio State),” Connelly wrote.

Among SEC teams, only Ole Miss returns less production from its 2021 team. Mississippi State, which Georgia visits on Nov. 12, leads the league in returning production with 78 percent.

Offensively, Georgia must replace running backs Zamir White and James Cook along with wide receivers Georgia George Pickens and Jermaine Burton. But with tight end Brock Bowers and quarterback Stetson Bennett returning for another season under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, there’s reason to believe the offense can improve.

The offensive line has a high ceiling as Broderick Jones, Tate Ratledge and Amarius Mims are all poised for big roles on the offensive line. Running backs Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton will look to shine in with more opportunities as well.

The Bulldogs will also need to be at their best early next season, with a season-opening game against Oregon and a Week 3 trip to South Carolina. Georgia should still be favored in every game next season but the way the Bulldogs must win next season will be different. The Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points per game last season, the most under Smart.

Georgia likely will need to average a similar offensive output, if not more next season. Carter, Ringo and one of the freshmen defenders will likely be household names come the end of the 2022 season. But the returning production numbers show that Georgia’s offense is going to need to be the superior unit to open the 2022 season.

Georgia football offense will need to carry on bigger load in 2022

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