Georgia has 30 players on its 2025 roster who will be entering their second year in the program.

Some of those — running back Nate Frazier and safety KJ Bolden — made significant impacts immediately. Most though spent last season getting acclimated to Georgia. Twenty of those 30 players ended up redshirting in 2024.

With how young this Georgia team still will be, the Bulldogs won’t have the luxury of having so few members of this group not be contributors. This group of players, more than anyone else, is going to have to make a big jump in play if Georgia is to make a deeper run in the College Football Playoff than it did a season ago.

Georgia has plenty of candidates who could go from unheralded to contributors this coming fall. Not everyone even needs to be a star. But Georgia is looking for meaningful snaps from a number of players in this group.

Quarterback Ryan Puglisi: As of June, Gunner Stockton sure looks like he will be the team’s starting quarterback this season.

But one only needs to look back to last season to see the value in having a backup quarterback who can come in and play winning football. Stockton was a year older when he stepped in for Carson Beck than Puglisi will be for this upcoming season. But Stockton had to battle more for backup reps in his second season in Athens.

Puglisi emerging as a trusted backup option — he didn’t throw a pass in his first season in Athens — would go a long way in shoring up depth at the quarterback position.

Running back Nate Frazier: Frazier led Georgia in rushing a season ago, but that could be chalked up to the situation. Trevor Etienne missed four games due to injury, allowing Frazier to end the season with more rushing yards.

Etienne is now a Carolina Panther and Frazier will be tasked with leading the running back room on a more full-time basis.

This is a very young running back room with a lot to prove in 2025. Last season was the worst rushing output of Kirby Smart’s tenure. Frazier will be tasked with making a leap different from most on this list. He has to go from good to great and become the unquestioned leader at this position, rather than the situational answer.

Wide receiver London Humphreys: Sacovie White is the only 2024 high school wide receiver signee still on the roster.

But Georgia does see transfers Colbie Young and Humphreys return for another season. Young figures to be a big red zone threat.

For Humphreys, he has the ability to do everything in Georgia’s wide receiver room. His versatility was on display at G-Day, finishing with 85 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

It would be a surprise if Humphreys led Georgia in receiving yards this season. What he can, and Georgia needs from him, provide is the ability to fill in all the gaps and build off the 244 yards he finished with a season ago.

Offensive lineman Daniel Calhoun: With Georgia having to replace its entire interior offensive line, someone is going to have the ability to start from this group.

Heading into spring practice, Calhoun was best positioned to do and took reps as the team’s starting right guard. But a foot injury ended his spring and opened the door for fellow redshirt freshman Michael Uini.

One of Calhoun or Uini will likely start while the other will be counted on to provide depth in 2025. We still think Calhoun has the slight edge at the position. He’ll need to stay healthy if he is to hold it for the duration.

Defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye: Georgia has six defensive linemen who are entering their second year with the program. Only the offensive line, seven, has more.

But whereas Stacy Searels’ group has a handful of veterans to count, the defensive line does not. Christen Miller is the only fourth-year Bulldog in the group. Jordan is the lone third-year defensive lineman.

The reality is that Nasir Johnson, Jordan Thomas, Nnamdi Ogboko, Justin Greene, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye and Xzavier McLeod will all need to make a leap if Georgia’s defensive line is to enjoy the same level of depth that those championship teams.

Perhaps no one of those six listed names faces more curiosity than Jonah-Ajonye. He looked primed to make an early impact at Georgia, only for a foot injury to derail his first year on campus.

Jonah-Ajonye is a rare physical specimen, which factors into his 5-star status. If he can stay healthy, he has an opportunity to be a major disruptor on the defensive line. At the very least, Georgia needs him to take some of the snaps previously played by Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Mykel Williams.

Linebacker Chris Cole: Cole falls into the same bucket as Frazier, albeit his sample size was even smaller as a freshman.

With CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson back, Georgia doesn’t need the Virginia linebacker to carry the flag like Frazier. What they do need him to do is become someone who can create negative plays all over the field.

Cole has upside as a pass rusher while also having incredible range in coverage for a linebacker. Georgia is going to ask Cole to wear many hats this coming season, allowing the unit to adapt based upon the opponent.

It’s a big ask for a second-year player. But Cole is a promising option and one that Georgia is very excited about.

Linebacker Justin Williams: We know we just waxed poetically about Cole and acknowledged the role Allen and Wilson are going to play this fall.

But Williams looked on G-Day like someone who is too good to be kept off the field.

Last year, he worked just as a special teams player. For as much promise as Williams has athletically, his intangibles are just as impactful.

If Williams is busting his tail to get onto the field, that will filter down to the rest of the team. Even if his impact pails to that of other linebackers, there’s value in Williams’ effort being recognized.

Safety: KJ Bolden: Bolden was one of the best freshmen in the country last season. He certainly lived up to the hype as a former 5-star recruit.

His task in 2025 will be different, as Georgia has to replace Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson. The Bulldogs have a nice blend of new faces and experienced players in the program.

What this group does not have at the moment though is a valued leader. When speaking to reporters this spring, Bolden welcomed the challenge of becoming just that.

Some national media members this offseason have tabbed Bolden as someone who could become one of the best defensive backs in the country. Georgia would surely welcome that for 2025.

But it needs Bolden to be what Starks, Christopher Smith, Lewis Cine, Richard LeCounte and other great Georgia safeties have been before him. If he can become one of the loudest voices on the defense, that should help this Georgia group come together to be the best version of itself.