Georgia opened spring practice this week under Kirby Smart, entering his eleventh season with a program that has established itself as the SEC's standard of success and is now navigating the particular challenge of sustaining dominance after losing significant NFL talent to the draft.

The Bulldogs sent nine players to the NFL Draft following the 2025 season, including four defensive starters who were central to the unit that made Georgia the conference's best defense for the second consecutive year. Replacing that production — not the same players, but the same output — is the task that Smart and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann are working through this spring.

The transfer portal additions have partially addressed the depth questions. Georgia added two defensive linemen and a cornerback through the portal in February, all of whom were recruited to Power 4 programs out of high school and are entering their third or fourth college seasons. The program's ability to integrate experienced portal players while maintaining its technical standards has been one of the consistent competitive advantages Smart has built.

The offensive question is more straightforward: Carson Beck is returning at quarterback for his senior season, which provides the continuity that the offense needs after a year in which it was more inconsistent than the team's record reflected. Beck's development — specifically his ability to process quickly under pressure and his decision-making in the red zone — is the central evaluation of spring.

Georgia's spring game is April 18. The Sanford Stadium crowd for that event will be one of the more reliable barometers of where the program's fan base stands entering what Smart has described publicly as a rebuilding year, though the word rebuilding carries significantly different weight in Athens than it does almost anywhere else in the country.