2025 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 4: Georgia

Alabama football's kickoff times and TV assignments were released last Wednesday, and while not every game's information has been made official, the timing for one matchup is a bit concerning for the Crimson Tide.

Prior to last Wednesday, it was very difficult to argue that Alabama's road matchup at Georgia would not be the toughest game on the 2025 schedule, but now that the game has been slotted for September 27 at 6:30 p.m. on ABC, there's no denying it.

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have won 31 consecutive games at Sanford Stadium, which is by far the longest active streak in FBS. Oddly enough, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer contributed to second place Washington, as the former Huskies head coach had roughly a dozen of their 21 straight home victories.

Georgia's last home loss came at the hands of South Carolina in 2019 and facing the Bulldogs under the lights of Sanford Stadium seems like a near impossible task. Alabama won last year's matchup against Georgia at home in one of the best college football games of the 2020s. But now that the Crimson Tide is on the road, can it achieve the impossible? Here's an early look at Alabama's Week 5 opponent.

Offense

Last season, Georgia finished 38th in the country in points per game (31.5), 50th in total yards per game (398.4), 14th in passing yards per game (277.1), 102nd in rushing yards per game (121.3) and ninth in red zone scores per game (3.8). But all those numbers can be thrown away as the 2025 offense looks a lot different.

Gunner Stockton is expected to be Georgia's Week 1 starting quarterback following 2024 starter Carson Beck's transfer to Miami this offseason. Stockton, a former 4-star recruit from Tiger, Ga., filled in for Beck late last season after an injury and he helped lead Georgia to an SEC Championship win over Texas. Now he'll have to lead one of college football's most premier programs with a starting offense riddled with newcomers.

Alabama has numerous players from the renowned Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., on its roster, but it couldn't get highly touted running back Nate Frazier in its 2024 recruiting class. Frazier had an even split backfield with Trevor Etienne as the then-freshman had just 11 more carries for 62 more yards. But now, Frazier will be the lead and potentially a three-down rusher as Etienne has gone to the NFL and Illinois transfer Josh McCray is backing him up.

And like Etienne, Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett, Georgia's two leading receivers from last season, left for the NFL Draft this offseason. Stockton's wide receiver options will be much different than the ones he briefly shared a field with in 2024 as Dillon Bell is the only returning starter at the position and Miami transfer Colbie Young and USC transfer Zachariah Branch will likely take Smith and Lovett's place. There will be some pass-catching familiarity for Stockton though, as tight ends Oscar Delp and Luckie Lawson, who each had very similar stats, returned.

Of course, none of the aforementioned players can succeed without an offensive line, and Georgia's looks a lot different compared to last season. Former Bulldogs starting offensive linemen Tate Ratledge, Dylan Fairchild and Jared Wilson were each selected on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, while Xavier Truss was picked up as an undrafted free agent. Earnest Greene III is the only returning starter on Georgia's front five as Monroe Freeling, Micah Morris, Drew Bobo and Daniel Calhoun are primary candidates to fill these vacant roles.

Defense

Last season, Georgia finished 23rd in the country in points allowed per game (20.6), 36th in total yards allowed per game (345.5), 25th in sacks per game (2.6), 12th in opponent third-down conversion percentage (32.97%) and 42nd in opponent red zone scoring percentage (80.49%). But similar to the Bulldogs' offense, its defense also saw a lot of roster turnover this offseason.

Georgia lost defensive linemen Mykel Williams, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Warren Brinson to the 2025 NFL Draft. This position group has been a program staple over the past couple of years, as it has sent a ton of talent to the NFL, including Pro Bowler Jalen Carter. This season's run-stoppers will look a lot different and have a lack of experience with Georgia as Christen Miller's 27 tackles, including four for loss from 2024 are both bests among 2025's expected starters.

The Bulldogs lost three linebackers to this year's draft in Jalon Walker and Smael Mondon along with UDFA Chaz Chambliss as this position group is also getting a reset. Raylen Wilson will get an increased role this season as he logged 47 tackles, including seven for loss in 2024, and the same could be said for CJ Allen who finished second on UGA in tackles with 77. Georgia also added former Army linebacker Elo Modozie in the transfer portal and he could make an instant impact.

Georgia's cornerback room didn't change too much as it didn't send anyone to the draft and it'll have similar impact players to last season such as Daylen Everette. Joenel Aguero could also see an increased role at the STAR position but that other cornerback spot could be a battle between Daniel Harris and Ellis Robinson IV––a consensus top-5 recruit in the 2024 class. The Bulldogs saw Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson go to the draft, but JaCorey Thomas and KJ Bolden should fill the roles well.

Schedule

For the second straight year, Alabama and Georgia will be matching up in Week 5 of the college football season. Both teams have a very solid chance to be 3-0 come game day, but they could be challenged a bit before then as the Crimson Tide faces Florida State on the road in Week 1 while the Bulldogs will be the visitors against Tennessee in Week 3.

This will be UGA's first night game of the season. Ending Georgia's 31-game winning streak at home under the lights would do wonders for Alabama's College Football Playoff resumé. Meanwhile, a victory for Georgia would be a good momentum swing for the rest of its schedule as Texas is probably the only other opponent (Nov. 15) on the Bulldogs' slate that could be ranked in the top 10 by game day.

Outlook

The 12-team playoff allows these teams flexibility if early losses in the season occur, but a Week 5 loss for either of these programs in a matchup of college football heavyweights probably won't do much harm to their CFP chances unless it's a blowout.

That said, both Alabama and Georgia were upset by a fellow SEC team after last year's game in Tuscaloosa, meaning that the CFP committee will be watching the loser of this upcoming matchup closely for the rest of the season.

The Game

Date: Sept. 27

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT

TV: ABC

Location: Sanford Stadium, Athens, Ga.

Series history: Alabama leads 43-26-4 (15-12 away) with the first matchup occurring on Nov. 2, 1895.

Last meeting: Former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe connected with wide receiver Ryan Williams for the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes to put the Crimson Tide ahead of Georgia 41-34 and pick up DeBoer's first SEC win on Sept. 28, 2024. Alabama jumped out to a 28-0 lead on the Bulldogs in the first half, but Georgia fought back to take the lead with 2:31 to go. Willams' touchdown put Alabama ahead, and fellow freshman cornerback Zabien Brown had the game-sealing interception.

The Team

Coach: Kirby Smart, 10th full season, 105-19 record at Georgia

Offensive coordinator: Mike Bobo

Defensive coordinator: Glenn Schumann

2024 record: 11-3 (6-2 SEC)

2024 rankings: Total offense (38th), Total defense (23rd)

Returning Starters

Nine (four on offense, three on defense, two on special teams)

Players to Watch

QB Gunner Stockton, RB Nate Frazier, WR Zachariah Branch, CB Ellis Robinson IV, S KJ Bolden

Top Newcomer

Wide receiver Zachariah Branch transferred to Georgia this offseason after two years at USC. The incoming junior caught 47 passes for 503 yards and a touchdown last season, and when Branch was a freshman, he was named a First Team All-American and won the Jet Award after leading the nation in yards per punt return. He's expected to have a big season in Georgia's offense as he'll very likely be an electric option in the slot.

Biggest Question

Can Gunner Stockton command an offense filled with new starters including himself?

The School

Location: Athens, Ga.

Founded: 1785

Enrollment: 41,615

Nickname: Bulldogs

Colors: Arch Black, Bulldog Red and Chapel Bell White

Mascot: Uga

The Program

Last Time Beat Alabama: 2021

Last Time Won SEC: 2022

National Championships: 4 –– 1942, 1980, 2021, 2022

Playoff Appearances: 4 –– 2017, 2021, 2022, 2024

Conference Championships: 15 –– 1942, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1959, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2005, 2017, 2022, 2024

Bowl Record: 38-22-3

Last Time Missed Bowl: 1996

Heisman Trophies: 2 –– Frank Sinkwich (1942), Herschel Walker (1982)

2025 NFL Draft

DL Mykel Williams: San Francisco 49ers, first round, 11th overall
LB Jalon Walker: Atlanta Falcons, first round, 15th overall
S Malaki Starks: Baltimore Ravens, first round, 27th overall
OL Tate Ratledge: Detroit Lions, second round, 57th overall
OL Dylan Fairchild: Cincinnati Bengals, third round, 81st overall
OL Jared Wilson: New England Patriots, third round, 95th overall
WR Arian Smith: New York Jets, fourth round, 110th overall
RB Trevor Etienne: Carolina Panthers, fourth round, 114th overall
DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins: Minnesota Vikings, fifth round, 139th overall
LB Smael Mondon: Philadelphia Eagles, fifth round, 161st overall
DL Warren Brinson: Green Bay Packers, sixth round, 198th overall
S Dan Jackson: Detroit Lions, seventh round, 230th overall
WR Dominic Lovett: Detroit Lions, seventh round, 244th overall

Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings

No. 2 (2025), No. 1 (2024), No. 2 (2023), No. 3 (2022)

The Schedule

Aug. 30: vs. Marshall
Sept. 6: vs. Austin Peay
Sept. 13: at Tennessee
Sept. 27: vs. Alabama
Oct. 4: vs. Kentucky
Oct. 11: at Auburn
Oct. 18: vs. Ole Miss
Nov. 1: vs. Florida (in Jacksonville)
Nov. 8: at Mississippi State
Nov. 15: vs. Texas
Nov. 22: vs. Charlotte
Nov. 29: vs. Georgia Tech

This is the fourth story in BamaCentral's summer preview series of all 12 regular season opponents for Alabama football in 2025. Ensuing stories will be published throughout June and early July.