Georgia opened up fall camp on Wednesday afternoon inside the House of Payne Indoor facility, but quickly spilled out onto the Woodruff practice fields.
The media on hand got to watch three periods of practice, which amounted to a 25-minute preview of what the Bulldogs could become during the 2026 season.
What did DawgNation see? Well, beat reporter Connor Riley shared his quick-hit takes faster than Kirby Smart can call out so-so effort on the practice field.
Well, there were also the mustaches. Yes, mustaches.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart has lost control of the facial hair in his quarterback room. Veteran offensive coordinator Mike Bobo looked like he could be the Pharo dealer in a “Tombstone” prequel.
Bobo was decked out with a Craig Stadler Starter Kit look, but he wasn’t the only one. Starting quarterback Gunner Stockton also rocked a ‘stache. The scene was reminiscent of what he did during his senior season back in 2021 at Rabun County High School.
His mother Sherrie might have been cringing back then, but he’s all grown up now. It appears that all the runaway facial hair will serve the same purpose it did for Gunner’s high school team years ago.
It’s an avenue for team bonding to take root as the Dawg days of fall camp have arrived.
Bobo and Stockton had several accomplices.
Backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi looked like he, too, had also broken up with his razor. We saw the same look from true freshman quarterback Bryson Beaver, too.
While the news of the all-white uniforms set to debut against Western Kentucky this fall was the big news of the morning, the mustache Dawgs were the big headline of the practice viewing period.
Those 25-minutes were also filled with eye-opening moments like:
- Redshirt sophomore cornerback DeMello Jones soaring through the air to snag a pass
- Sophomore DL Elijah Griffin showed more than just flashes of what could be the early stages of an ALL-SEC season
- Redshirt sophomore TE Jaden Reddell emptying out his gas tank on every rep in what is expected to be a breakout season
- True freshmen OL Zykie Helton working with the first group and absorbing what was being thrown at him
- Sophomores Zayden Walker and Elyiss Williams showing why they were former 5-star recruits. Walker and Williams were easily among the most physically impressive players in action on Wednesday.
- The practice periods also marked the UGA on-field debuts for RB Nick Peal and WR Tre Shields. The two true freshmen were late 11th-hour signees for the 2026 class. That duo has only been on campus for a few months now.
- Key juniors Chris Cole (LB), Nate Frazier (RB) and Justin Williams (LB) were all practicing at a breakneck pace and looking to be in the finest shape of their college careers.
What else did DawgNation see? Check out the photo gallery produced by AJC photographer Miguel Martinez and DawgNation staffer Jeff Sentell below.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) holds the ball during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart observes his team during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia wide receiver London Humphreys (16) catches the ball during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia wide receiver Landon Roldan (8) runs a drill during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo sports a healthy mustache during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart gives instructions during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo watches quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) throw a pass during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) attempts a pass during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia Nickels coach Andrew Thacker gets animated during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia tight end Elyiss Williams (10) catches the ball during their first football practice at the University of Georgia's practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia running back Nick Peal (3) catches the ball against linebacker AJ Kruah during their first football practice at the University of Georgia's practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia offensive players take part in a drill during their first football practice at the University of Georgia's practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia wide receiver Ryan Mosley (85) catches the ball during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga.n (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia wide receiver Talyn Taylor (1) runs a drill during their first football practice at the University of Georgia practice facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia wide receiver Sacovie White-Helton (0) catches the ball during their first football practice at the University of Georgia facility, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
Photographer: Miguel Martinez
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Georgia junior LB Chris Cole was active during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Junior tailback Chauncey Bowens snags a pass during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann emphasizes a coaching point during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia redshirt freshman TE Ethan Barbour jogs to the next practice drill during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton takes a rep uring the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football team on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton jogs to the next station during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Junior tailback Nate Frazier hauls in a pass during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia junior safety KJ Bolden looks across the field during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Nate Frazier carries the ball during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia senior LB Raylen Wilson hoists a training ball during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia redshirt freshman safety Daniel Okonkwo wraps up a tackling dummy during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia redshirt junior center Drew Bobo takes a rep during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia freshman running back Nick Peal brings in a pass during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia OLB Quntavius Johnson fires out of his stance during the first day of Georgia's fall camp practices on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNaton)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia slot receiver Sacovie White-Helton catches a punt during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia receiver Talyn Taylor sprints down the field during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Promising true freshman OL Zykie Helton scans the action during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi gets ready to throw a pass during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia redshirt freshman QB Ryan Montgomery rifles a pass during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia linebacker Zayden Walker flies through a drill during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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Georgia freshman DB Tyriq Green gets set up for a rep during the first day of fall camp for the Georgia football program on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in Athens, Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)
Photographer: Jeff Sentell
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