Kirby Smart calls out media for not covering Georgia's punt team depth chart

Much of the offseason conversation in and around Athens focused on Georgia‘s “open” quarterback competition to replace Carson Beck as the Bulldogs’ starting QB. But if Thursday morning’s practice was any indication, UGA head coach Kirby Smart would much rather fans and media alike focus on another positional group entirely — the punt team.

Entering his 10th season at the helm, Smart publicly — and likely somewhat playfully — called out the local media in attendance during Thursday’s preseason practice. He seemingly was upset the media was refusing to cover Georgia’s punt team as closely as it was the Bulldogs’ quarterback competition, among other, more appealing position group battles.

“Nobody from the media wants to write down our punt team depth chart,” Smart reportedly announced over his microphone, according to Dawgs Central’s Graham Coffey. “The most important play in football is the punt unit.”

Just left UGA’s practice. Kirby Smart was animated on his microphone. He even got on the media at one point

“Nobody from the media wants to write down our punt team depth chart… The most important play in football is the punt unit.”

Come to UGA camp and you’re getting coached

— Graham Coffey (@GrahamCoffeyDC) July 31, 2025

While this is no doubt a playful jab at the media on hand for Georgia’s brief practice viewing period — an occasional 15-20 minute window that generally involves individual positional drills and a brief team period — Friday’s practice viewing also included a short five-minute look at the Bulldogs’ special teams unit. That was likely by design, so Smart can get off his jokes.

Smart and Georgia enter the 2025 regular season with plenty of questions in need of answering, especially on offense, where the Bulldogs saw a 10-point dip in scoring production last season — from 40.1 ppg in 2023 to 31.5 ppg in 2024. Some of that was attributed to porous offensive line play and an uptick in dropped passes by receivers.

That led to an influx of new offensive playmakers via the NCAA Transfer Portal — including WR transfers Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M) as well as veteran RB transfer Josh McCray (Illinois). But, more importantly, UGA will debut a new starting quarterback this season with redshirt junior Gunner Stockton competing with redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi to replace Beck, who transferred to Miami this past offseason after back-to-back seasons as the Bulldogs’ QB1.

Given the offensive turnover, much of the fan and media attention this offseason has centered around UGA’s rebuilt offense. And as Georgia began preseason camp this week, it’s no wonder the media has its eyes on more interesting battles than what’s happening on special teams.