Georgia’s inside linebacker position is stacked with talent, including returning leading tackler CJ Allen and experienced junior Raylen Wilson.

Sophomores Chris Cole and Justin Williams, both former five-stars, are expected to play larger roles this season.

Cole and Williams impressed during Georgia’s spring game, showcasing their play-making abilities.

Despite losing players to the NFL draft, Georgia’s linebackers are still ranked among the best in the nation.

Here’s a familiar storyline for Georgia football heading into a new season: There’s talent overflowing at inside linebacker once again.

 

Behind leading returning tackler CJ Allen and experienced junior Raylen Wilson are a couple of former five-stars that looked the part of being ready for larger roles this spring.

 

Sophomores Chris Cole and Justin Williams give defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann more play-making pieces to use.

 

“I think the biggest thing is getting guys to play winning football,” Allen said.

 

The 2021 Georgia national championship team had first-round draft pick Quay Walker, Butkus Award-winner Nakobe Dean and fellow third-round draft pick Channing Tindall.

 

Even with Jalon Walker gone to the Falcons in the NFL Draft’s first round and Smael Mondon to the Eagles in the fifth earlier this spring, Georgia’s linebackers are ranked the fourth best in the nation at the position by Pro Football Focus.

 

It cites Allen’s 89.8 run-defense grade, which ranked seventh among FBS linebackers last season, and Wilson’s 66.3 coverage grade, which was 12th among SEC linebackers.

 

Then there are Cole and Williams, best of friends who enjoy making TikToks together. They showed what they could bring this season during Georgia’s spring G-Day game.

 

Cole pressured the quarterback around left tackle, ran down a ball-carrier on a 2-yard run, deflected a pass over the middle and was credited with six tackles, all solo.

 

Williams dropped a tight end for a tackle on a short pass and broke up a fourth-down pass during a day when he tallied nine tackles, including three for loss.

 

“They enjoy each other,” coach Kirby Smart said. “They compete. They love the game of football. …It’s not the ratings or the stars or all those things. It really isn’t. It’s just the kids that want to play the game the most right now and those are the ones that play the best, and those two guys personify that.”

 

Last season, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Cole, who was a safety before moving to linebacker his senior season at Salem (Va.) High, recovered two fumbles including one for a touchdown, had four tackles against Florida and two with a pass breakup in the win at Texas en route to being named to the SEC All-Freshman team. He had 16 total tackles in a backup role.

 

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Williams played sparingly last season but was named a high school Butkus Award finalist as a senior at Oak Ridge High in Conroe, Texas, after racking up 108 tackles, 9 ½ sacks and seven forced fumbles as a senior.

 

“I feel like we got good depth on the defense, especially at inside ‘backer with the young guys coming on,” Wilson said. “

 

That includes 2025 five-star Zayden Walker and 2024 four-star Kris Jones, who moved to outside linebacker this spring.

 

Cole said he “learned so much,” from Mondon and Walker about football, including film work and how to play fast.

 

Williams is motivated by watching Cole bring it in practice.

 

“I don’t want to do comparisons, but he’s like J-Walk,” Williams said. “He’s versatile. He can do pass rush, he can cover. He can key the line, he can play run. …He makes me a better player every day. Seeing him go chase the quarterback, it makes me like, ‘Dang, I’ve got to go pick it up.’”

 

Talk about a huge, monster get for the Dawgs.

2024 SEC Championship – Georgia v Texas

 

One of the nation’s top cornerbacks is officially off the board and this is no doubt incredible news for Kirby Smart and the Georgia football team. That’s right, moments ago, 4-star CB Justice Fitzpatrick revealed that he doesn’t need any more time to think about where he’ll call home in 2026.

 

Fitzpatrick, wanted by loads of powerhouses, announced his commitment to the Bulldogs via On3’s Hayes Fawcett and this indeed is a huge get for the Bulldogs. Fitzpatrick just took his official visit to Athens last weekend, with his time on campus clearly sending things over the top for him with this latest decision.

 

4-star CB Justice Fitzpatrick has officially committed to the Georgia Bulldogs

This is monster news for several different reasons. To start, Fitzpatrick is the younger brother of All-Pro Steelers defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was an All-American at Alabama. Plenty of people thought Kalen DeBoer and Bama would have an advantage because of this.

 

Instead, the younger Fitzpatrick has decided to pave his own path and he’ll be suiting up for a different SEC side. Another reason to get excited about the 6-0, 185-pounder announcing that his future will be with Georgia?

 

Not only is he ranked four stars, but he’s also the No.3 cornerback in the country, No. 5 player from Florida and the No. 47 prospect overall for the 2026 class according to the 247Sports Composite. Yeah, this kid is a total baller.

 

Throughout his recruitment, the newest UGA pledge has picked up 43 offers. In addition to his official visit with Georgia, he was all set to visit Texas to meet with Steve Sarkisian and Co. on June 13, but it now looks like that trip will be canceled. In the end, Fitzpatrick was down to UGA, Ohio State, Texas, Florida and Miami.

His OV was one to remember and it made the difference in Smart posting yet another recruiting win. The veteran coach has struck again.

 

Can Georgia hold on and keep Brady Marchese committed to their class?

 

The college football world is entering the month of June, which means recruiting will begin taking center stage. Official visit season is beginning this weekend, meaning that Georgia will host countless recruits on official visits throughout the month of June.

 

Many of the recruits visiting are uncommitted and still weighing all of their options, but there are some players who have committed to a program who will still choose to visit other programs. Georgia in fact is bringing in a few recruits committed to other programs on a visit this weekend, including four-star Alabama offensive line commit Chris Booker.

 

The hope from Georgia’s perspective is that none of their commits will take trips elsewhere, but that is impossible to avoid nowadays. And it turns out that four-star wide receiver Brady Marchese has announced a surprise visit he will be making this weekend.

 

Georgia commit Brady Marchese will visit Michigan this weekend

There aren’t many programs out there who are on Georgia’s level, so when those lesser programs target UGA’s commits there really isn’t a reason to be worried. That does change however when a program on Georgia’s level begins making progress with one of their commits.

 

That is what is happening with Marchese, who On3 reported will be visiting Michigan this weekend.

 

As mentioned, commits taking visits to other programs is very common nowadays, so just because this visit is happening doesn’t mean Georgia fans should be too worried yet. But the fact that this visit is occurring with Michigan does make it a little more concerning than if it was happening to most other programs.

 

It remains to be seen how serious Marchese is about flipping away from Georgia, but if he is that intel will likely come out once his visit to Michigan is complete. But for now, Marchese is still committed to Georgia and there’s no reason to be overly concerned right now until more information comes out in the future.

 

•

 

 

After Carson Beck’s move to the Miami Hurricanes in January, the QB1 role in the Georgia Bulldogs camp is up for grabs. In the recent G-Day game, the Bulldogs seem to have found their starting signal-caller for this fall.

 

Gunner Stockton, the $823,000 quarterback, was the starter for the winning team during the scrimmage, completing 17-of-34 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Ryan Pulgisi, his rival for the position, playing for the opposition, tallied 224 yards with 23-of-49 completions and two touchdowns. He is a redshirt, whereas Stockton has had a chance to play in the championship last season.

 

Stockton is reportedly head coach Kirby Smart and his management’s first choice for this season’s QB1 role.

 

Kirby Smart

Georgia coach Kirby Smart looks on during the first half of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta © Joshua L.

“Stockton spent the better part of three seasons waiting his turn in Athens—first behind Stetson Bennett and then behind Carson Beck.” Andy Staples wrote on April 22. “Stockton’s chance came in the SEC title game against Texas when Beck injured his elbow. He helped Georgia finish off the Longhorns, but he lost his first career start to Notre Dame.”

 

“Coach Kirby Smart hasn’t named a starter between Stockton and redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi, but Stockton has the inside track on the job.” He added. Georgia could have pried some other school’s starter loose from the portal, but when the Bulldogs didn’t do that, it signaled faith in Stockton.”

 

Stockton’s experience and leadership give him the edge over others. Georgia has yet to make any official announcement.

 

Carson Beck

 

Georgia Bulldogs Wide Receiver Enters Transfer Portal Following Spring Scrimmage

A Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver has elected to enter the transfer following the Dawgs’ spring scrimmage.

 

Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle (2) catches a pass from Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) during the G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The game ended in a tie.

Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle (2) catches a pass from Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) during the G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The game ended in a tie.

 

A Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver has elected to enter the transfer following the Dawgs’ spring scrimmage.

 

The Georgia Bulldogs spring camp has come to a close, which means the NCAA’s spring portal window will open shortly thereafter. With such a talented roster, it is expected that the Dawgs will have a handful of entries to the portal this season.

 

The latest Bulldog to announce that they will be entering the transfer portal is wide receiver Nitro Tuggle, who had been suspended indefinitely following an arrest for a reckless driving incident that took place earlier this year.

 

As a freshman, Tuggle hauled in three receptions for 34 yards during the Dawgs’ 2024 season and was expected to have a larger role in the Bulldogs’ offense this season. He flirted with departing from the Bulldogs roster and entered the transfer portal following Georgia’s loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, but eventually announced that he would be returning to Georgia ahead of the 2025 season.

 

However, Tuggle’s entrance into the portal this go-round likely indicates the conclusion of his career with the Georgia Bulldogs, as the path to returning to the field this season seemed slim.

 

With Tuggle in the portal, the Bulldogs will rely on their remaining cast of pass catchers to supplement their offense during the 2025 season. The Bulldogs added a pair of transfer wide receivers to the room this offseason in Zachariah Branch and Noah Thomas. Both are expected have major roles on the Dawgs offense this year.

 

The Bulldogs will continue their preparations for the regular season as they gear up for their 2025 opener in Sanford Stadium against the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Bulldogs are currently on a more than 30-game win streak at home and have not lost a season opener against Kirby Smart.

 

 

 

 

Georgia Bulldogs mascot Uga on the field before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Sanford Stadium.

 

Georgia Bulldogs mascot Uga on the field before a game against the Mississippi Rebels at Sanford Stadium.

 

A Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman has elected to enter the transfer following the Dawgs’ spring scrimmage.

 

The Georgia Bulldogs spring practice camp has come to a close, which means the NCAA’s spring portal window will open shortly thereafter. With such a talented roster, it is expected that the Dawgs will have a handful of entries to the portal this season.

 

The latest Bulldog to announce that they will be entering the transfer portal is offensive lineman Marques Easley, who had been suspended indefinitely following an arrest for a reckless driving incident that took place earlier this year.

 

Easley was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2024 class and had made limited appearances in his career with the Bulldogs. He was expected to have a larger role in the Dawgs’ offense this season before his arrest led to a suspension that made his path to playing for Georgia this season extremely narrow.

 

With Easley’s career with the Bulldogs likely over, Georgia will now rely on the remaining talent in its offensive line room to supplement its offense during the 2025 season. The Dawgs have been tasked with reloading a litany of players who departed to the NFL following the 2024 season.

 

The Bulldogs will continue their preparations for the regular season as they gear up for their 2025 opener in Sanford Stadium against the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Bulldogs are currently on a more than 30-game win streak at home and have not lost a season opener against Kirby Smart.

 

 

 

 

Daniel Harris is currently leading the competition for the starting cornerback spot opposite Daylene Everette.

Receivers Sacovie White and London Humphreys are expected to be key contributors to the team’s offense.

Young running backs Bo Walker and Chauncey Bowens impressed during spring practices.

The Georgia football team that walked off the Sanford Stadium field Saturday will be different than the team that cranks up preseason practices in August.

 

The transfer portal ensures that and some added pieces from the 2025 recruiting class will join the fold, too.

 

Still, the first glance of this year’s Bulldogs team at G-Day was enough to form some impressions of how this team will shape up in the months ahead.

 

“It’s a whole another phase,” inside linebacker CJ Allen said. “You’re not done. You’re not chilling, it’s not spring ball is over, I get to chill, relax and lay back. No, this is the time to ramp it up and get better.”

 

Here are five takeaways after the end of spring practices:

 

Gunner Stockton seems like he has a hold on being QB1

The first-team offense had 12 possessions on G-Day and Gunner Stockton was behind center for all but one of them.

 

His numbers on the day won’t wow you — 17 of 34 for 309 yards with 2 touchdown passes and an interception — but a spring game scrimmage, whether it’s on TV or not, is not going to reveal too much of how Georgia is tailoring its offense to take advantage of Stockton’s skillset, including using his legs.

 

Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi made big strides this spring after a leg injury limited him a year ago.

 

He got plenty of work Saturday, completing 23 of 49 passes for 224 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He completed all three passes — to Oscar Delp for 16 yards, Dillon Bell for 19 and Colbie Young for 17 and a touchdown — in his one drive with the first team.

 

For the first time in memory, no quarterbacks were made available after G-Day for interviews.

 

That may just be a way for coach Kirby Smart to avoid players taking questions about a “quarterback battle,” for the starting job when there may not be much of one.

 

“They’re both great kids who have a great relationship with each other,” Smart said. “And we’re very lucky to have two guys that care so much about Georgia.”

 

Georgia could just have good options at both starter and back-up even if neither has a large body of work in game action.

 

Puglisi is “still probably a little bit behind Gunner in terms of the knowledge of the offense, but he’s catching up in regards to that, right?” Smart said.

 

Said tight end Lawson Luckie: “That dude’s bound to be successful whether it’s this year, whether it’s next year, whether it’s in the future. He’s going to be a great player. It’s just a matter of time.”

 

The transfer portal opens Wednesday and runs through April 25. Quarterbacks that aren’t starting are often on the move these days.

 

Puglisi sure sounded like he wasn’t going anywhere when he met with reporters last week.

 

“I think it’s rare to find a school that you truly love,” he said. “When you really love something, you’re willing to do everything for it.”

 

Cornerback Daniel Harris makes push this spring

The starting cornerback spot opposite Daylene Everette was one of the most-watched this spring.

 

Junior Daniel Harris entered the spring with starts under his belt but talented second-year players Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones were fighting to unseat him.

 

Harris had an interception, two pass breakups and four tackles Saturday.

 

He picked off a Stockton pass in the end zone, winning a 50-50 ball with Colbie Young, but lost another battle for the ball later on a Young touchdown.

 

“I think he’s competing harder,” Smart said. “I think it matters to him more. He sees two really good players at the corner position with him, in Demello and Ellis, and he’s competed really hard. He’s had some plays where he’s given up balls, and he’s had some plays where he’s made them.”

 

Smart said Jones had a “really good spring,” even after losing some coverage battles Saturday.

 

Don’t forget about these guys at wide receiver

Georgia’s newcomers at wide receiver rightly created a lot of buzz this spring.

 

Two players coming off their first Bulldogs season showed they should be factors as well.

 

Redshirt freshman slot receiver Sacovie White had 5 catches for 67 yards. He made a leaping, twisting catch on a contested pass against Robinson and snagged a 23-yard touchdown on a pass from Stockton.

 

“Sacovie made some plays today — made some really nice plays,” Smart said. “And he catches the ball well, he’s athletic.”

 

London Humphreys, the Vanderbilt transfer, scored two touchdowns on a day he had five catches for 85 yards. He had 51 yards after the catch.

 

Smart said Humphreys and Dillon Bell are unique in that they can both play all three wide receiver positions.

 

“He can go out there, somebody goes down and jump out there and play,” Smart said. “And London’s very smart. He doesn’t have a lot of anxiety. He’s very mature, and he’s good for those kids in that room. Because he works really hard.”

 

The running backs behind Nate Frazier impressed

The longest run Saturday didn’t come from leading returning rusher Nate Frazier, but freshman Bo Walker, who made plenty of noise during spring practices.

 

“It’s just his ability to want to come in and work and actually get better and push. It’s not easy when you get first here and there’s a lot of things thrown at you,” inside linebacker CJ Allen said. “In high school, you’re probably the best player on the team.”

 

The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Ellenwood native got off a 30-yard gain on a run when he scooted past a defender and then cut back down the left side.

 

Walker rushed for 44 yards on 8 carries and had 2 catches for 19 yards.

 

Sophomore Chauncey Bowens had 38 rushing yards on 5 carries and one catch for 14 yards.

 

“I’m excited for those two,” Smart said. “They both got better in the spring.”

 

“All of those guys are really tough guys, especially Chauncey,” Luckie said. “I love the way Chauncey runs the rock and Nate’s got that juice that you don’t really see from a lot of people.”

 

Georgia dialed back redshirt senior Cash Jones’ reps this spring to let younger players get more snaps.

 

Linebacker Raylen Wilson was asked if any young players stood out to him this spring.

 

“Little Bo Walker,” he said. “He’s going to be something to see.”

 

Another defensive back to watch down the road

Dominick Kelly was one the back end of the rankings of Georgia’s 2025 signing class but made the most of an errant throw by Puglisi on a throw to Jeremy Bell that he picked off and returned 31 yards Saturday.

 

“Dom’s was a busted route,” Smart said. “I like to look and judge the play based on did you make a great play or did he make a great play? I don’t think either happened on that. Those are more circumstantial plays. …I’m not taking anything away from Dom, because Dom’s had a really good spring, but that ball was thrown right to him, we had a busted route. “

 

The 6-foot-1, 190-pund cornerback from St. Petersburg was the second lowest four-star recruit in the class. He also had a pass breakup Saturday.

 

 

News in college football is spreading like wildfire, with updates from the transfer portal, spring games and recruiting coming in rapidly.

 

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are among the programs constantly in the news cycle. The 49-year-old head coach is set to begin his 10th season in Athens, Georgia. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs have compiled an impressive 105–19 overall record and have claimed two national titles.

 

When it comes to recruiting, Smart has landed several top-tier athletes. However, the news he received on Monday from a homegrown, in-state recruit was a disappointing turn.

 

Hayes Fawcett of On3 on his official Instagram page posted, “BREAKING: Class of 2026 WR Bubba Frazier has Committed to Notre Dame, he tells me for . The 5’10 180 WR from Savannah, GA chose the Fighting Irish over North Carolina, Georgia, & Wisconsin “

 

From Savannah, Georgia, the Bulldogs were one of his finalists. In the end, after the offer came in from Notre Dame in February, his commitment came on Monday. He was slated to visit Georgia Tech on May 30 and Wisconsin on June 6.

 

Georgia Bulldogs football recruiting Jontavius Wyman

Georgia Bulldogs Football Head Coach Kirby Smart. © Joshua L. Jones

During the 2024 season, Frazier totaled 1,357 yards from scrimmage and scored 13 touchdowns. He also contributed on defense and special teams. He will begin his senior year this fall at Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia.

 

 

 

Georgia Football’s biggest winners and risers from the Bulldogs’ spring scrimmage “G-Day”.

 

Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates after pulling in a deep pass for a big gain during the Georgia G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) celebrates after pulling in a deep pass for a big gain during the Georgia G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 12, 2025. / Joshua L. Jones

Georgia Football’s biggest winners and risers from the Bulldogs’ spring scrimmage “G-Day”.

 

The Georgia Bulldogs have just completed their annual spring scrimmage as the Red Team defeated the Black Team by a score of 34-17. Given that this year’s event was not televised, those who did not make the trip to Athens were unable to catch the action. For everyone who missed this year’s event, here are some of the biggest winners from “G-Day”.

 

Joenel Aguero

While he did allow a touchdown, Joenel Aguero has developed as a defender in the passing game. The safety was seemingly all over the field all game and even got in on a handful of pass breakups. Combining Aguero’s already solid ability to defend the run with a more refined skillset in the passing game could make him one of the Dawgs’ best players in the secondary this season.

 

Colbie Young

After a lengthy absence in 2024, Colbie Young returned to action with the Bulldogs and looked almost unguardable at times. The wideout hauled in a touchdown pass had another called back and finished the day with a handful of impressive catches.

 

Gunner Stockton

While he didn’t play perfectly, it became quite clear that Gunner Stockton was a few steps ahead of the rest of the room in the quarterback battle.

 

The offense seemed to move a bit more smoothly with Stockton at the helm and the quarterback completed some impressive deep balls in the second half. It’s not confirmed at the moment, but the majority of experts and analysts believe that he will be the starting quarterback in 2025.

 

Jeremy Bell

Jeremy Bell also flashed throughout Saturday’s scrimmage and even caught a touchdown pass of his own to give the Red Team a 27-10 lead. Should Bell carry momentum from today’s game into the fall, he could become a major component of the Bulldogs’ already-loaded wide receiver room in 2025.

 

London Humphreys

Humphreys was another receiver who made some massive flash plays in today’s game. The Bulldog hauled in a handful of impressive passes, including a 50-yard bomb from Colter Ginn. His addition to the Dawgs roster ahead of 2024 is proving to be more and more of an excellent decision for the Dawgs.

 

With G-Day in the rearview mirror, the Dawgs will now turn their attention to preparing for their 2025 regular season. Georgia will begin its regular season on August 30th in Sanford Stadium when it plays host to the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Bulldogs are looking to maintain their home win streak of more than 30 games.