Skip to main content
Georgia

'Hungry' Georgia team set to make its first impression

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson08/27/25JeremyO_Johnson
On3 image
Georgia running back Roderick Robinson II (0) during Georgia’s practice session in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

The word ‘hungry’ has been used a bunch this offseason and preseason to describe the 2025 Georgia team. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart used it again on Tuesday.

Smart spoke of ‘risilent’ a ton in 2024. The early indications of the 2025 group are that this version of Georgia is ‘hungry’.

“As of right now, I’ve seen it’s hungry, and that’s the one that you seek most, the fire, passion, energy, the new guys getting an opportunity,” Smart told reporters on Tuesday. “I hope that continues to pronounce itself. I want to see more of that, but it’s hard to tell without playing a game.”

Georgia hasn’t played a game yet. They will do that on Saturday for the first time. Smart has seen the seeds of the hunger in the Bulldogs. It shows up in the way Georgia practices and when Smart turns on the film from practice each day.

For Smart, it will be the adversity of the season that will confirm and mold the personality of the 2025 Bulldogs.

“I want it to take shape right now,” Smart said. “I don’t know what that is just yet. It’s like I didn’t know last year. You don’t really know until you hit a lot of adversity…I would say the day-to-day practice environment, the guys who haven’t played, and maybe guys who have, but haven’t been in leadership roles. You see it in the energy of the day.”

What fuels the hunger for Georgia?

The defending SEC champions want respect. The Bulldogs view Saturday’s season opener as their first and only chance at a first impression for 2025.

“We just want to earn respect,” Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie said. “One thing we’ve been talking about is first impressions. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and that’s Saturday. We want to come out with our hats on fire, play as best as we can, show how connected we are, and show that all this grind we’ve gone through this whole offseason hasn’t been for nothing.”

Georgia will kick off the 2025 season with Marshall on Saturday in Sanford Stadium at 3:30 p.m.

You may also like