{"id":72787,"date":"2025-03-08T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=72787"},"modified":"2025-09-13T15:06:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T19:06:54","slug":"between-the-hedges-three-georgia-spring-ball-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/03\/08\/between-the-hedges-three-georgia-spring-ball-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Between the Hedges: Three Georgia Spring Ball Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

G-Day and The Masters\u2014that is what Georgia does in the Spring. We won’t mention the pollen; that green dust is already starting to form. Georgia Spring ball kicks in earnest next week. Unlike their SEC counterparts in Austin<\/a> and Tuscaloosa<\/a>, Georgia fans will be treated to a traditional Spring ball scrimmage. Texas and Alabama announced last week<\/a> that their Spring format will look more like NFL OTAs. We guess that is better than what is happening in Missouri, which announced they were canceling Spring games this year and next. Even Kentucky<\/a> is doing something…Georgia Athletic Director Josh Brooks<\/a> took a subtle shot at those programs that will forgo the traditional scrimmages.<\/p>\n

Between the Hedges: Three Georgia Spring Ball Questions<\/h2>\n

What Will the Georgia Spring Game Look Like?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still full-planning on G-Day this year,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cYou know, you\u2019ve got to take it year to year on things like that. But I can say one thing I appreciate about Coach (Kirby) Smart is that he understands the value of the game, and it is an opportunity for some of our fans to come see what the players are, and they may or may not have season tickets. It\u2019s always been a special day, and I think it\u2019s in the plans for this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

G-Day is a special time in Athens. Fans of all ages return to campus to Call the Dawgs. Brooks and Smart understand the significance. In Smart\u2019s first year, Dawg Nation packed Sanford Stadium with over 93,000 fans to see the Dawgs and watch Ludacris perform. They know the annual Red and Black scrimmage isn\u2019t just a game\u2014it\u2019s a show, a chance to ignite excitement and officially start the countdown to the 2025 season. G-Day 2025 is set for Saturday, April 12, at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. The game will be broadcast on ESPN or the SEC Network. But before the Dawgs take the field again on Tuesday, here are our three biggest questions for Spring.<\/p>\n

Can the Dawgs Avoid Pawwwwllll & the “Georgia Dip”<\/h3>\n

Paul Finebaum is the voice of the SEC media. He has his daily college football show and hosts SEC Nation every Saturday. In a conversation with Greg McElroy on Always College Football, Finebaum didn’t mince words about Georgia in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel great because I do think they took a dip,” Finebaum said. \u201cAnd I think just like we used to with Nick Saban, expect him to play for the national championship, and losing the title game felt like a lost cause. It\u2019s almost that way now with Georgia, and I felt like they underperformed. I mean, they came through at the right moment against Texas, but they had so many disappointing moments.”<\/p>\n

Those words are tough to read as a Georgia fan. But sometimes, the truth hurts. Sure, Georgia knocked off Texas Twice and won the SEC Championship. They secured a first-round bye but saw their season go\u00a0up in smoke in 57 seconds<\/a> in New Orleans at the hands of Notre Dame. But was anyone really satisfied with the results of the 2024 season? Georgia had 14 players participate in the NFL Combine last week, tied with Ohio State for the second most, just behind Texas, which had 15. They will likely have three first-round picks in the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

All that talent, but the Dawgs still seemed to lack fight. Hunger. A chip that carried them to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. Can that return? Georgia’s Spring ball has to set the tone to show that complacency has not come to Athens.<\/p>\n

Is Gunner Stockton Ready?<\/h3>\n

With Carson Beck taking his talents to South Beach, Georgia will have a new quarterback under center in 2025. Gunner Stockton is the presumed starter. Stockton came in and led Georgia back to win the SEC Championship over Texas. He played well against Notre Dame and made some plays. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The quarterback depth room is about as young and inexperienced as Smart has had it since he came to Athens in 2016. Here are the other quarterbacks working and pushing Stockton in the Spring.<\/p>\n