Five Goals for Georgia Football in 2024

It’s finally here, the first day of fall camp. Georgia Football takes the field today to begin its preparation for the 2024 campaign. The Bulldogs enter the year with high hopes. They are among the most talented squads in the country, and for that reason, folks all over the nation believe there might not be a better bet to take home the national title when it’s all said and done.

Of course that’s the goal for Georgia, but it’s one that can’t happen without taking the proper steps along the way. There must be smaller things accomplished leading up to the big dream. Ahead of the first day of fall camp, DawgsHQ dives in with five things we think should be goals for Kirby Smart and Georgia in 2024.

Stop the Run

We’ll start small and work our way up. Stopping the run is an area that is a foundation of any Kirby Smart led team, but wasn’t the Bulldogs’ strong suit last season. Georgia finished No. 20 in the nation against the run, giving up over 100 yards a game on the ground for the first time since 2018.

Having a healthy Smael Mondon helps make that possible, plus CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson won’t be true freshmen. Then there’s the defensive line featuring seniors Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson alongside other veteran options. My guess is Georgia will be much improved with its run defense. If UGA wants to be better overall, here’s one goal that shouldn’t be too tough to meet: get back under 100 yards a game, which would’ve placed Georgia in the top-10.

1,000 Yard Receiver

Another season went by in 2023, and with it, another year came and went without a 1,000-yard receiver in Athens. Terrence Edwards hit the high number in 2002, but since then, it’s been a tale of Georgia greats coming up short for various reasons. Brock Bowers was on pace before he got hurt. He came the closest in the Kirby Smart era with 942 in 2022. Before him, guys like George Pickens, Malcom Mitchell, Tavarres King, AJ Green, Mohamed Massaquoi and Fred Gibson, among others, came up short.

Georgia has a returning starter at quarterback, and we saw the impact that had on its offense in 2022. With Carson Beck at the helm and his plethora of weapons at receiver, it won’t come as a surprise to anybody to see the Bulldogs airing it out more. Add in the expansion of the College Football Playoff and the possibility to play as many as 17 games and there will be even more opportunities for pass catchers to rack up yards. There may be too many options, but Dominic Lovett , Dillon Bell and Colbie Young are more than capable given the chance. Could this year be the year? It’ll get used against Georgia on the recruiting trail until it is.

Pass Rush Improvement

While Georgia’s been strong defensively, ranking in the top-10 for both scoring defense and total defense in four of the last five seasons, the Bulldogs have never really been among the nation’s leaders in sacks. Aside from a generationally good 2021 unit that has seen incredible success in the NFL Draft (they recorded 49 that season), UGA has finished no higher than No. 12 in the nation under Kirby Smart. Last year, the Bulldogs ranked 47th in the country with 30 sacks.

The plan to play Mykel Williams more at outside linebacker is a move made with getting after the quarterback in mind. Jalon Walker , who led Georgia in sacks last season, is still around, and he’s embraced his “hybrid linebacker” position. There’s also the aforementioned Mondon who has the ability to make plays in the backfield (13 tackles for loss the last two seasons), former five-star Damon Wilson and others. I think this year’s team, especially with the possibility to play more football in an expanded Playoff, should aim for 40.

Carson Beck Heisman

We mentioned Beck when it comes to Georgia’s pursuit of a 1,000-yard receiver. Regardless of whether or not the Bulldogs achieve that, if UGA is as successful as it’s capable of, the second-year quarterback is going to receive tons of recognition.

Beck threw for the most yards in the SEC last season. He finished third in the nation behind a pair of first round picks, doing so with a school-record completion percentage. Because of all that, and the potential that there is for him, Beck enters 2024 as the betting favorite to bring home the Heisman Trophy. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is in contention with him, as is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe. Head to head wins over each of them could sway voters, helping bring a trophy back from New York to Athens for the first time since Herschel Walker did so in 1982.

SEC, National Champions

This one is simple, and it’s the biggest goal of them all. When you’re as talented as Georgia is and have the combination of pieces that the Bulldogs do, taking home a national title at season’s end is going to be discussed. Of course there are steps to getting there. Focusing on the opponent every week is crucial. If you don’t do that, a slip up is entirely possible, especially against the schedule Georgia faces this season. While one loss won’t do the Dawgs in, you don’t want to see them add up either, potentially taking a chance at an SEC Championship – which we know the importance of that to Kirby Smart – off the table.

We’re a long way away from crowning a champion in Atlanta on January 20th. There will be ups, and there will be downs. I encourage you to stick with ’em through it all though because if all goes according to plan, the Bulldogs absolutely could accomplish everything they’re setting out to do with the start of fall camp today.

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