The Georgia Bulldogs' Defense Has a Massive Issue That It Needs to Address in 2026

The Georgia Bulldogs have a massive defensive issue that they will need to improve upon during the 2026 college football season.

The Georgia Bulldogs are amidst early preparations for the 2026 college football season as the team looks to regroup and potentially make another run at next year's College Football Playoff. Given the undesired conclusion to the 2025 season, the Bulldogs have a handful of things that need to be addressed.

But while there are a handful of things that the Dawgs will look to improve upon before next season begins, there is one statistical category in particular that is in desperate need of enhanceement, and it takes place on the defensive side of the ball.

In the sport of football, one of the best ways to hinder an opponent's offensive attack and score points of your own is to "steal possessions." In most cases, this is done by forcing turnovers and providing offenses with short fields.

Georgia Bulldogs' Turnover Production During 2025 Season

Sep 21, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back J.R. Reed (20) celebrates with savage pads after an interception against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the defense did not produce nearly as many turnovers as it usually does under Kirby Smart. In the 2025 season, Georgia's defense forced only 13 turnovers in 14 games of play. That ties the Bulldogs' 2020 season for the lowest amount of turnovers by any Kirby Smart team (Georgia played only 10 games during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

From 2021-2024, Georgia's defense forced an average of approximately 20.75 turnovers per season and was extremely efficient at stealing possessions and providing the Dawgs' offense with short fields to work with. It was one of the major aspects of "complementary football" that Kirby Smart and his staff have harped on over the years.

There are many potential reasons for this drastic decrease in turnovers forced, all of which are likely being heavily discussed by Kirby Smart and his staff at this very moment. Nevertheless, an improvement in this category will be a must for Georgia.

While Georgia's defense has plenty of talent and can go up against some of the best offenses in college football, the unit is in desperate need of improving its ability to force turnovers. Doing so will greatly increase the team's chances of winning a third national title under Kirby Smart.

The Bulldogs will continue their offseason preparations throughout the coming months and will return to action in September for their home opener against TSU.