College football expert Joel Klatt releases his preseason top 25 rankings
"This is an interesting team that's tough to project, but I'm giving coach Kirby Smart the benefit of the doubt," Klatt said on the Bulldogs.
Kirby Smart could be considered the best returning coach in the league, but Smart's going to lead a team with a ton of turnover this year. There are four new starters on the offensive line and at least two new starting receivers. On the defense, Georgia lost over 75% of its sack production from last year.
"Gunner Stockton is a question mark at quarterback," Klatt continued. "But Smart's teams have proven that they don't need an elite signal-caller to succeed. His teams just win, and there's never a shortage of talent there. The Bulldogs also got better at wide receiver, addressing that issue by adding Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas after leading the country in drops last year."
Georgia was in a similar situation in 2017. Jacob Eason, who was 2016's starting quarterback, suffered a knee injury against Appalachian State. He was replaced by true freshman starter Jake Fromm for the rest of the year, and Georgia made it to the national championship in 2017.
As for their receiving room, Kirby Smart will look to fix the drop issues from last year. He believed it was just a matter of confidence and preparation that led to Georgia leading the nation in drops in 2024.
"Georgia also gets most of its big games at home — where it never loses, as it hasn't fallen at home since 2019. Georgia is a team that I think should play for an SEC championship."
Georgia's daunting schedule from 2024 flips in 2025. They play Ole Miss, Texas, and Alabama at home, and Sanford Stadium is one of the most raucous college football environments in the nation.
From a broader prospective, Klatt put one SEC team (Texas), three Big Ten teams (Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State), one ACC team (Clemson) and Notre Dame above Georgia. He believes that Notre Dame, along with the rest of the schools, are at least a tier above Georgia football coming into this year.
Here is Joel Klatt's preseason top 25
25. Utah
24. Oklahoma
23. Baylor
22. Iowa
21. Ole Miss
20. Iowa State
19. Texas Tech
18. Arizona State
17. Indiana
16. Texas A&M
15. Kansas State
14. Florida
13. Illinois
12. Miami
11. South Carolina
10. Michigan Wolverines
2024 record: 8-5
Projected Starting Quarterback: Bryce Underwood
Wolverines Wire
9. Alabama Crimson Tide
2024 Record: 9-4
Projected Starting Quarterback: Ty Simpson
Crimson Tide Wire
No. 8: LSU Tigers
2024 Record: 9-4
Projected Starting Quarterback: Garrett Nussmeier
LSU Tigers Wire
No. 7: Georgia Bulldogs
2024 Record: 11-3
Projected Starting Quarterback: Gunner Stockton
No. 6: Notre Dame
2024 Record: 14-2
Projected Starting Quarterback: C.J. Carr
Fighting Irish Wire
No. 5: Oregon Ducks
2024 Record: 13-1
Projected Starting Quarterback: Dante Moore
Ducks Wire
No. 4: Clemson Tigers
2024 Record: 10-4
Projected Starting Quarterback: Cade Klubnik
Clemson Tigers Wire
No. 3: Ohio State
2024 Season: 14-2
Projected Starting Quarterback: Julian Sayin
Buckeyes Wire
No. 2: Texas Longhorns
2024 Record: 13-3
Projected Starting Quarterback: Arch Manning
Longhorns Wire
No. 1: Penn State Nittany Lions
2024 Record: 13-3
Projected Starting Quarterback: Drew Allar
Nittany Lions Wire
This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Georgia left out Joel Klatt's preseason top-5 rankings
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