Four Reasons Why UGA Wins the National Championship

With the 2024 season upon us, it’s time for some hot takes for the Dawgs this year. Here’s 4 reasons why the Dawgs are back on top when it’s all said and done this football season. Read four reasons why UGA wins the national championship below. 

The Return of the QB 

The power of the returning QB. Carson Beck is back and that makes all the difference for elite teams. Think back on which QBs have won nattys the last few years. JJ McCarthy—two years with solid playing time. Stetson Bennett—was practically 30 by the time he finished his career and had multiple years within UGA’s system.

Mac Jones—had 3 years in the system. Aside from Joe Burrow in 2019, the vast majority of the last 10 national champions had QBs with at least multiple years in that program learning the system, if not multiple years starting to win. Ohio State doesn’t have that. Oregon doesn’t have that.

Texas and Alabama do, but Bama has a new head coach with a new offensive system. With only 2 teams in the current top 5 in the coaches poll having QBs that are well acquainted with their offensive system, Beck is poised for a monster year that can propel UGA to a championship. 

Battle Born

They will be battle tested. Last year, aside from the scare at Jordan-Hare UGA walked through their schedule. Games against UT-Martin and Ball State weren’t exactly great opponents for the Dawgs to find out what they were made of. UGA hadn’t faced an elite opponent on their schedule until Bama.

Good ones, like Missouri, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, just not elite. They walked into the SEC Championship game without a true test. This year they’ll have faced elite teams in hostile environments multiple times in the regular season. UGA is talented enough to manage that gauntlet, and they’ll come into the playoffs able to handle anyone. They’ll know their identity as a team and how to face the toughest adversity. 

The Weapons

Offensive firepower. UGA is loaded with as much or more talent on offense as it has ever had. It all begins with returning 4 of 5 starters from last year’s offensive line.

In reality, UGA has 7 NFL-caliber o-linemen who can step in at any point. They are replacing Sedrick Van Pran-Grainger at center, who was their heart and soul on the line. Yet, what in-coming starter Jared Wilson lacks in leadership, he makes up for in athleticism. He’s quick and able to block at the next level in a way that Van Pran could not. In terms of the running backs, at the moment UGA will walk into the Clemson game with as much talent in that room as they’ve had since 2017.

Trevor Etienne is poised for a James Cook/Kenny McIntosh-type season. He provides the threat to catch out of the backfield those guys did, with the ability to gash defenses for big gains on the ground. Rodrick Robinson has slimmed down so he can add some more quickness to his power.

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He’ll grind defenses to a pulp in the 4th quarter. Branson Robinson is returning to full health after a torn patella tendon and reports from fall practice indicate that he looks great.

Plus, freshman Nate Frazier will provide the speed that can take any carry to the house. UGA also has a plethora of players poised to breakout at receiver. Dillon Bell and Dominic Lovett will lead the way. Lovett is a menace out of the slot and Bell showed he can make just about every type of contested catch in the book last year.

Anthony Evans burned FSU in the bowl game and showed out at G-Day as well. Don’t forget Arian Smith’s home run ability or Colbie Young’s size in the red zone. Add two experienced tight ends into the mix and you have a formula for a dynamic offense. 

The Big Uglies

D-line depth. Georgia’s defensive line was good but not elite last year. When you’ve been spoiled by a string of first rounders all playing together at that role, when guys who are 3rd-5th round talent fill it, it can be a bit underwhelming.

UGA will have another year of Naz Stackhouse, Warren Brinson, and future first rounder Mykel Williams at the D-line. Plus, they’ll get Ingram-Dawkins back from injury after missing much of last year while also adding Xzavier Mcleod for more depth. UGA was able to hold on to Christen Miller who flirted with the transfer portal, and they have Jordan Hall as a promising sophomore returning.

Aside from Williams, there isn’t a dominant player in the bunch here, but you have an uncommon amount of guys who could provide quality performances in rotation or even become dominant. Naz and Brinson are in their money year and may step up. The longer the season goes, the more vital UGA’s defensive line depth will become and will help separate themselves from the pack.