"This is going to be an elite team": CFB insider sings praises of Kirby Smart as Georgia heads in 2025 with bigger goals

Kirby Smart will be heading into his 10th season as the coach at Georgia in hopes of lifting the golden trophy with a revamped playing roster. The veteran coach has plucked out some weeds and fixed the loopholes with major additions via the transfer portal and recruiting.

He suffered a terrible setback with longtime QB Carson Beck opting to leave the program in pursuit of a better NIL offer at Miami and leaving a huge void in the locker room.

However, Smart was determined enough to show his confidence for a young QB in Gunner Stockton, who will start for the program in 2025. That gives Georgia an edge to run the ball much better than in previous years, where Beck was seen hanging in the pocket and throwing darts across the field.

College Football insider Greg McElroy, analyzing the Bulldogs' 2025 season aspirations, mentioned that Smart is in a better position than ever. They are expected to be more flexible with play-calling strategies, and Stockton could be a dark horse for opponents.

“This is going to be an elite team. They've been an elite team for a number of years. What I'm most excited about with this roster is it feels a little bit more blue collar than it's been the last two years,” McElroy said on his podcast on Monday (13:00).

“I look at them in the last couple of years, they have become a little bit more pass happy. Understandably, Carson Beck was really comfortable just standing there in the pocket and throwing darts all over the field. ... This year, I think coaching stability is huge.

"I think Mike Bobo is going to do a nice job, because they're going to get back to becoming more of a ground and pound outfit that should help the offensive line, that should help the young quarterback, Gunner Stockton, it'll take some of the pressure off the receivers that have been a little inconsistent the last couple of years,” he added.

---

Kirby Smart will have elite talents in 2025 roster

Kirby Smart made some serious moves in the transfer portal. One of the biggest additions was former Army LB Elo Modozie, who has been terrific for the Black Knights and is expected to bolster Georgia's mighty defense. Similarly, Raylan Wilson and CJ Allen will give more flexibility for Smart to devise his plans.

On the offensive front, the wide receiver corps looks equally formidable. With Noah Thomas, Zachariah Branch and hopefully Nate Frazier taking the field, Stockton will have plenty of options to target.

Expect nothing less than a 12+ winning season for the Bulldogs, with national championship hopes already on the cards.