June marks the beginning of the college football ranking season. During this time, analysts, fans, and media outlets release their preseason rankings, predicting which teams will dominate the upcoming season.
Among all of those, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy’s assessment of Georgia’s defense is making headlines. He called out the Bulldogs’ head coach, naming him the No. 1 defensive mind in the entire country.
Kirby Smart Is a Coaching Genius Who Transformed the Bulldogs Into a Top-5 Defense
Georgia’s defense has long been a force in college football under head coach Kirby Smart. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy believes the Bulldogs are set to reclaim their dominance in 2025, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The ranking does not mean Georgia lacks a quarterback or has a weak offense—it simply highlights their defensive strength. Last year, the Bulldogs were inconsistent at times, yet McElroy ranks Georgia’s defense No. 4 in the country, citing Smart’s defensive expertise as a key factor in their resurgence.
Speaking on his “Always College Football” podcast, McElroy praised Smart’s ability to instill a culture of physicality and toughness. While ranking the top 10 college football defenses for 2025, McElroy admitted his Georgia pick might raise eyebrows.
“This might be a little controversial,” he said. “Because they were not quite the same last year as they were in years past… This was a group that was a little bit up and down last year, but I think the floor be quite a bit higher than last year.”
McElroy added, “I just trust Kirby Smart. I think he’s one of the best defensive minds in the entire country. I think he creates a culture of physicality and toughness that a lot of people don’t want to play against.”
It’s true—Georgia gave up 41 points to Alabama and 42 to Georgia Tech last season. But McElroy points to defensive lineman Christen Miller as a potential breakout player. Plus, he thinks Georgia’s strong coaching and talent development will keep them a defensive force.
“When have you ever been super concerned about some of the departures that we saw off Georgia’s defense?” McElroy added. “They had a lot of guys that were in and out of the lineup and a lot of guys that were banged up last year, and yet they still played pretty good football throughout most of the year.”
KEEP READING: Georgia Football NFL Draft Picks and UDFAs: Track Every Bulldogs’ Free Agent Signing
Now, it remains to be seen whether other CFB analysts will offer the same opinion about the Bulldogs’ defense or not.
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