Despite their SEC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2024, the Georgia Bulldogs feel like they subverted expectations last season. With quarterback Carson Beck getting injured late in the year against the Texas Longhorns, it was sophomore Gunner Stockton who lead the Bulldogs in the a quarterfinals playoff game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after a first-round bye.
The Beck injury proved to be too much for Georgia to overcome, as they lost to the eventual runner-up Fighting Irish, 23-10. Now, going into the 2025 season, it appears that the Bulldogs’ injury luck isn’t getting much better.
According to On3’s Jake Rowe, projected starting left tackle Monroe Freeling is undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, and there is some uncertainty about his availability for spring football in a couple of months. Fortunately, Freeling is expected to be back to full strength by the time fall camp rolls around this summer, but missing out on the critical spring months, especially when introducing a brand new starting quarterback into the system, is a tough thing to overcome.
Freeling played in all 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2024, staring the final five games of the year at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeling gave up three sacks and 21 quarterback pressures in his 609 snaps last season. While Freeling is out, Georgia also has left tackle Earnest Greene who they can lean on. Green started the first nine games of the season at LT, but was sidelined due to an upper-body injury, and was unable to regain his starting position upon getting healthy late in the year.
It will be a fresh spring season in Athens, with former QB Carson Beck no longer with the team after transferring to the Miami Hurricanes earlier this month. The Stockton era is starting soon, but he will unfortunately have to begin his reign with some uncertainty on his blindside.
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