Scouting Report | Georgia
Georgia went 11-2, won the SEC, and was the number two seed in the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Somehow, that measures up to a disappointing regular season for them.
That says all you need to know about what Kirby Smart has built. They are the new Alabama. They went 42-2 in their three seasons before this one and won back to back national championships. It’s hard to live up to that standard and Georgia (slightly) fell back to earth in 2024.
They haven’t been the same dominating presence. They finished 24th in points per drive and some might say they were lucky to only have only two losses.
Call them lucky, but you better call them resilient as well. They trailed Georgia Tech by 14 with five minutes left and won after multiple overtimes. They almost came back to beat Alabama on the road after being down 30-7. Kentucky was up 9-3 on them late in the 3rd quarter before Georgia was able to do enough to win that game. They also won with their backup quarterback in the SEC Championship game after being dominated for most of the first half by Texas.
Whether or not this makes them vulnerable or a team of destiny is in the eye of the beholder. It can’t be denied that they are still loaded with talent. They have an 80% blue-chip ratio, are second in 247Sports team talent composite, and have 17 players on their roster who I had ranked in the ISD Fab 50.
Georgia probably has the most top end NFL talent on their roster too with eight potential day one or two NFL prospects.
I don’t think any rational Georgia fan would argue that they are as good as they have been the previous three seasons, but they are battle tested (5-2 vs the F+ top-30) and can be as good as any team in the country when they are playing their best.
Offense
It might be shocking to see them ranked 6th in OF+ (combined FEi and SP+ rankings) if you watched them on the wrong night. They finished 28th in points per drive and 43rd in yards per play with both of those metrics only taking games vs FBS opponents with non-garbage time into account.
They have explosive athletes at the skill positions and a massive offensive line, but those groups haven’t been consistent.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo utilizes the screen game often and schemes players open with a lot of bunch and stack formations. That’s something we should expect to see against Notre Dame’s man coverage.
They play a lot more 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) than most teams Notre Dame plays against and we could end up seeing a lot of that in the Sugar Bowl with a focus on the running game. It would make sense for them to be fairly conservative with a quarterback making his first career start.
Expected Strengths
They haven’t been overly explosive in the running game, but they have been efficient. They’re 4th in EPA per rush (adjusted for opponents) and have two physical backs who run very hard. The interior of their offensive line is very good as well.
Georgia has explosive playmakers at the skill positions. It’s more spread around than in recent seasons, but they were 6th in the country in receptions of 20+ yards at the end of the regular season. They do a really good job in the play-action game to create yards after the catch as well.
It’s a good short yardage team and they have converted 75% of their 4th down attempts. They’re 19th in red zone touchdown percentage and those two statistics are great examples of why they have been able to win so many close games. They have done a very good job of executing when it matters the most.
Potential Weaknesses
We really don’t know how good the offense is going to be without their starting quarterback. Carson Beck had issues with interceptions this fall, but he still finished 10th in ESPN’s QBR and he repeatedly found a way to overcome adversity.
Gunner Stockton came in the second half against Texas and UGA won the ball game, but he didn’t exactly light the world on fire. Eight of his completions came behind the line of scrimmage.
Backup quarterbacks against Al Golden’s defense have struggled. From 6 Thoughts last week:
Notre Dame hasn’t faced a lot of backup quarterbacks in the last couple of years, but the results weren’t great for them against the Irish. Pitt’s Christian Veilleux threw four picks and Notre Dame blitzed him relentlessly (67.7% of dropbacks). He averaged 3.7 yards per attempt when they brought extra rushers.
Florida State’s backup quarterbacks had brutal days (like they did against everyone). Georgia Tech had backup Zach Pyron start against the Irish. He started out pretty well, but ended up completing 48.6% of his passes and averaged 6.6 YPA before garbage time with two interceptions.
If we take out backup and switch it to inexperienced quarterbacks (less than 10 games started), the numbers are also ugly: 49.6% completions, 5.4 yards per attempt, three touchdowns versus 12 interceptions, and a cumulative 49.6 NFL passer rating.
WOOF.
Georgia threw 13 interceptions this season and though 12 of them were thrown by Beck, Stockton did throw one in the fourth quarter against Texas. Those interceptions weren’t all on the quarterback either.
The receivers have been underwhelming this season because of how often they have dropped the football. 30 drops were more than every other Power 4 program in 2024 and only one receiver on the team has caught over 50% of his contested targets.
I mentioned that the interior of the offensive line is good, but the line as a whole hasn’t been great. The offensive tackles have had issues in protection and they’ve had to play two different guys at left tackle for most of the season. The Irish certainly don’t have the same edge rushers as Ole Miss or Texas, but both tackle spots are concerns for them.
They’ve had games where the OL struggled to get movement in the run game, had issues with some run stunts against Mississippi State, and they only have one tight end who I would consider to be an above average blocker.
They finished 65th in 3rd down conversion rate this season and the protection has looked shaky when it’s been true pass sets for the offensive line. Their third down back is a good receiver, but he’s also a liability in pass protection because of his size.
Add in that Stockton has had far less reps in those situations and we may see UGA try some quarterback run stuff on 3rd down against a Notre Dame defense that is 4th in the country in 3rd/4th down success rate.
Personnel notes
#14 QB Gunner Stockton
- 6-1 215
- 12 of 16, 4.4 YPA and 1 pick vs UT. 57.0 NFL passer rating
- missed practice time after SEC Championship game with probable concussion
- above average arm talent
- good mobility, more of a dual-threat than Beck
- called a safe game for him vs Texas, 3.3 yards ADOT
- 8 throws behind the LOS
- 4-for-5 for 43 yard to start. UGA gained only 15 yards on next 13 dropbacks
- 33.3% pressures turned into sacks vs U
- no fear in taking a hit, throws well on the move
- 6 for 26 as a rusher vs Texas
#12 QB Ryan Puglisi
- 6-3 210
- true freshman
- can rip it
- big and athletic
- super competitive
- competed at Irish Invasion in 2022
- threw 94mph in baseball in HS
#10 QB Jaden Rashada
- 6-4 190
- Arizona St transfer
- played in 3 games in 2023
- massive struggles vs the blitz, 45.5% completions
- 5.9 YPA, 53.7% completions in those games
- 2 TDs vs 3 picks in two FBS games
#1 RB Trevor Etienne
- 5-9 205
- Florida transfer
- 3rd team All-SEC
- 20.9mph vs Texas in SEC championship game
- brother is former Clemson star Travis Etienne
- primarily checkdown option in the passing game, 28 catches
- missed games and has played hurt
- ran really tough vs Texas
- good feet, vision as inside runner
- 571, 5.1 YPC
#3 RB Nate Frazier
- 5-10 210
- true freshman
- runs physical through contact
- 21.2mph vs Texas in SEC championship game
- 631, 4.9 YPC
- three fumbles this season
#32 RB Cash Jones
- 6-0 182
- 22 catches, 4 explosive receptions
- willing in pass pro, but size is an issue
- a weapon as a receiver, reliable hands
- 3rd down back
#11 WR Arian Smith
- 6-0 185
- 9 receptions of 20+ yards
- leads team in receiving
- 3 100-yard games this season, including vs Bama
- electric ability if he can hold on to the ball
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 76-yard run after catch vs Ohio St in 2023 CFP
- 10 drops is most in Power 4
- 10.39 100m, 21.14 200m, elite long jump in HS
- not been good vs man coverage, 50% completions and 0 for 4 on contested catches
#86 WR Dillon Bell
- 6-1 210
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 37 for 433
- long speed to get deep
- 10 of 19 on contested targets
- threat on reverses, 8 for 106 as a runner
- 11.34 100m as HS junior
#16 WR London Humphries
- 6-2 200
- Vandy transfer
- struggled to connect with him on the deep ball
- 15 catches, 16.3 per catch
- good speed, a threat if he has space
#6 WR Dominic Lovett
- 5-10 187
- started out at Mizzou
- primary slot receiver
- led team in receptions
- elusive after the catch, 15 missed tackles forced
- fumbled twice late in the season
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- struggled vs man coverage, 42.9% completions and 2 of 9 contested
- was significantly better last season vs man
#4 TE Oscar Delp
- 6-5 245
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- got some YAC ability, but not dynamic
- 0 for 5 on contested targets
- 39.2% in the slot
- just an average run blocker
- 4.66 40, 4.35 short shuttle, 7.35 3-cone in HS
#84 TE Benjamin Yurosek
- 6-4 245
- Stanford transfer
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- good ball skills
- got some juice after the catch
- 15 for 185
- 31.6% in the slot
- their best run blocker at TE
- 29.2 vert in HS
#7 TE Lawson Luckie
- 6-4 240
- big time top tap catch vs Texas
- 0 for 6 on contested targets
- 7 receptions of 20+ yards, good intermediate target
- good speed for his size
- inconsistent run blocker
#73 RT Xavier Truss
- 6-7 320
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- sixth-year player
- started at multiple spots in his career, over 2,500 snaps
- 8 penalties this season
- massive and mean, but heavy footed
- has a tough time with lateral movement in pass pro
#57 LT/RT Monroe Freeling
- 6-7 315
- played both tackle spots this season
- emerged late in the season as starter at LT
- has allowed multiple pressures in 5 straight games
- been up and down, misses are loud
- 48.4 PFF pass pro grade vs true pass sets
#71 LT Earnest Greene
- 6-4 320
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- was started at LT, benched
- started their last season as well
- better suited to play guard
- massive, but not good enough athletically
- 39.7 PFF pass pro grade vs true pass sets
- 2022 ISD Fab 50
#53 LG Dylan Fairchild
- 6-5 315
- potential day 2 prospect
- multi-year starter
- gets after it in the run game
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- PFF 1st-team All-American
- 2nd team All-SEC
- only credited with one sack allowed in career, vs Texas in SEC championship
- maybe the best guard ND has played this season
#69 RG Tate Ratledge
- 6-6 320
- multi-year starter
- potential day 2 prospect
- solid in pass pro
- sustains well
- gets to 2nd level fairly quickly
- can get hands outside and hold too often
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 1st team All-SEC
- missed four games with an ankle injury
#56 RG Micah Morris
- 6-4 330
- solid backup with experience starting at both guard spots
- not dominating, but mostly assignment sound
#55 C Jared Wilson
- 6-3 310
- considered by some as top center in the NFL Draft
- mobile, good job getting to 2nd level
- some nasty to his game
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 2nd team All-SEC
- 3 pressures allowed in first UT game, only 2 the rest of the season
#74 C Drew Bobo
- 6-5 305
- son of OC Mike Bobo
- 2 starts this season
- solid as next man in, but big drop from Wilson
Key for Notre Dame
Make Stockton beat them
I think it’s fairly obvious that Notre Dame is going to want to get them into as many long yardage situations as possible to force them to throw the ball more. They’d much rather have that with the game in Stockton’s hands than UGA trying to grind away at a depleted defensive line running the football.
It’s going to be a tall task for the Irish defense, but they have to be more physical than Georgia and move their front often to create negative plays.
Defense
Georgia was 1st, 1st, and 5th in DF+ the previous three seasons. Defense didn’t just win them those two championships, but they brought that notion back to life because of how good they were.
This is the same system under Smart that it was then with Glenn Schumann in his third year as coordinator. The team is loaded with studs at all three levels of the defense, yet somehow they are 11th in DF+. That makes them the lowest ranked defense since year one of the Smart era back in 2016.
They’re 36th in points per drive, 44th in YPP, and, amazingly, they are 64th in stop rate. They allowed 18 points in the first three games of the season. It was more of a roller coaster in the next 10.
They have the capability of being absolutely dominant because of their front six/seven. They helped the defense rack up 25 tackles for loss in their two wins against Texas. They only had a combined seven tackles for loss in their two wins against UMASS and Georgia Tech.
Expected Strengths
The front is massive and hard to move when they are playing well. They want to stop the run with less bodies in the box and they are very deep and talented at defensive tackle.
Having a standard rushing attack against them hasn’t been effective. The pass rush is nasty when they can pin their ears back. Every single edge rusher they have has freaky traits and the rush is a big reason why they are 15th in EPA per dropback.
They are loaded with so many options who can get after the passer and have dynamic blitzers as well. That’s why they’re 23rd in 3rd/4th down success rate. It gets very difficult to win against them as the field shrinks.
They’re 7th in points per Eckel and 11th in red zone touchdown percentage. They have the “dudes” who can pretty much match up with anyone.
This is why being the “worst” Smart defense since 2016 is misleading. They still have bigger, faster athletes than just about any defense in America. It’s definitely the most talented and athletic defense the Irish will have played this season.
They have three projected first round picks for the 2025 NFL Draft and a whole bunch of other future NFL players in their two-deep.
Potential Weaknesses
Looking at the roster on paper is scary. Seeing the size of those guys in person is a bit scary. The facts are the facts, though. They have been exploited at times this season.
They ended the regular season with a 16.4% havoc rate, which was 65th in the country. The biggest reason for that is the secondary being underwhelming. They’re 115th in passes defended per game, which is insane when considering they are playing behind a very good pass rush.
The biggest issue is at corner where they just haven’t been as good. They got a little bit worse and less deep when Julian Humphrey jumped into the portal before the SEC Championship game after being benched. Humphrey wasn’t playing great, but they obviously didn’t feel good about the players behind him or else some of these former blue-chips would have been playing a lot more.
They haven’t been great at the nickel position either, which means they have played safeties as slot defenders more than they probably would have liked.
They were 53rd in passing plays of 20+ yards against during the regular season and 60th in plays of 20+ yards from scrimmage against. They gave up double digit explosive plays against Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and Texas in the SEC Championship game. What bailed them out against UT was the fact that the Longhorns were 0 for 3 in the red zone.
It’s a very hot and cold group. When things are going well, they can look unblockable. When they are on tilt, it looks nothing like the Georgia defense I have watched the last three years.
Georgia Tech ran for 261 yards against them (5.67 per rush). I’ll get to the quarterback run game issues, but GT moved them off the line much better than anyone would have expected and their tackling was sub-par.
GT’s Haynes King had 114 yards rushing against them and three touchdowns. They do more with QB Power than Notre Dame does, but it wasn’t just that that hurt UGA. He had 10 first downs running the football.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe had 117 against them on 16 attempts. Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart had 50 and seven attempts with some key scrambles. Kentucky QB Brock Vandagriff got them for 70 yards on 10 carries.
Whether it was scrambles, zone-read, or RPOs, they haven’t done well containing dual-threat quarterbacks. There should be opportunities there for Riley Leonard to have a big day with more designed runs.
The best quarterbacks they’ve faced have played really well against them too. Also from 6 Thoughts:
Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and Ole Miss’ Jaxon Dart were three of the four quarterbacks in the top-20 in QBR that they faced. The other was Georgia Tech’s Haynes King. Klubnik had a miserable day in week one against UGA. Milroe, Dart, and King finished with QBRs of 98.6, 87.5, and 90.9 against the Bulldogs.
Leonard is sixth in total QBR since week 3 of this season.
They finished the regular season 89th in 4th down percentage. Notre Dame has been aggressive on 4th down and this is definitely something to monitor.
Personnel notes
#32 Edge Chaz Chambliss
- 6-2 250
- 3rd team All-SEC
- plays bigger than his size
- attacks violently, great motor
- very good run defender, sets the edge well
- 9.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks
- 4.46 short shuttle in HS
#13 Edge Mykel Williams
- 6-5 265
- 2nd team All-SEC
- battled an ankle injury so production down
- speed/power
- super long
- quick arm over
- good first step but all depends on snap anticipation which is inconsistent
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 2022 ISD Fab 50
- game wrecker in SEC Championship game, 6 pressures
- 12.5 havoc plays this season
#10 Edge Damon Wilson
- 6-4 250
- hot and cold as a pass rusher
- not good vs the run, inconsistent
- 7.5 havoc plays, 2 forced fumbles
- 2023 ISD Fab 50
- over 10 foot broad jump in HS
- power lifter in HS
#93 Edge Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
- 6-5 280
- super long, good motor
- been up and down, but some brilliant flashes
- 11 havoc plays
- 2021 ISD Fab 50
- 4.53 shuttle, 30.3 vert in HS
#29 Edge Gabe Harris
- 6-4 260
- more of a sub-package rusher
- 18.9% win rate vs true pass sets leads the team
- not great vs the run
- 3.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles
- 2023 ISD Fab 50
#78 DT Nazir Stackouse
- 6-3 320
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- solid space eater
- meh pass rusher
#97 DT Warren Brinson
- 6-4 310 -
power at the POA, very tough to block when he has leverage
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- hasn’t been at his best this season, but very solid vs the run
- 6 TFLs, 2.5 in SEC champ game
#52 DT Christen Miller
- 6-4 305
- has had dominant games, pushes the pocket as a pass rusher
- uses length well as a nose guard
- missed last two games of the season, back for this game
- 3.5 TFLs
#94 DT Xzavier Macleod
- 6-4 315
- good rotation player
- solid at POA
#11 LB/edge Jalon Walker
- 6-2 245
- 2nd team All-SEC
- Butkus award winner as nation’s top LB
- elite edge rush traits, good hands
- potential top-10 pick -
early down coverage
- good block destruction
- more traits as a pass rusher than refined
- Senior Bowl watchlist -
game wrecker on 3rd downs
- leads team with 10.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks
- dominant player in both games vs Texas
#2 LB Smael Mondon
- 6-3 235
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- missed time with injury
- can win off the edge
- very good vs inside run
- 2021 ISD Fab 50
- elite triple jump in HS
#3 LB CJ Allen
- 6-1 235
- very good blitzer
- been outstanding vs the run
- 8 havoc plays, 2nd on the team in tackles
- has given up plays when matched up in space in coverage (big play to TE vs Ole Miss, TD to back vs Bama, etc)
- get ND’s TEs isolated against him
- 4.62 40, 11.16 100m in HS
#5 LB Raylen Wilson
- 6-1 235
- covers a lot of ground
- can let blockers get to his body
- great acceleration to the football
- 10.5 havoc plays
- 2023 ISD Fab 50
-10.91 100m, 22.07 200m in HS
#18 LB Chris Cole
- 6-3 235
- 2024 ISD Fab 50
- long, super athletic
- depth player
- elite 60m and 55m times as sprinter in HS
#24 S Malaki Starks
- 6-1 205
- 2nd team All-SEC
- Thorpe award finalist for nation’s top DB
- leads UGA in tackles
- Swiss army knife
- checks all the boxes
- Derwin James type
- great range
- strong tackler, leads the team in tackles
- can get too aggressive with angles
- not as good as he was in ‘23, more mistakes
- 8 havoc plays
- has a tough time with smaller/quicker slot receivers
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- 2022 ISD Fab 50
- 24-9 long jump, 10.55 100m, 21.67 200m in HS
#17 S Dan Jackson
- 6-1 195
- physical tackler
- 9 missed tackles in his last 4 SEC games
- smart player, good athlete
- blocked a FG vs Auburn
- 7.5 havoc plays
- 3rd team All-SEC
- Senior Bowl watchlist
#4 S KJ Bolden
- 6-0 185
- 2024 ISD Fab 50
- true freshman
- elite athlete who projected on either side of the ball
- range to play deep
- 5 havoc plays
- 10.76 100m in HS
#8 S/nickel Joenel Aguero
- 5-11 195
- good perimeter tackler
- 2023 ISD Fab 50
- 4.48 40, 126 inch broad jump, 7.0 3-cone in HS
- short arms, no ball production
- beat on slot fade by Miss St Kevin Coleman for 42 yards
#20 S/nickel Jacorey Thomas
- 6-0 205
- a drop off as a slot defender when he’s in
- 2 PBUs
#6 CB Daylan Everette
- 6-1 190
- 3rd team All-SEC
- has had issues missing tackles, 21.0% missed tackle rate
- 20.5% missed tackle rate after the catch is 7th worst in P4
- not great ball production, but leads team with 3 INTs
- 9 havoc plays
- allowed 5 catches on 6 targets to DeAndre Moore for 86 yards
- Senior Bowl watchlist
- sub-4.5 40, 4.2 short shuttle in HS
#7 CB Daniel Harris
- 6-3 195
- super long, a bit tight hipped
- allowing 16.7 per reception this season, 112 NFL passer rating
- 3.5 havoc plays
- gave up 6 catches on 7 targets for 87 yards to UT’s Matthew Golden
- cooked on a deep ball to Miss St Mario Craver for 72 yards
- poor effort on a jump ball against UMASS, went for 75 yards
- 10.74 100m in HS
#1 CB Ellis Robinson
- 6-0 180
- 50 snaps this season
- barely tested in coverage, only 3 targets
- 2024 ISD Fab 50
- 4.5 40, 36 vert in HS
Key for Notre Dame
Don’t let them unleash the pass rush
The Irish were great at converting 3rd downs against Indiana. A lot of that was thanks to it being 3rd and short or medium more often than 3rd and long. They had to get the ball out quickly against a good Indiana pass rush.
3rd and long is Bad News Bears against Georgia. When it was 3rd and 7+ against Texas, Quinn Ewers was 0 for 4 and sacked twice in the first game. In the second game, Ewers converted one of them for a big gain on 3rd and 7+. Texas was 0 for 10 with a sack and two interceptions on every other 3rd and long.
Texas was 5 of 7 on 3rd down on anything that was less than 7 yards in the SEC Championship.
Leonard’s ability to run and escape the rush can be a huge factor in this game. It will be a much bigger factor if the Irish can stay out of 3 and long.
Special Teams
Georgia had the best combination at kicker and punter in the country.
Had. P Brett Thorson is injured. He was a finalist for the Ray Guy award and averaged 47.6 yards per punt.
They’ll be replacing him with Drew Miller, who was the highest ranked punter in the 2024 recruiting class. This would be his first game action, though, and we’ll see if he can be consistent for them. Keep in mind that Notre Dame has blocked three punts this season as well.
They ran a fake punt in the SEC Championship game after Thorson was injured and Miller is a good athlete. That’s something to be aware of.
K Peyton Woodring is pretty darn close to automatic and he can make it from long distances.
Anthony Evans has been the primary returner and he hasn’t made much of an impact.
#91 K Peyton Woodring
- 5-10 185
- 20 of 22 on the season
- long of 55, only two misses were beyond 50
- 21 of 25 in 2023
- made 3 kicks over 50 yards, made 80% of his kicks that are 40+ yards
- 2nd team All-SEC
- 57.1% of his kickoffs have gone for touchbacks
#90 P Drew Miller
- 6-2 210
- ranked as the top punter in 2024 recruiting class
- basketball and soccer player in HS
- averaged 49.5 per punt as a senior
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