January must’ve felt like a gut punch for Kirby Smart. Fresh off his Natty hopes getting crashed in that Sugar Bowl loss on January 2nd—a game that probably still replays in his head—he then faced an even tougher blow just two days later with the passing of his father, Sonny Smart, after complications from hip surgery. Talk about a rough start to the year. But you know Smart, he’s got to flip the switch, and it looks like 2025 needs to be his bounce-back year, at least professionally. The Bulldogs are already grinding, prepping for their annual “G-Day” spring scrimmage. And that’s where the Georgia chatter starts to get spicy, with insiders already stirring the pot, cooking up some fear for defending champs Ohio State and all 126 other college football rivals.

Georgia football is back between the Sanford Stadium hedges today, Saturday, April 12th, wrapping up spring practice. Buckle up, it’s G-Day, folks! Now, heads up, this year’s spring scrimmage won’t be on TV. Still, Smart expects it to have that classic G-Day feel. This event has long been a spectacle for Georgia fans to get a sneak peek at the upcoming team. Over the years, it’s been their tune-up before the fall season kicks off. Their first G-Day was way back on March 8, 1941, when 2,500 fans paid 50 cents each to fill Sanford Stadium. So, this marks their big 80th G-Day. Even before they hit the field for their special day, a Georgia insider’s already stirring up some fear for the competition.

According to FanDuel, the Georgia Bulldogs hold the second-best championship odds at +650, just behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Yep, Day’s Ohio State is still seen as the favorite, likely because Kirby Smart’s got some figuring out to do this season. For instance, he’ll be starting a freshman, Gunner Stockton, at quarterback. Plus, the Bulldogs are replacing potential first-round picks like Malaki Starks, Mykel Williams, and Jalon Walker on defense. But Georgia loyalist Dean Legge paints a bright picture for Smart and Co. On the April 11 episode of the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast, he said, “This team can win the national championship. This is a really talented bunch of players.”

Georgia’s main competition includes Day’s Ohio State, Texas Longhorns, Penn State, and LSU. While both the Buckeyes and Texas are breaking in new quarterbacks, LSU has Garrett Nussmeier returning under center. Even South Carolina boasts a playmaker QB in LaNorris Sellers. However, Legge believes only Texas and Penn State have the caliber to truly challenge Smart’s squad.

Even then, Legge sounded confident: “Texas has ascended to the point where they’ve been in the playoffs back to back years…Then you’ve got Penn State which has been jer-ing its fans around for a long time.” But according to Legge, “Penn State’s not higher favor than Georgia to win at all.” G-Day will be the ultimate indicator. As Legge stated, “Saturday is basically what it’s going to be, and you have to say for Georgia the portal has worked in its advantage this fall.” Smart secured the No. 2 overall recruiting class in the 2025 cycle, and three of Georgia’s transfer additions landed in the top 30 impact players list.

This year, they brought in former Texas A&M wide receiver Noah Thomas and former USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch, among others. Now, the big question is: who will be the showstoppers for Smart’s squad during G-Day?

Kirby Smart’s new recruits to watch during G-Day  

For Smart’s quarterback, Stockton, it’s going to be his fourth G-Day. But it’s time for the new ones to shine. Georgia’s highly-touted freshman class is to show what they’ve got. The most buzz this spring has been around defensive tackle Elijah Griffin. After all, he has been Georgia’s top-ranked signee in the class of 2025. The pressure is on the player since Smart’s squad lost a ton of front-seven production this offseason (over 75% of 2024 sack production) and needs players like Griffin to step up. 

Next up in line is Georgia redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Puglisi. The Puglisi hype has hit the accelerator. Even though he does not carry as much experience as Stockton, he definitely has wooed analyst Brandon Adams with his USP. “Puglisi’s ball just flies off the fingertips. He’s got a rocket of an arm,” Brandon shared. The young chap understood the assignment. Puglisi even got a bold message for Smart. “I definitely think I can, I could (be UGA’s starting quarterback) right now, definitely. I think if you’re at the quarterback position and you don’t believe that you could play, you should probably do something else, because you need some confidence.”

Well, not to forget wide receiver Zachariah Branch. The former USC Trojans star came up with 823 yards and 3 touchdowns in Lincoln Riley’s squad. With Mike Bobo at the head of Kirby Smart’s offense, Georgia needs to maximize his production, getting him the pigskin in space. The weather report for G-Day calls for sunny skies and fairly cool conditions with a high of 68° and a low of 39°. Is this a sign from the universe?