There are a lot of eyeballs on the Bulldogs and Kirby Smart this year. They did rank top on the AP preseason polls and are probably one of the best teams in CFB right now. However, those aren’t the only reasons why people are keeping a check on Smart and his team. When the news of Rara Thomas got out on the internet, people were quick to analyze the history of players/staff getting arrested in the Bulldogs. A number that has hit 29, considering Thomas’s arrest, many have blamed Kirby Smart for brewing a culture of crime back at camp.

And as the game against Clemson inches closer, there is much debate if any other player is going to be suspended before the opener. That is what one journalist decided to poke Smart for during a conference posted to YouTube by DawgNation on August 27th. “Regarding suspensions, how are you guys going to handle that?” a journalist asked. Smart was quick to snub the reporter’s question. “We don’t discuss those. Thank You,” Smart noted. A few days back, we got the news that Bulldogs players, Smael Mondon Jr and Trevor Etienne, both had their DUI charges dropped. With Smart taking quick action to deal with Thomas’s situation, it has made people wonder what he is going to do with the other players on the team. Back on August 21st, we spotted another journalist bringing up the same question as well. However, the main thing we gotta keep in mind is that even if Smart decides to suspend those players, it would cause major issues for the entire roster.

We all are already well aware that after the fall camp, the team suffered major problems on the O-line. With multiple players suffering serious injuries. Suspending anyone right now would handicap the entire team. QB Carson Beck needs the protection on the field else we can see him face the same fate Shedeur Sanders did back in 2023. The good thing is that Kirby Smart has decided to follow a new strategy to ensure the team’s success. Back during a press conference on August 20th, Smart informed us that he has decided to focus more on depth instead of chemistry for his players. This has helped them grab drastic gains. “At the expense of chemistry, we want to have depth and we’ve done a really good job,” Smart had noted after he saw the visible improvement on the roster. While, People keep on speculating what the HC is going to do with the players who have had charges against them, QB Carson Beck brought us some good news ahead of the Clemson game.

Running Backs to the rescue

On the same day as the Kirby Smart press conference, Carson Beck was also spotted having a talk and clearing some much-needed doubt regarding the roster and their plans. As we had pointed out before, the O-line of the team is in drastic shape. However, Beck was quick to assure that the RBs have his back covered. “Our RB are really deep,” Beck noted. RB Branson Robinson has shown considerable improvement during the fall camp. The kid had missed his chance to shine back in 2023 because of an injury. However, during the 2022 season, he had already made his mark as one of the best on the Bulldogs lineup. Securing 68 carries and 3 TDs, Branson was a key player for Smart back in 2022.

“Looks really good,” Smart had noted when he was asked about Branson and the entire RB lineup. The fall camp helped the players gain some considerable skill enhancement. That paired with Smart’s new strategy of focusing on depth has allowed the Bulldogs to look past their O-line injuries and ensure that Carson Beck is covered from all sides. Let’s see what the Bulldogs end up achieving during the 2024 season run.