ATHENS — Georgia is a third of the way through spring practice, having wrapped up its fifth day of action Thursday. The pads have come on as the Bulldogs ramp up intensity.
While it’s still early, some players have already found their footing and made an impact.
Below is a smattering of what we’ve heard and intel we’ve picked up from Georgia’s practice thus far.
Quarterback
It wouldn’t be a spring practice at Georgia if a quarterback wasn’t dealing with a knee injury, it seems. Two years ago, Ryan Puglisi was limited. Last year, Ryan Montgomery was recovering from a knee injury he suffered in high school.
This spring, it’s quarterback Gunner Stockton, who has had his knee wrapped during practices. The injury isn’t serious nor expected to keep Stockton out of further spring action.
As Georgia goes about managing Stockton’s injury, it gives Puglisi the chance to grab a few extra reps with the first-team offense.
Puglisi is now comfortable in Athens as he enters his third year in the program. Georgia hopes to see him grow as a leader this spring.
“He wants to get the team to be able to trust him, especially the skill guys and the coaches as well,” tight end Lawson Luckie said of Puglisi. “And he’s done a great job of taking his craft seriously and even breaking down his film from last year just on normal weeknights.
“Like, I’ve seen him do that so many times throughout this offseason. He’s a stud, he’s on a good projection. I’m really excited to see where his career takes him.”
Running back
Despite bringing back Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, Georgia still felt it needed more at the running back position.
It went into the transfer portal and landed former Kentucky running back Dante Dowdell, who has also made stops at Oregon and Nebraska.
As for what he brings to the table, the most obvious element is size. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he’s Georgia’s biggest running back.
The Bulldogs did see Joshua McCray leave for the NFL this offseason. Dowdell should bring many of the same attributes to the table in 2026.
“For us, it became about physicality, having a back that was big, physical, played in our league, knows what it takes to win at this level,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s done nothing but come in and bust his butt and work hard.”
Wide receiver
Georgia put a big bet on its wide receivers this offseason, adding only Isiah Canion from the transfer portal.
Of the returning wideouts, none have more pressure on them than redshirt freshman Talyn Taylor.
He missed most of his first season with a collarbone injury. He had a crucial drop against Alabama that he was never able to atone for because of the timing of the injury.
This spring is critical for Taylor as he looks to validate Georgia’s belief in him. During the Bulldogs’ second practice, Smart made it a point to coach Taylor hard.
That’s actually a good thing, as Smart said Taylor can handle it.
“Talyn’s, he’s a great athlete, great work ethic, and he just shows up to every practice like ready to compete,” wide receiver London Humphreys said. “Just like everyone knows, that’s something Coach Smart harps on. And he really is just buying into it and getting a lot better as every day comes.”
Tight end
It’s hard to single out just one tight end for praise. Ethan Barbour has earned a blue guardian cap to signify his fire, passion and energy, but there’s a ton to like about Todd Hartley’s room.
Georgia added three talented tight ends this offseason while only losing Oscar Delp.
With Lawson Luckie and Elyiss Williams returning, Georgia has a solid base.
But there’s also the feeling that this group could be a much bigger part of the offense in 2026.
“That room is stacked. I mean, Kaiden (Prothro), Lincoln (Keyes), Elyiss Williams, Lawson, so many other names in that room,” linebacker Justin Williams said. “We got so many, that room is stacked, man. You don’t gotta worry about that room.”
Offensive line
Freshman Zykie Helton has generated a ton of buzz, but that isn’t all that surprising to those who followed the end of his high school career at Carrollton High School.
Perhaps the bigger surprise with the offensive line comes from its biggest player. That would be 6-foot-10 Jah Jackson, as he’s earned first-team reps and significant praise for his improvements at offensive tackle.
Jackson was as raw a prospect as Georgia has added in years, as he arrived as a former basketball player in the summer of 2024. He made a start last year against Austin Peay, but it did not go well.
Yet Jackson didn’t let that get him down, as he’s determined to be a key piece of Georgia’s offensive line in 2026.
“Really the biggest thing with Jah when he got here was his attitude,” offensive tackle Earnest Greene said. “He definitely embraced, you know, being an O-lineman and having that dog and that nastiness to him and playing with some grit, for sure.
“You don’t see that in a lot of basketball guys, so definitely, Jah keeps taking care of what he needs to take care of and he’ll be successful, for sure.”
Defensive line
So much of the story this spring on the defensive line has focused on what Georgia brings back. There’s a lot to like with Xzavier McLeod, Elijah Griffin and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye returning.
It will be hard for Georgia’s new freshman defensive linemen to crack the rotation, given how much the Bulldogs bring back.
But if someone could, it might be Valdin Sone. He was the No. 132 prospect per the 247Sports Composite rankings, though it had him rated as a 5-star recruit.
Of Georgia’s five 2026 defensive line signees with the team, Sone is the most physically well-built. Hailing from Sweden, he’ll be making a big leap to life in the SEC. He has the athletic gifts to help navigate that jump.
“I love Valdin, man. He’s very physical up front,” outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson said. “He’s very twitchy and he accepts coaching.”
Linebacker
Georgia’s best linebackers under Kirby Smart have always been at their best in Year 3. Jalon Walker, Nakobe Dean and Roquan Smith all won the Butkus Award as juniors, while CJ Allen was a finalist for the honor last season.
Georgia brings back Raylen Wilson as a senior while Chris Cole has generated plenty of buzz this offseason as he enters his third season in Athens.
Another junior linebacker to pay attention to is Justin Williams. He figures to take a lot of the snaps previously occupied by Allen.
With Zayden Walker out this spring because of a shoulder surgery, Williams has a chance to further cement himself as a key piece in the Georgia defense.
The former 5-star linebacker understands his assignment this spring.
“I don’t really have that much time to waste,” Williams said. “And as far as the linebacker room, we’ve just been attacking every day. This is the most excited I’ve been for a linebacker room. And we had a great one last year. So that says a lot. So, I’m very excited to see what we can do and see how we can go attack it.”
Defensive back
Demello Jones did not end last season how he would’ve liked. He was beaten deep in coverage late in Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss, allowing the Rebels to attempt the game-winning field goal.
This offseason, Georgia brought in Oklahoma transfer Gentry Williams to give the Bulldogs another experienced option at the cornerback position.
But don’t count out Jones, as Georgia expects him to make another leap as he enters his third year in the program. He possesses the ability to play all over the secondary for the Bulldogs as they try to plug holes.
“He’s gonna mean a lot to us this year,” safety KJ Bolden said of Jones. “He did a great job last year of fighting his way onto the field. It’s very hard to play here. He’s just gotta keep working. Going into his third year, he’s definitely probably more confident, know the playbook more. So, he’s just gotta go out there and play fast and how we know he can do. And he should be ready.”
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