The Georgia Bulldogs enter the 2024 season in a familiar spot, as they’re ranked first overall in the preseason AP Poll and the betting favorite to win both the SEC and the College Football Playoff.
As it turns out, though, even the best college football teams can still have concerns going into the season.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said that despite the recent successes and preseason hype, he feels like his squad is lacking depth.
“I feel like we’ve got less depth than we’ve ever had. That’s kind of a common theme talking to other coaches I talk to. I call it the deterioration of football because every year we’ve been here, I feel like we’ve had more players capable of going in and playing winning football. Every year that goes down, and we’ve got to keep working to increase that number,” Smart said via the Athens Banner-Herald.
While it would be hard to find a college football fan who feels sympathy for Smart and the Bulldogs, it’s easy to see where he’s coming from, especially with Georgia’s success leading to non-starters transferring in the past couple of seasons. NIL has also leveled the playing field to where it’s not enough to simply be an elite program anymore, recruiting-wise.
It’s also possible that Smart, who is well aware of his team’s standing, was using coach speak to try and motivate his players.
Georgia will open its season on August 31 when they face the Clemson Tigers in the Aflac Kickoff game in Atlanta.
