ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs will return to Sanford Stadium on Saturday for their second scrimmage of fall practice.
It’ll be critical for Georgia to put forth one of its best practices of the year, as there will be plenty of good-on-good action for the Bulldogs.
“I was pleased with the effort for the first scrimmage,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the team’s first scrimmage. “We didn’t tackle exactly great, which is the first time we really tackled live. We’ve done a little more live tackling than we have in the past, so we did do some prior to the scrimmage.
“Some silly procedural penalties both ways, but pleased with the effort of both groups. We’re just not where we need to be yet.”
A strong showing on Saturday will go a long way in setting Georgia up to have a successful start to the 2025 campaign. Of course, if one position group has an excellent day, it likely comes at the expense of another.
Below are some key storylines to watch as the Bulldogs tee it up inside Sanford Stadium. Because two weeks from Saturday, Georgia will host Marshall at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Can Georgia avoid the injury bug?
To this point, Georgia has largely stayed healthy. Rival Florida can’t say the same at this point but it only takes one overly physical practice to change the outcome of a season.
Backup center Malachi Tolliver is out after sustaining an ankle injury. Running back Josh McCray was limited in the first scrimmage as he continues to round into shape following an illness.
Punter Brett Thorson is still working his way back from knee surgery in December. In the event he can’t open the season, Drew Miller will be the team’s starting punter.
How well does Georgia tackle?
Scrimmages give Georgia its best chance to actually tackle, as Smart alluded when recapping Georgia’s first scrimmage.
Tackling has been a point of emphasis this fall, as the Bulldogs were not up to standard a season ago.
If the Bulldogs struggle in that regard again in 2025, it could be another long year for the Georgia defense.
Even if that comes at the expense of the offense not breaking as many tackles, which is its own concern. Smart highlighted how the tight ends didn’t excel in that regard in the first scrimmage.
Freshmen of note
Smart has consistently noted how young this Georgia team will be, with 54% of the roster being in their first or second seasons in Athens.
Georgia signed 30 players in the 2025 recruiting cycle, good for the No. 2 class overall. With the lack of veteran experience, several freshmen will have the chance to carve out meaningful roles.
Offensive linemen Juan Gaston and defensive tackle JJ Hanne stood out during the first scrimmage. Could wide receiver Talyn Taylor or inside linebacker Zayden Walker do the same this time around?
Position battles to watch for Georgia
Georgia will have to field a starting lineup, even if Smart intends on rotating heavily. Georgia wants depth but it will need players to emerge when things get tough.
At offensive guard, Gaston is pushing his way into a competition between Daniel Calhoun and Michael Uini. The cornerback battle between Ellis Robinson and Daniel Harris is likely to carry into the season.
The same can be said at safety, with JaCorey Thomas, Adrian Maddox and Zion Branch all fighting for one spot.
Don’t be surprised to see Georgia use the first two weeks against Marshall and Austin Peay to sort those out. But maybe a few players show they have what it takes to be the guy at those respective positions.
