The 2024 college football season has ended for some time now, and teams have already focused on the upcoming 2025 schedule. But while 2024’s story has already been written, experts and analysts are already predicting and projecting the top teams for next season.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt did his post-spring top 25 teams, with the Texas Longhorns as number two and Penn State as number one. Alabama, LSU, and Georgia all made it to his top 10.
‘Didn’t Know What To Do With Them’ – Why Joel Klatt Can’t Quite Trust Georgia
Klatt debated a lot about where to place Georgia in his top 25 rankings for the, but he eventually decided to put them at No. 8. He explained that he wanted to put the Bulldogs higher due to the success they have achieved the past few years under head coach Kirby Smart.
Georgia has a 53-5 record over the past four seasons, winning national championships in 2021 and 2022 under Smart. Overall, the Bulldogs are set to compete again this year, but there are lingering issues surrounding their quarterback position.
“I didn’t really know what to do with them,” Klatt said. “I wanted to put them higher just because. Then you actually look at it and you’re like ‘eh.’ …Think about the standard at Georgia right now.
“They won 11 games, won the SEC, and yet the season was a giant disappointment because they didn’t win the national championship. That’s where Kirby Smart has put Georgia. You can’t go to the quarterfinals and lose to Notre Dame and it be a success at Georgia, unfortunately for Kirby. He, in a lot of ways, is becoming the standard bearer.”
“So Kirby is gonna turn, at quarterback, to Gunner Stockton. It’s his show. There’s a lot of opinions about Gunner Stockton. ‘Oh, he played great in that matchup against Texas in the SEC Championship and did serviceably.’ This is a team that I think is gonna have to win because their roster is better than other rosters.
“Gunner Stockton might turn out to be a really elite, quality player. Have I seen that yet? Eh. Again, I don’t know. This is a trust with Georgia.”
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Stockton played the last two years as backup to Carson Beck, who has now transferred to Miami to replace Cam Ward, who was the overall number one pick in this year’s draft. Stockton did step in to replace Beck after he went down with an injury in the victory over Texas, but Georgia lost the playoff game against Notre Dame in which Stockton started.
Klatt noted that Smart brought in some receivers through the transfer portal, which should help with the transition at quarterback. Stockton could still end up having a great year, but he’s too much of a question mark at this point to justify ranking Georgia higher.
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