Weekend work. ATD!!!! Unlimited hustle. Those were the messages coming out of Georgia’s social media to get fans excited for the first week of Spring ball. The images spoke louder than the words. KJ Bolden looking into the backfield, ready to make a play. Nate Frazier is ready to break a run in the open field. The sound bites from the players talking to the media this week even fit the bill. Tight end Oscar Delp spoke of the “Georgia standard” and how it has not changed in his time at Athens. “The standard at Georgia is to win a national championship and win it all. We don’t go into a season thinking that won’t happen.” This is the stuff that gets fans excited. We were excited, too. We were ready to take a deep dive into Georgia’s offense this week.
Kirby Smart had plenty to say about that side of the ball this week in his Tuesday press conference. Unfortunately for Georgia, it feels like Groundhog Day in Athens. Once again, off-field issues—another Georgia player struggling to follow traffic laws—have cast a shadow over the program and the fans’ excitement for Spring ball.
Between the Hedges: Groundhog Day for Georgia’s Offense
Groundhog Day
Two separate incidents this week added to a troubling pattern in Athens. On Monday, offensive lineman Marques Easley allegedly crashed his car into a garage at the Athens Ridge apartment complex. Easley, a former four-star recruit, joined Georgia in January 2024 and appeared in two games last season. Then, early Thursday morning, wide receiver Nitro Tuggle was arrested for reckless driving and excessive speeding. Tuggle, a former four-star recruit, played in seven games in 2024, recording three catches for 34 yards.
Both players have been suspended indefinitely from all team activities. Neither the university nor Coach Kirby Smart has commented further. Since January 2023, Georgia football players and staff have been involved in at least 26 driving-related incidents, including a fatal crash that killed a player and a recruiting staffer. Despite championship ambitions, discipline issues off the field continue to overshadow the program.
Spring Ball Report: Georgia’s Offense
Smart was not in a cheerful mood during his Tuesday press conference. His opening remarks made it clear he was less than pleased with his team’s performance in the first week of camp. “We’re a long way from good. We are a work in progress,” Smart said. “This is the fewest number of players we’ve had with three Spring practices since I’ve been here. We have a very young, inexperienced group, and we can’t practice at our standard because they’re all tired.” Fatigue and being “tired” was a recurring theme, initially centered on Georgia’s young wide receivers but gradually expanding to include all the freshmen and new faces in camp.
Freshman “Not Where They Need to Be”
Georgia brought in five wide receivers in the 2025 class. The receiving class let the Dawgs down in 2024. They were a missing piece in 2024, and the young group of receivers is still a work in progress. Smart spoke about how the new receiver’s lack of conditioning has shown itself in practice. “They got to get in shape. They’re constantly tired at practice. They got their hands on their hips, exhausted. I think there’s a little anxiety in that, so it’s not like it’s all they’re not taking more reps.”
Georgia had the #2 class in the Class of 2025, just behind Georgia. They are a talented collection of players but have had difficulty meeting the Georgia standard that Smart has come to expect from his players. Smart expanded on his critique of his young receivers to the rest of his new class. “Yeah, I want to be clear. I’m not calling out the freshman receivers for not being in shape. I’m calling out all the freshmen for not being in shape. There’s not a guy out there, a freshman, that’s sustaining his reps and just flourishing.” Smart said. “They’re not used to the tempo of practice, nor should they be, right? There’s not a high school program in the country that can practice like we do.” While the young guys may be disappointing, Smart was highly praised for a handful of his new transfers.
Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch Stand Out
Georgia’s offense lacked a punch and a consistent explosive threat in 2024. Smart and the Dawgs worked to address this shortfall by bringing in two high-impact transfer receivers, Noah Thomas from Texas A&M and Zachariah Branch from USC. Unlike the freshmen, the two receivers got Smart excited. “I’m excited about both those guys. Both are really good players. Both have been successful in their organizations where they’ve been.” Thomas started every game for the Aggies in 2024, recording 39 catches for 574 yards and eight touchdowns. Branch had 47 receptions for 503 yards and one touchdown with the Trojans.
Branch and his twin brother, Zion, a defensive back, have also made an impact beyond their on-field performance. “The Branch brothers have brought great energy to our offseason workouts,” a team representative said. “They’ve embraced the culture and work ethic required to succeed here and have done a fantastic job integrating into the program.”
Offensive Line Turnover
Another area of concern for Smart and Georgia’s offense will be on the offensive line. Smart talked about the impact of the guys who graduated and are heading to the NFL. “There’s a lot of snaps that have left the building in terms of that. It’s funny because I look at it as four starters left, four guys will be drafted, so your whole line’s turned over, but that doesn’t mean the offensive line doesn’t have any reps.” Here are three players who will look to be in the mix in 2024 on Georgia’s offensive line:
- Micah Morris: The redshirt junior played in 12 games and made five starts.
- Drew Bobo: The redshirt sophomore played 14 games, making starts against Auburn and Mississippi State. He showed off his throwing ability by helping to execute a fake punt in the SEC Championship game.
- Earnest Green: The redshirt sophomore appeared in 11 games, making nine starts, and was named to the Senior Bowl Watch List.
Gunner Stockton’s Leadership
Gunner Stockton is poised to take over as QB1 for Georiga. Smart called Stockton a tremendous leader who leads by example. “He’s a tough kid that loves football, that loves his teammates. You’re not going to get a lot of rah-rah out of Gunner.” Smart said. “He earns people’s respect by how he works and how he carries himself. He’s got a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability.”
Stockton has bid his time and waited his turn to run the Georiga offense. He did a good job leading Georiga’s offense to lead Georgia in the second half to the SEC Championship. Although things didn’t go as well in New Orleans against Notre Dame, Stockton has quickly earned the respect of his teammates. Smart shared how the Georgia players naturally gravitate to the quarterback. “He’s got a lot of knowledge of our system, and I think that kind of resonates with the other players. They rally around Gunner because they have a lot of respect for him.”
Next week, we hope Georgia can avoid any further Groundhog’s Day shenanigans, and we can take a closer look at the defense.
Main Photo: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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