The 2024 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by ninth-year head coach Kirby Smart, who notched his 100th win as head coach during the season.
The Bulldogs went 11âÂÂ3 and won the SEC Championship Game against Texas, 22âÂÂ19 in overtime. After the end of the season with Georgia's 23âÂÂ10 loss to eventual runners-up Notre Dame at the Sugar Bowl, Smart called the season "the toughest year of my tenure. Easily the toughest of my tenure."
Over the course of the offseason, Georgia lost 48 total players. Eleven players graduated, 12 players declared for the NFL Draft, while the other 22 players entered the transfer portal.
Twenty two Georgia Bulldogs players entered the NCAA transfer portal during or after the 2023 season. Over the offseason, Georgia added eleven players from the transfer portal. According to 247 Sports, Georgia had the No.15-ranked transfer class in the country.
Note: Players with a dash in the new school column have not joined a new team for the 2024 season.
<small>*= 247Sports composite rating; ratings are out of 1.00. (five stars= 1.00âÂÂ.98, four stars= .97âÂÂ.90, three stars= .80âÂÂ.89, two stars= .79âÂÂ.70, no stars= <70)</small><br> <small>â = Despite being rated as a four and five star recruit by ESPN, On3.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, TBD received a four-, five-star 247Sports composite rating.</small><br> <small>ÃÂ= Left the Georgia program following signing but prior to the 2024 season</small>
2024 overall class rankings
This game marked Kirby Smart's 100th career win as head coach with the Bulldogs' 30âÂÂ15 victory against #1 Texas.
Georgia came back from a 17âÂÂ0 halftime deficit at home to force overtime. The game was decided in 8OT, which is the second longest game in FBS history by total number of overtimes. This was the fourth time, and second since 2013, that the game was decided in overtime. The previous longest game between the two teams was 2OT.
The SEC Championship Game was broadcast on ABC for the first time since 2000, replacing CBS. Georgia defeated Texas 22âÂÂ19 in overtime, earning an automatic bid in the 2024âÂÂ25 College Football Playoff; it was the first time ever that the SEC championship game went to overtime.
After quarterback Carson Beck was injured in the first half, Gunner Stockton replaced him after halftime; Stockton threw for 71 yards and an interception.
Beck later underwent an MRI, revealing a UCL injury in his elbow. On December23, 2024, it was announced that Beck underwent surgery on his right elbow, performed by Neal ElAttrache, prematurely ending his season. On December28, Beck declared for the 2025 NFL draft before later withdrawing and transferring to Miami.
This was the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and the Fighting Irish, following a 2017 and 2019 home-and-home series where Georgia won both games. The two teams have previously met in the postseason just once, in the 1981 Sugar Bowl, which resulted in a 17âÂÂ10 Georgia win. Though Georgia won all three previous meetings, each game was decided by seven points or less.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton (#14) started for the first time, as previous starting QB Carson Beck (#15) was recovering from surgery with plans for the NFL. Tight end Oscar Delp (#4) told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that "we know how good of a quarterback he is. So I think we're really just excited for everyone else to finally get to see what he can do."
The game was delayed from January1 to January2 after a truck attack that took place in the nearby French Quarter.
The first score came on the fifth drive of the game; each team punted on their first drive, Georgia's second drive ended with a fumble at the Notre Dame 16-yard line, and Notre Dame punted for a second time before Georgia took a 3âÂÂ0 lead on a 41-yard Peyton Woodring (#91) field goal. Notre Dame tied the game with a field goal of their own from Mitch Jeter (#98) on their following possession. After one additional Fighting Irish punt and two more from the Bulldogs, Notre Dame took their first lead with 39 seconds until halftime on another successful field goal by Jeter. On Georgia's next play, RJ Oben (#9) sacked Stockton as he was winding up to throw and Junior Tuihalamaka (#44) recovered for Notre Dame, leading to a touchdown pass from Riley Leonard (#13) to WR Beaux Collins (#5) and a 13âÂÂ3 lead for the Fighting Irish at halftime.
Notre Dame extended its lead on the opening kickoff of the second half, which was returned 98 yards for a touchdown by Jayden Harrison (#2). Georgia punted on 4th&3 on their next drive, and the Irish went three-and-out in response. The Bulldogs pulled within ten points on a 5-play drive that followed, ending in a 32-yard touchdown pass from Stockton to Cash Jones (#32), but they were unable to score further. They turned the ball over on downs on each of their final two offensive possessions, while Notre Dame added a 47-yard Jeter field goal in addition to a turnover on downs. Ultimately, the Irish ran out the clock to earn a semifinal berth with a 23âÂÂ10 victory. Following the team's loss, Stockton opined that he "couldâÂÂve done better. Just knowing where the play clock is, and managing it is a big part of it"; linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (#2) said, "As much as you want to, you're not going to win the national championship every single year".
Newcomer tight end Henry Delp (#89) is Oscar Delp's (#4) younger brother.
Defensive assistant coach Travaris Robinson moved to Georgia this year from Alabama. Robinson told The Athletic that "some of the things that we do here are a little different from Alabama", noting that the Bulldogs were trying to make their defense "not as complex" so that "our guys are able to play faster".