SEC Football: Preseason power rankings for 2022 season
By Matt Melton
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Week 1 Opponent: No. 11 Oregon (Atlanta, GA)
Coming off their first national championship in over 40 years, Georgia enters the season ranked as the No. 3 team in the country, as well as the No. 2 team in our 2022 SEC Football power rankings.
The Bulldogs enter the 2022 campaign coming off one of the best single seasons in program history, one in which Georgia went 14-1 to claim the national title. Owning one of the nation’s top defenses a year ago, one that allowed only 10.2 PPG to opponents, Georgia however comes in at No. 2 here, mainly due to the amount of production that the Bulldogs will have to replace this season, especially on defense.
As for the returning names however, Georgia’s offense will once again be led by quarterback Stetson Bennett, while the defense will be headlined by Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo, and Nolan Smith. Almost all of the Bulldogs deep tight end room returns as well, one that is one of the top position groups in SEC Football featuring the trio of Brock Bowers, Darnell Washington, and Arik Gilbert.
Overall, Georgia is a team that lost a significant amount of talent, but also gained a significant amount of talent through their 2022 recruiting class. Many of those names could easily make an impact for the Bulldogs this season as freshmen and should add to what should once again be a strong offense and defense in Athens.
As for their week one Top 25 showdown with Oregon, expect the Bulldogs to be a heavy favorite opening the 2022 season in their backyard in Atlanta, and for Georgia to make a statement early in the year against one of the Pac-12’s top teams.