How Does Georgia's Offense Change Without Colbie Young?

How does Georgia's offense change without Colbie Young?

The Georgia Bulldogs picked up another big win on the season this past weekend as they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels by a final score of 43-35. The Rebels held a lead for the majority of the game, but an impeccable performance in the fourth quarter from both the offense and the defense allowed the Bulldogs to capture a lead and solidify the win.

Unfortunately for Georgia, though, they lost one of the biggest playmakers for perhaps the rest of the season as wide receiver Colbie Young went down on the first drive of the game with what has been labeled as a fractured leg. So, how does Georgia's offense change with Young out?

For starters, the identity of Georgia's offense won't change. They still have Noah Thomas who can play X for the Bulldogs out wide, which is good news for the Bulldogs as they have experience the difficulties of running an offense without a true X receiver in previous seasons.

Colbie Young Out Indefinitely With Leg Injury

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Colbie Young (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Alabama in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, September 27, 2025. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The biggest change that Young's injury creates is the lack of depth at the position now. Both Young and Thomas came into this season with multiple years of starting experience at the collegiate level, and now they are just down to Thomas. It's also worth noting that the Bulldogs had offensive packages that included Thomas and Young both being on the field at the same time.

A potential new face that could enter the offensive rotation for the last stretch of the season is true freshman CJ Wiley. He hasn't played much this season due to Thomas and Young both being on the roster, but he could be called upon now due to Young's injury.

Wiley was rated a four-star prospect, the 91st-best player in the country, the 11th-best wide receiver in the class and the 14th-best player in the state of Georgia, according to composite rankings.

The biggest loss for Georgia though will be Young's ability to create yards after the catch. He isn't as shifty as Zachariah Branch is, but Young consistently dragged defenders down the field and picked up extra yards when the ball came his way. A trait you don't always see from a player of his size.

Young was a very impactful player for Georgia this season, and his absence will be felt, but Georgia's decision to add Thomas to the roster this offseason from the transfer portal is proving to be a major one.

Georgia now heads into their second bye week of the season before they make the trip down to Jacksonville to take on the Florida Gators. An interesting matchup considering the Gators fired head coach Billy Napier this past weekend after the program's win over Mississippi State.