Kirby Smart: Majority of Georgia’s 2025 roster will be first or second-year players
By Paul Harvey
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Kirby Smart has built a true powerhouse in college football in Athens, generating the kind of sustained success and elite results that rival anywhere else in the country. The cornerstone for Georgia has been elite recruiting, but also deep development and experienced players.
That kind of situation puts Smart and his staff in an unusual spot for the 2025 season. He took to the podium in Atlanta on Tuesday for his annual address at SEC Media Days, and the head coach revealed the majority of his roster will be made up of new contributors.
According to Kirby Smart, 54% of his roster for the 2025 season will be comprised of first and second-year players, which is a stark contrast from the veteran nature of his roster in the 2024 season. Smart was unwilling to pin that youthfulness as a true negative, but it’s something that will bear monitoring entering the season.
The head coach did reference youthful exuberance, “that can be positive and negative.” It will be up to the coaching staff to get things working and growing for the young players.
“I can sit up here last year and tell you we had a lot of experience, they’ve played a lot of football, but are they motivated? Are they really wanting to be great?” questioned Smart. “As opposed to someone when they’re new, there’s a lot more excitement. It’s their first chance getting to start, it’s their first time being a major player in the rotation.
“There’s good and bad about both. We’ve got to manage that, we’ve got to be patient with them and we’ve got to get them better.”
RELATED: Don’t miss the rest of the SEC Media Days coverage on the SEC Network. Fans can grab a free trial from FuboTV to check out the broadcasts.
Even with the youthfulness, the Bulldogs still have the 3rd-lowest 2025 national championship odds in the entire country, coming in at +700 via DraftKings. If Smart gets some growth from his group early, watch out, and fans can grab those odds via the best sports betting apps available in their area.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
