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ATHENS - The Dawg Post crew gives their Final Feelings before Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs hit the field on Saturday for their annual G-Day scrimmage.
First things first... be one of the first few hundred people to visit our friends at Red Zone downtown at 186 E. Clayton Street this weekend and get a free 12 oz. can of Freebird while supplies last.
It is going to be very hot Saturday - like second-wife hot - so let’s stay hydrated out there.
Matt’s Final Feelings:
A wise man once said “spring football is better than no football.”
That was me. I’m that wise man.
Football is officially back and the Georgia Bulldogs will hit the field Between the Hedges on Saturday to end spring practice. It will be our first official look at the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs, and from what we’re hearing behind the scenes, this team should once again push for a championship.
But for that to happen, the Dawgs need improvement. They need to be more explosive; they need answers at left tackle; they need emerging stars at wide receiver; and they need to continue improving the run game. So there’s a lot to keep an eye on offensively.
Defensively, the Bulldogs bring back plenty of talent and experience at all three levels. They’re strong up front; they’re loaded at linebacker; and UGA could have one of the best defensive backfields in the league this fall. Of course, the big question is the pass-rush. We don’t expect to see new transfer Amaris Williams out there on Saturday, so that’s dissapointing.
Overall, I’m looking for a “fun” G-Day on Saturday. Sure they’ll run the ball and keep things mostly vanilla on offense, but I’m expecting the quarterbacks to sling it around all afternoon. With Gunner Stockton not being 100% this is a great opportunity for guys like Ryan Puglisi, Ryan Montgomery and Hezekiah Mellinder to throw the ball up and down the field. I want to see vertical shots down the field. I want to see the tight ends involved. I want to see which receivers can separate from Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones on the outside. Which pass-catchers can make a contested catch against KJ Bolden? Which receivers can make plays after the catch? Who can make the explosive plays?
Yes, the running backs will get plenty of work, but it’s time to air it out on Saturday. Kirby Smart loves talking about reps, so there’s no reason why the quarterbacks can’t get more of their fair share this weekend. Throw it. Throw it again, and throw it some more. Give the people what they want.
Overall, I’m expecting great weather, quality football, and a strong fan turnout. There won’t be 93K in building, but there should still be a respectable crowd out to support the 2026 Bulldogs. This team has a chance to be very, very good, and on Saturday we’ll get our first look at what they could possibly become down the road.
Moving right along, how about those Atlanta Braves? The injury-ridden Braves are off to a strong 12-7 start thanks to quality pitching, timely hitting, and great managing by Walt Weiss. They haven’t lost a series yet this season and are playing with a lot of confidence. They’re the complete opposite of the New York Mets who have lost eight games in a row and continue to be the biggest joke in American sports. Complete losers.
Speaking of losers, the New York Knicks are taking on the Atlanta Hawks in the first round this weekend. I’m looking forward to Ryan’s rant here. The Hawks are a fun team playing extremely well since dumping Trae Young off in DC. They’re young, fast, and are playing really well together as a unit. Can this team win the East? Probably not. Can they win this series? Absolutely. NBA season is finally here and I’m very much looking forward to it.
The New York Rangers missed the NHL Playoffs. There’s no need to rant. They aren’t worth it. Dawg Post legend Dylan Webber says my Tottenham Spurs could be relegated? How embarrassing. I’m not switching teams as a stand-up American, but they need to get it together quickly. I don’t have a ton of patience for those blokes across the pond.
Anyway, this weekend isn’t about soccer. This is about football. Real, American football. So make sure you enjoy it this weekend.
Ryan’s Final Feelings:
Even if it is just a scrimmage, any opportunity to get into Sanford Stadium to watch some football is one that I am going to take and be grateful for.
I miss football. I am a nostalgic person in general, so I often reminisce on things, and I have been reminiscing on the little things about covering the Dawgs and what we get to do. Don’t get me wrong, I am completely satisfied with watching copious amounts of basketball to soothe my sports needs, but like you, I love college football.
As always, the first priority in these spring games is to come out of there with no new injuries.
There are two things that I feel like I need to see in order to feel more confident that Georgia can make a deep playoff run before this season even starts: signs of explosion on offense and more pressure on the quarterback. Those were two things that were lacking in 2025, and they are also two areas that Kirby Smart and his players have verbalized as areas they want to improve. At the very least, it is being worked on.
Georgia didn’t have a bad offense. It rang in about 32 points per game. It just wasn’t a great one - one that screams championship team. A lot of Georgia’s scoring was done in the red zone. Gunner Stockton alone ran for 10 of the Dawgs' 31 rushing scores. Only one of those was ran in from outside of the 20 yard-line and it barely was further.
Can Georgia fly down the field more?
There were explosive plays at last year’s spring game. London Humphreys had a 50-yard catch. Dillon Bell hauled in a 49-yarder. Stockton hit Jeremy Bell for a 31-yard score. Zachariah Branch almost scored on a 36-yard catch. Bo Walker had a 30-yard scamper.
Georgia’s lack of explosive plays was more about execution than it was about personnel. I am looking out for execution from the first-team offense against the starting defense.
Defensively, the main thing to watch out for is to see clear disruption. Georgia’s offensive line is very talented. Can this year’s group of defensive lineman and edge rushers make a difference?
Georgia sacked the quarterback just 20 times last season. Not finishing and not pressuring the quarterback cost the Dawgs in their two losses.
We won’t see anyone lay hands on Stockton, Ryan Puglisi and company, but will we see speed off the edge? Will we see disruption up the middle?
Gabe Harris, a starter last season and presumed starter this year, is missing spring again. There will be opportunities for others to make a name for themselves this offseason. Chase Linton is apparently doing that. If it is not Auburn transfer Amaris Williams, then Isiah Gibson and Darren Ikkinagbon need to step up.
This is just one of three scrimmages that Smart is going to grade and evaluate. Saturday is for the fans. If you’re going to be in Athens, enjoy the day. It is going to be unreasonably hot for mid-April, but it is a Saturday in Athens.
I will have more words about G Day in Five for Friday, so be on the lookout for that feature. In addition, I am going to be talking about the Hawks over there, but just know that I am excited about the future, and win or loss, I am excited to play the Knicks. Get ready for some “fu** Trae Young” chants. Maybe Jalen Johnson is next.
I am sure you all are wondering how my golf journey is going. I haven’t played since September. The Masters has given me the itch to get back out there.
Speaking of The Masters, that would have been an all time collapse from Rory. I wanted Scottie Scheffler to come back. I think that would have made for a better story.
Dean’s Final Feelings:
“Is this the weekend the offense plays the defense?”
That was the question I got from a family member earlier this week as we get ready for Georgia’s annual G Day.
Offense vs. defense. Let’s Roll!!!!!!
I’vs talked about this a ton over the years… G Day is really a very important event for a lot of reasons for a lot of the players and coaches. For a relatively large percentage of players, this is their first time playing college football; for others it is the first time they’ve played in front of more than a few hundred people inside Sanford Stadium.
Any reps you can get that come close to what SEC games are like are valuable reps. Compounding that with the noises, sights and smells of a football game makes this an even more valuable experience.
G Day is also only about 7% of all spring practices in terms of time. So one shouldn’t overreact (or under react) to what we see. If players that you have been hearing a lot about (Dwight Phillips, Quintavious Johnson as two examples) have big days that just underscores what they could be this fall.
If the team plays clean - without many procedural penalties, and no dumb personal fouls - then you know they are on their way. We are all well aware of Kirby’s ability to move teams and players forward during seasons… Georgia has been very good about getting guys ready during off-seasons, too.
So Saturday will be a place setter for the season: this looks good; this looks fine; this has work to deal with.
Folks in the program already know those strengths and weaknesses. One question about the offseason is if the younger players that appear to be coming on will be able to not just keep that up, but surge into the season.
It is one thing to beat up on someone during a practice. For most games Georgia players will get better competition in practice than in games. But for the younger players the challenge won’t stay on the practice fields. To make the impact they might have to - that will come in SEC play against guys that are probably NFL prospects.
So the clock is ticking on development for the offseason. The clock is always ticking - everything matters.
There are some spots to pay attention to in particular:
What does Georgia’s offense look like in terms of getting the ball down the field and explosive plays?
Gunner Stockton will get the usual scrutiny - it is what it is.
How are the UGA running backs?
Which side of the line of scrimmage will win the day?
Reports of an injury to Amaris Williams are concerning (UGA has not yet confirmed this new to Dawg Post) - will he play, and if he’s not out there what is his status? What do the other pass rushers look like?
Who is playing in the secondary?
There’s a lot to see and watch for Saturday. Keep in mind that it will be a very busy day in Athens this Saturday with a slew of other spring sports as well as the town’s annual Twilight races. If you’ve never seen those races before… I can let you know its pretty wild. Downtown will be crowded all day with running and cycling.
The cycling starts at 7 PM, and it is nuts.
With the game being streamed I am curious how many folks will travel to Athens to watch. Because of ticket sales UGA already knows what to expect, but I am interested to see just how crowded the stadium will be.
By about halftime folks become disinterested in what they are seeing and start piling out. All that said, the season will be here before you know it. There are only 140 days between G Day and the first game. Perspective: We are 106 days away from UGA’s loss in the Sugar Bowl.
The fact is most players get better when folks are no one is watching.
Time to get better.
