Will The 2022 Season Be Kirby Smart's Toughest Challenge?
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ATHENS - After winning their first national championship in over 40 years, expectations couldn’t be higher for Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs moving forward.
The Georgia football program has a recent championship trophy to show off and Bulldog Nation can’t wait until the next one.
After putting together one of the best defenses in college football history, Smart has some rebuilding to do on both sides of the ball. It’s not easy to replace 7-8 starters on defense and another few starters on offense, so it only makes sense if the national champions drop off a little in 2022.
Since the Bulldogs are losing so much from last year’s championship team, you could make the case Smart has his toughest challenge ahead of him. He has to replace three starting defensive linemen, with each possibly landing in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft. He also has to replace the nations’ top linebacker from last year in Nakobe Dean, along with two reliable, impactful linebackers in Quay Walker and Channing Tindall. Smart also lost starting cornerback Derion Kendrick and starting safety Lewis Cine.
Yes, there’s plenty of 5-star talent waiting in the wings, but is there someone on the roster who can replace Jordan Davis or Devonte Wyatt? Can Jamon Dumas-Johnson or someone else fill Nakobe Dean’s shoes?
It’s possible, but it’s hard to image in 2022. Will another cornerback and safety step up to the plate this spring?
Offensively, the Bulldogs are losing their top two running backs, their left tackle, left guard, and their most talented receiver. It’s not the end of the world, but that’s still plenty of talent no longer in Athens.
As talented as the Bulldogs still are, for the most part, they’re still inexperienced. They’ll need new leaders, new captains, and new playmakers, especially on the defensive side.
If Kirby Smart can build another championship-caliber defense, 2022 could easily be his best coaching year. He’ll have his starting quarterback returning, which is nice, but there are still question marks all over this team at the moment. Lack of depth is an issue, especially in the secondary, but if there’s anyone who should be able to coach that group up, it’s Kirby Smart.
The 2022 schedule isn’t daunting, so the Bulldogs SHOULD be able to win the East again, but if they can win the SEC and make the College Football Playoff, Smart will absolutely be a “Coach of the Year” candidate in the fall.
The Bulldogs currently have +350 odds to win the national championship next fall according to FanDuel.
