Georgia’s star QB, Carson Beck, has moved camp to Miami. That provides an opportunity for Gunnar Stockton, the popular favorite, to replace the former QB1. Stockton took charge of the offense when Beck went down in the SEC Championship game. He successfully guided the Bulldogs to victory. However, he didn’t have a great outing against Notre Dame. However, Kirby Smart still has hope in the probable starting quarterback. Though he might not be so much at risk in that room, what is the HC doing to keep Stockton protected during the game? How is Georgia faring at the transfer portal, and where are the key areas they’re looking to fix?

The glaring issue Smart has to address at the moment is the defensive line, particularly the linebackers. According to Ryan Kerley of UGA Football on Dawg Post, he doesn’t see any standout performances from here or the edge rusher room. “I don’t know if there’s a star on Georgia’s defensive line. I don’t know if there’s a star in the edge rushing room,” he said. “What happens if one or two of these guys gets hurt?” From the OLB prospects recruited from 2020 to 2023, six have transferred out. Chaz Chambliss has no eligible years left. So, Smart has decided to venture to the portal to fix this issue.

Georgia HC might be looking at an attractive target right away. And this guy left Mario Cristobal’s camp in Miami. Defensive lineman Joshua Horton is coming to Athens, Kerley observed in the social media chatter. “It’s a spot where I think Jordan Hall and Christen Miller are kind of your obvious two starters. But they want more depth. What if one of them gets hurt?” he said. Miller himself is already limited in spring practice because of an injury. There’s Nnamdi Ogboko and Xzavier McLeod, but they don’t seem to be that hopeful of prospects at the moment.

Horton, on the other hand, has seen very little game action. He played in 3 games last year and recorded a total of 4 tackles. In high school, however, he has some great numbers. At the end of their senior year, Horton produced 123 total tackles, and 4 sacks and pressured the quarterbacks 13 times. Total tackles throughout the entirety of his high school career stand at 263. He also has three more years of eligibility left. If Smart lands him and Horton delivers well in the season, this can be a great investment for the HC.

Georgia was very close to losing Miller to the transfer portal. Had that happened, Athens would be in a sense of panic, trying to fix their already severely impaired DL room. They’re still trying to move past the Carson Beck association, but that requires a whole lot of effort from the entire staff.

Can Kirby Smart & Co. move on from the Carson Beck hangover?

Carson Beck performed underwhelmingly in 2024 compared to his previous season. There’s the career-high 12 interceptions, which have been a topic of debate. Beck was pinned as the cause of Georgia’s poor offensive play. But let’s face it, the whole offensive line was slacking. Mike Bobo, despite being Smart’s closest man on the staff, has faced ire for his handling of the team’s offense.

That’s why Kirby Smart isn’t letting up on Stockton as he prepares to become QB1 or the offense in general. “I’ve been told from people close to that program that they’re going to find a way to run the football no matter the circumstance. They’re going to find a way to be a team that can punish you on the ground, and when they do that, you’ll have to respect the box a little bit more,” said On3’s J.D. PicKell. “I’m not talking about a total scheme change. I’m talking about overall mentality change,” he added. What Georgia needs is a complete overhaul in the way the O-line is handled.

Mike Bobo is still holding onto his “caretaker” role instead of being an “innovator” as an OC, CBS Sports claimed. Paul Finebaum, in his usual fashion, did not hold back on his criticism of the coach. He said, “You can go down the street and a guy’s waiting for a bus, you go into a food court at a mall, and you can find somebody better than Mike Bobo.”

Tate Ratledge also thought that the coach is part of the reason behind Carson Beck’s poor performance, preventing him from making use of opportunities that he could use.

Gunnar Stockton is no Carson Beck, but he’s the best Georgia has. What Kirby Smart should focus on is to readily improve their O-line strategy. He also has to back up his defensive line room, which is a critical area at the moment.