Georgia will get its 2025 season underway at home against non-conference opponent Marshall this week. The No. 4 Bulldogs were preparing for the Thundering Herd during practice last week.
“Coaches started on Thursday, and players started on Friday. So, we’ve got two practices in towards that goal of playing these guys,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on Monday. “I’m excited for a home opener.”
In 2024, Marshall finished 10-3 overall and won the Sun Belt Conference under the direction of head coach Charles Huff. However, this year the Thundering Herd will look very different. Huff accepted the same position at Southern Miss in the offseason, and most of Marshall’s players entered the transfer portal after his departure.
Marshall hired N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to replace Huff. The Thundering Herd has also signed more than 60 new players to its roster since Gibson's hiring, so there are many questions to be answered.
Smart said it’s challenging to prepare for a team full of transfers, but stressed the focus isn’t solely on Marshall.
“You start with yourself, right? You prepare yourself by how you run to the ball, how you strike people, how you move people, how you run the ball, throw the ball, don’t turn it over,” Georgia’s head coach said. “A lot of sloppiness in first games, penalties, so it starts with that. The opponent is us, and it’s going to be us every week. It is important that we know what they do, and sometimes that’s less information than others.”
The Bulldogs have been preparing for the Thundering Herd, but they’ve also been focusing on themselves. They recently completed fall camp, but several players are still competing for starting roles on both sides of the ball.
The quarterback battle between Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi has been interesting. Smart declined to comment last week on who would lead the offense, but it’s suspected that Stockton will take the helm.
The competition at right guard on the offensive line also remains interesting. Freshman Juan Gaston made a name for himself in the preseason, but he remains battling redshirt freshman Daniel Calhoun for the starting job.
Senior Daylen Everette is likely to start at one cornerback position. Junior Daniel Harris has the potential to fill the other spot, although redshirt freshman and former five-star Ellis Robinson will be hard to keep off the field.
Smart said Monday that some position battles will be going on all year, as nothing is guaranteed.
“I was telling guys just the other day, there are three more games before the game. One today, one tomorrow, and one the next day,” he said. “And those opportunities are really valuable in terms of where guys rep, where guys will play. We’ve got position battles that, I mean, they don’t go on ‘til the game.
“They go on through the whole year. Because I value Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and sometimes Thursday of practice weeks, probably more than some game reps. So, we’ve got a lot of good battles going on,” Smart continued. “We have a saying around our place: if you’re going to play winning football, we wanna’ play you. We’re looking to have as many guys as possible above that winning threshold line, and that’s the goal, to play all those guys.”
Georgia and Marshall will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium on ESPN. The Bulldogs are 39.5-point favorites.