ATHENS — Kirby Smart will lead the Georgia football team onto the practice field for the start of spring practice.

Much has changed for the Georgia program since Smart first took over, though there is still construction going on around the Georgia practice fields.

The Bulldogs will have another talented roster in 2026, buoyed by 14 returning starters from last season’s SEC championship team.

Georgia will once again have deep ambitions for the upcoming season, having made the last two College Football Playoffs. To keep the season going into January, Georgia will need to establish good habits starting on Tuesday.

Smart will want to see a number of things from this new group of Bulldogs. Last year, it was fire, passion and energy.

Tuesday, when Smart speaks to reporters for the first time since Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, will give the Georgia head coach his first chance to shape the way this team is talked about.

Below are some of the topics we expect Smart to get into on Tuesday as he looks to set the tone for 15 spring practices.

What is the injury situation?

Georgia is always dealing with an injury situation during spring practice. We know from last season that center Drew Bobo and defensive tackle Jordan Hall will be limited.

But expect a few more players to be ruled out or limited this spring. Georgia has often used the early offseason to repair labrum injuries. Brock Bowers and Nakobe Dean are examples of players who have missed spring practice, only to come back and dominate the following fall.

One thing to watch will be how many unproven contributors have to end up missing spring. Smart would likely prefer to have more proven contributors on the mend, as opposed to those still looking to accelerate their development.

What does G-Day look like?

Georgia has a date for G-Day, as the Bulldogs have circled April 18.

But there are still questions regarding Georgia’s spring game format.

Will it be televised this year? It wasn’t a season ago.

Is it going to be in the traditional spring game format? Smart hinted last year that health and availability will go a long way in shaping what Georgia’s final practice of the spring will look like.

Smart and Georgia may not have an answer by tomorrow, electing to see how the first few practices play out. But fans still possess a strong desire to see Georgia play and support the program. G-Day, even as it has changed, still offers fans the chance to do that.

What does Smart think of how Georgia did in the transfer portal?

No SEC team was less active in the transfer portal than Georgia.

That works both ways for the Bulldogs. Georgia only lost 12 players from last year’s team to the transfer portal, as the Bulldogs made it a priority to keep last year’s roster together.

Georgia brought in nine players via the transfer portal. Four of those additions came in the secondary, as Georgia made it a point to strengthen what was a weakness last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Georgia Tech wide receiver Isiah Canion figures to be a popular topic of conversation.

Smart has never been shy when talking about the transfer portal. What he has to say about Georgia’s portal haul will echo throughout the sport.

What are Smart’s hopes for Gunner Stockton in year two?

Smart is accustomed to answering questions about Stockton. A year ago, many wondered whether Smart would name Stockton as the team’s starting quarterback.

That never happened, though Stockton started every game for the Bulldogs.

Stockton returned to Georgia for another season, never wavering from his dream to be Georgia’s starting quarterback.

We already know Smart loves what Stockton brings from a leadership standpoint. Players respond and fight for the Georgia quarterback.

Ultimately, Stockton will be judged by how things go in December and January. But Smart will still want to see signs of growth from a player who will be going through his fifth spring practice this year.

What do the new coaches bring to the coaching staff?

A year ago, Smart defiantly spoke about how important continuity was among the coaching staff. Georgia brought back all 10 on-field assistants, even after a trying season.

Georgia made two new hires this off-season, promoting Phil Rauscher to offensive line coach and hiring Larry Knight to coach the outside linebackers.

Both have big tasks this spring, as Georgia always aims to be strong along the lines of scrimmage. Georgia has to replace the left side of its offensive line, while it also aims to improve its pass rush.

Smart mostly nails his assistant coach hires. It will be interesting to hear why the Georgia head coach thought these two new assistants were worth adding to his coaching staff.