A few years ago, Wednesday would’ve been one of the biggest and most important days on the college football calendar.
But thanks to the early signing period, much of the drama surrounding National Signing Day no longer exists.
Georiga is not expected to make any additions on Wednesday, as the Bulldogs did all of their work during the December window.
Georgia inked the No. 2 overall signing class with 28 recruits. Only Texas has a higher-ranked class and no program signed more blue-chip prospects — 4-star or 5-star recruits — than Georgia’s 23.
Recruiting at a high level is nothing new for Georgia. The Bulldogs have signed a top-four recruiting class in each of the last nine recruiting cycles under Kirby Smart.
Just a year ago, Georgia signed the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country. In the 2024 signing class, the Bulldogs inked five 5-star prospects, including instant contributors KJ Bolden and Chris Cole.
But despite the talented signing haul, Georgia didn’t get a ton of production from that talented class. Of the 28 signees, 21 of them ended up redshirting. Only Bolden, Cole and running back Nate Frazier were able to carve out consistent, non-special teams roles for the Bulldogs.
Georgia found itself in more close games this past season — Georgia had just three 20-point wins compared to eight during the 2023 season — which didn’t afford them the chance to get reps for young players like they traditionally have.
“You’re used to having these games where you can go, ‘Oh, man’ -- I think (Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn) Schumann said we averaged 100 snaps for our twos and threes over the last couple years," Smart said prior to Georgia’s game against UMass. “We’re not even close to that right now. We just haven’t been able to.”
Georgia hopes that many of those now redshirt freshmen that sat a season ago will be able to contribute more this fall.
But with the annual roster turnover that Georgia always sustains, it also creates an opportunity for some of the fresh-faced 2025 signees to make an impact for the Bulldogs right away.
Smart has often said that the farther away you are from the ball, the easier it is to make an impact right away. That’s the case with someone like Bolden, who played a critical role for the Bulldogs this past season.
While Georgia may not turn to a true freshman at safety — the Bulldogs brought in three safeties via the transfer portal — on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver feels like a spot where Georgia could really benefit from some instant impact players.
The Bulldogs signed five wide receivers in the 2025 signing class, with Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley looking the best bets to play early. Given how much this position was an issue for Georgia last season, with the Bulldogs leading the country in drops.
Taylor is the first 5-star wide receiver Georgia has signed since George Pickens. In his freshman season, he went out and led Georgia in receiving yards. Taylor or Wiley won’t be expected to do that but early contributions could go a long way into helping boost the Georgia offense.
As much as wide receiver might be a position of need on offense, defensively, Georgia looks to be in a spot where it is not just hoping but actually planning on getting real snaps from freshmen.
With Damon Wilson entering the transfer portal and four defensive linemen heading to the NFL, Georgia is very young on the defensive line and at outside linebacker. Elijah Griffin could very well find himself in the defensive line rotation early. He was the No. 1 ranked defensive lineman in the country and the No. 3 overall player in the class. Jalen Carter and Travon Walker – similarly unique athletes — were able to contribute as true freshmen on the defensive line.
Griffin was just one of just two defensive linemen Georgia signed in 2025. At outside linebacker, the Bulldogs anticipated needing some new blood, as the Bulldogs signed three prospects in the 2025 class. Isaiah Gibson, Chase Linton and Darren Ikinnagbon all finished as top-100 overall prospects in the 2025 class. Gibson was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 EDGE prospect in the class.
Georgia could well look to the transfer portal to add a player at outside linebacker, but given the only other players at the position on the roster are junior Gabe Harris and sophomore Quintavius Johnson, there are snaps to be had at outside linebacker.
Georgia lost 29.0 of its 37.0 sacks from a season ago. It is going to need someone to provide pressure in obvious pass rushing situations. While freshmen have rarely been every-down players in the defensive front, they often have been able to help out on obvious passing downs. That is how Chris Cole found himself on the field often for Georgia in 2024.
With what the Bulldogs loses to both the NFL draft and transfer portal every year, Georgia is going to be a young team. When you sign 28 recruits in a class, roughly a third of your scholarship roster is going to be made up of true freshmen.
Against a schedule that is as deep and tough as Georgia’s in 2025, the Bulldogs are going to need some of those players to fill the holes on the roster.
At wide receiver and outside linebacker, there is an apparent opportunity. Players like Griffin and Zayden Walker might be talented enough to break through immediately. Georgia did sign four 5-star prospects in the 2025 class, tied for the most in the country.
Georgia doesn’t need anyone to come in and be Brock Bowers in terms of making a freshman impact. That’s an impossible ask.
But the Bulldogs have more often than not gotten meaningful snaps out of its freshman class. And it will need to do so again in 2025 if the Bulldogs are to go on a deeper run than they did in 2024.