Spring ball is over and now Georgia’s focus turns to summer workouts, fall camp and the 2021 season-opener against Clemson in Charlotte on Sept. 4.

The COVID-abbreviated 2020 season was a winding road for the Dawgs, but last year looks as if it will be an aberration. JT Daniels is the unquestioned starting quarterback in 2021, and he’ll be joined by a number of familiar faces on offense that should see Georgia return to its familiar spot atop the division and potentially set itself up as a College Football Playoff contender. Even if George Pickens doesn’t return from his ACL injury.

Here are 5 things that will define Georgia’s offense this season:

JT Daniels is 100% healthy, and that’s a problem for the rest of the SEC

The Daniels era got off to a good start in Athens: Even more impressive than his big debut against Mississippi State in November was the fact that it was his first college football game since August 31, 2019. A cynic might say that Daniels’ 400-yard passing game said more about Mississippi State’s defense than Daniels, which, yes, is probably a good point. But consider that prior to that, no Georgia quarterback had hit the 400-yard plateau since the great Aaron Murray in 2013.

Something else to keep in mind? Daniels was basically still developing chemistry with his receivers while on the job — which showed at times last year — and was still getting his bearings about him while playing on a surgically repaired leg. Put all of that in the rearview mirror, though, and you can see why there’s a case to be made that the Californian could make a strong Heisman run in 2021. I hate even typing that sentence because preseason predictions are such a slippery slope, but the buzz is there and will continue to grow unless he does something to silence it.

He’ll need to iron out his issues with his downfield passes and some other mechanical items — and, again, Pickens’ injury doesn’t help in that regard — but once that’s taken care of, the rest of the conference, and the nation, should consider itself on notice. Frankly, maybe it should regardless.

There’s plenty of options in the QB room if Daniels gets hurt

Kirby Smart came away impressed with what all 4 of his scholarship quarterbacks offered during G-Day. The big question is if — big if — Daniels were to suffer an injury, which one would the Georgia coach turn to?

Would it be Stetson Bennett? He easily has the most experience of the 3 quarterbacks below Daniels on the depth chart, and despite hitting his ceiling in 2020, it might be just high enough thanks to a 2021 regular-season schedule that, to be honest, has 1 serious test and maybe 1 that might go either way. Still, it’s not as if anything has stopped Smart from trotting out an unproven freshman before.

But it might say more about the overall strength of the quarterback room that we’re even having this discussion. And that might be the most important position battle on the roster and one that’s sure to run all the way until the Dawgs kick off against Clemson. Don’t be shocked if Smart’s QB2 slot on his depth chart that week has that familiar two-letter word “OR” between the names of Carson Beck, Bennett and Brock Vandagriff that day.

I’d probably lean toward Beck being the backup, redshirting Vandagriff and letting things play out from there. But I’m not being paid 7 figures to coach a college football team.

An offensive line featuring a host of returnees charged with holding up its end of the bargain

The Dawgs could have the second coming of Joe Burrow behind center, and it wouldn’t mean a thing if the offensive line can’t do its job. After G-Day, Smart mentioned the play of his front five, lamenting their inability to hold up at times.

Fortunately, the line has been a strength for years, and the good news is that there’s plenty of time to get that part of the equation sewn up. The better news is that many of the Dawgs’ linemen who were here last year are back, outside of Ben Cleveland. Plus, the unit got major additions like Amarius Mims, a true freshman who featured in G-Day and hopes to join a tackle rotation that includes Jamaree Salyer, Owen Condon, Xavier Truss and Warren McClendon.

And while the line wasn’t terrible at keeping its quarterbacks clean, it did allow 20 sacks last year in 10 games after giving up 15 through 14 games in 2019. It enjoyed 2 300-plus rushing games against South Carolina and Missouri, but let’s not forget this is also the group that managed just 8 yards on 23 carries against Mississippi State and 45 yards on 24 carries against Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. Daniels should be able to do his thing, but what’s happening in the trenches is equally as important as the Dawgs look to take on a multi-dimensional look offensively.

The deepest running back room in the SEC — and they can do other stuff as well

Speaking of the running game, you’ve heard more than a little bit about the faces returning: Zamir White, Daijun Edwards, Kendall Milton, Kenny McIntosh, James Cook. It’s hard to imagine many running back rooms in the SEC that are as deep as the one in Athens. So stacked is Georgia’s running back room that Lovasea Carroll, recruited as a top-6 running back nationally, flipped to cornerback during the spring, although it was partially due to necessity.

They can’t all be on the field every down, of course.

White will be the lead back, a potential All-SEC pick as he heads into a pivotal 3rd season that will serve as an audition for an NFL job in 2022. But the guys behind him are good, too: Edwards and Milton impressed as true freshmen, with Milton receiving an all-freshman SEC nod. Cook was a routine weapon out of the backfield and in the receiving game, but McIntosh, a key part of the kick return game, is probably one of the offense’s most versatile players.

Smart, as well as Todd Monken, may have tipped their respective hands at how they’ll use their running backs in the receiving game during G-Day. While both teams struggled to gather much steam on the ground (credit to the defense, which I’ll touch on in a later piece), White and Cook combined for 12 catches and 111 yards. Milton and Edwards had 5 catches apiece for 31 and 24 yards, respectively. That’s nothing new, of course: Cook had a 101-yard receiving day against Alabama and followed with 4 catches and 62 yards 2 weeks later at Kentucky, but be ready for Monken to open up that part of the playbook even more here and add another wrinkle.

A wide receiver room that should sustain the loss of Pickens

This was supposed to be the year that Pickens planted his flag as one of the country’s top receiving threats, creating a lethal tandem with Daniels and establishing himself as a high 1st-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

Those plans were put on hold due to a torn ACL. And it looked as if the Dawgs would be down 2 key wideouts this season as promising sophomore Jermaine Burton suffered a hyperextended knee a week after Pickens tore his ACL, but Burton’s injury was not as serious as once thought.

Still, with Pickens out, is it dire straits in the passing game? Hardly.

I mentioned the running backs and the role they’ll play in catching balls from Daniels. Kearis Jackson broke out in a major way in 2020 and will see his role increase much more. Dominick Blaylock and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, both coming off long-term injuries, should be ready to go at the start of the season. Demetris Robertson is back for one final go-around and one more chance to show a full picture of the player he was at Cal 5 years ago. Arian Smith played down the stretch and stood out in the Peach Bowl. And how much of an impact will we see from Ladd McConkey? Smart said he will possibly see the most time in the return game but perhaps some snaps at wideout, too, as he bulks up a little more. And then there’s true freshman Adonai Mitchell, who had a big-time debut on G-Day.

For me, though, the X-factor will be Darnell Washington. I’ve been a fan of the big Las Vegas native since during his recruitment, and I believe that he’ll be a major focal point for this offense in 2021. According to Smart, he was a little behind the 8-ball with his conditioning after being unable to practice during the spring, but he made his presence known.

It’s really hard to miss a 6-8, 280-pounder, and hopefully, there are plenty more highlights to come from him.