Georgia stands strong in various national position rankings

There’s no doubt entering 2024, the Georgia Bulldogs have one of the most talented rosters in the country from top to bottom. With All-Americans like Carson Beck, Mykel Williams and Malaki Starks leading the way, UGA is expected to compete for its third national title in the last four seasons under the direction of the undisputed top head coach in the sport Kirby Smart.

Look across the media landscape, and that narrative rings true. Georgia is the top-ranked team according to most in the preseason with Vegas oddsmakers listing the Bulldogs with the shortest odds. Diving deeper and looking at individual position groups, Georgia is prominently featured too.

Today, DawgsHQ takes a look at the offseason position rankings of On3, CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus, comparing where Georgia comes in for each and figuring out what it says about the Bulldogs in 2024.

Quarterback (On3: No. 4, CBS: No. 2, PFF: No. 1) – Quarterback is a tough one to rank because assuming everything goes according to plan, only one plays. Some rank the room. Others focus in on only the starter. Either way, Georgia is well positioned with Heisman Trophy favorite Carson Beck entering his second season at the helm and guys like Gunner Stockton, Jaden Rashada and Ryan Puglisi behind him. Kirby Smart and company know this is the last year for Beck. The Bulldogs will want to see what they’ve got with the room when the time is right. However, when the game’s on the line and the best is needed, there aren’t many (if any) out there better than Beck.

Running Back (On3: No. 3, CBS: No. 2, PFF: No. 3) – Georgia went to the transfer portal for support at running back. The Bulldogs brought in Trevor Etienne from Florida. His production at the SEC level should provide plenty of reason for confidence, and excitement knowing he’ll have the opportunity to be the unquestioned No. 1 in UGA’s offense. But that’s not all either. While Georgia waits to get Branson Robinson back healthy from a knee injury that ended his promising 2023 campaign before it even started, second-year Roderick Robinson showed signs of improvement this spring. He’ll be a factor too with the freshman trio of Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips waiting in the wing if needed.

Wide Receiver/Tight End (On3: No. 6 WR / No. 1 TE, CBS: Honorable Mention WR, PFF: No. 4 Receiving Corp) – Slowly but surely, the receiver room at Georgia has gone from a major question to a massive strength. That’s come with time, development and an understanding of the talent available in the transfer portal. Look no further than this year’s room with Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas, Colbie Young, London Humphreys and Michael Jackson III all arriving in Athens by way of the portal the last two years. Tight end Ben Yurosek adds to that total in UGA’s effort to try and replace the production of Brock Bowers. There have been homegrown players too – Dillon Bell, Arian Smith, Anthony Evans and Oscar Delp to name a few. There may not be a go-to guy in this group, but the Bulldogs definitely have depth that would be hard to find elsewhere.

Offensive Line (On3: No. 3, CBS: N/A, PFF: No. 2) – One of the staples for Georgia since Kirby Smart arrived in Athens has been strength up front. It was an emphasis for the head coach the moment he stepped on campus, and it certainly is a strong suit of the Bulldogs in 2024. Four different offensive linemen (Tate Ratledge, Xavier Truss, Earnest Greene, Dylan Fairchild) have some sort of starting experience. A few more (Micah Morris, Jared Wilson, Monroe Freeling) have been part of the rotation before amounting to at least seven different Dawgs Stacey Searels could comfortably turn to at any time. Look for this group’s name to be in the mix at season’s end for the Joe Moore Award once again.

Front Seven (On3: No. 3 DL/EDGE / No. 1 LB, CBS: No. 1, PFF: No. 4 DL / No. 4 LB) – Flipping things over to the defensive side of the ball, the front seven at Georgia is full of names folks know. Mykel Williams feels like somebody whose full potential still hasn’t been seen. The Bulldogs look to unleash that for him with more time at outside linebacker. There’s also second-year inside linebackers CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson that played as freshmen but have more to show as sophomores. Meanwhile, the experience of seniors Nazir Stackhouse, Warren Brinson and Smael Mondon could be crucial as the Bulldogs hope to be better against the run than they were at times in 2023 – finishing outside the nation’s top 15 for the first time since 2018.

Secondary (On3: No. 8 CB / No. 3 S, CBS: No. 4, PFF: No. 7) – Of course you know Kirby Smart is going to have his defensive backs ready. A former Georgia safety himself, Smart has Malaki Starks to lead things on the back end with the likes of Daylen Everette, Julian Humphrey and Joenel Aguero around him. The Bulldogs most replace three players off to the NFL. That’s no easy task, but when you recruit at the level UGA does – signing both the No. 1 cornerback (Ellis Robinson) and the No. 1 safety (KJ Bolden) in the Class of 2024 – it’s about getting the talent in the right places more than it is finding capable players.