The Georgia Bulldogs are National Champs... again. And Georgia is here to stay looking forward to 2023. But what else is there to look forward to for the 2023 season. There is still the second National Signing Day, and the rest of the Transfer Portal needs to shake out. But there are some for sure things looking forward. And Georgia being at the top of the sport is one of those for sure things. After the National Championship, where the Dawgs used the 4th quarter as a scrimmage for their young players, Georgia is the new gold standard of the sport. They take that mantle from Alabama who has held it for the last decade plus.
Quarterbacks
There are some big named quarterbacks returning to school next season. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is back for the USC Trojans. Drake Maye returns to Chapel Hill after an impressive season with the Tar Heels. Bo Nix is back for the Oregon Duck after getting that program back to National Championship caliber. And Utah's Cameron Rising is back for Utah after back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and Rose Bowl appearances. Those are some of the big named quarterbacks returning to school. Guys like D.J. Uiagalelei, Sam Hartman, and graham Mertz are all transferring out of their former schools for new locations. More on that to come.
Conference Realignment
We get a domino to fall the the conference realignment parade. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF will all be going to the Big 12. But that's not the only change that COULD be coming to the conference. In early December reports started to come out that Texas and Oklahoma are trying to work out a deal behind the scenes with FOX and ESPN, the conferences television partners, that could see the schools go to the SEC before the 2025 season. There are many details around this, but if the television partners are okay with it, then the conference can do little to get in the way.
Georgia Preseason #1
Georgia is the gold standard in college football. And don't expect the Dawgs to catch an L in the regular season in 2023. They have non conference games against UT Martin, Ball State, UAB, and Georgia Tech. They play the SEC East teams and Auburn on the road and a home game against Ole Miss. Stetson Bennett has no more eligibility, so UGA will need to find a new quarterback. Carson Beck is the best quarterback on the roster, but it wouldn't surprise anyone should the Dawgs dip their toe in the transfer portal and get a proven player.
Other Teams with High Expectations
Most of the usual suspects will be in the preseason top-10. Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, and USC will be firmly in the top-10. Florida State will be back in the conversation of elite teams in 2023. The Noles return 7 defensive players and 9 on offense including quarterback Jordan Travis. Florida State does face a difficult schedule with an opening weekend game against LSU in Orlando, road games against Clemson and Florida, and a home matchup with Miami. FSU should be back competing for the ACC title, and hopeful to get into the College Football Playoff.
Heisman Hopefuls
Caleb Williams returns to USC after his Heisman Trophy winning campaign. He will continue to put up crazy number with Lincoln Riley, and barring an injury we should expect to see him in New York again in 2023. Max Duggan has one year of eligability remaining. If he comes back to school, then expect him to have another good season. Jordan Travis at Florida State, Drake Maye at North Carolina, Michael Penix Jr. at Washington, RB Blake Corum for Michigan, and Quinn Ewers for the longhorns headline the early favorites for the 2023 Heisman Trophy.
Big Name Transfers
The Transfer Portal is a way for football programs to rebuild on the fly. There is no shortage of big named players in the Transfer Portal this year, and we know the destination of many of those players. Here's what we know so far.
QB D.J Uiagalelei (Clemson to Oregon State)
QB Sam Harman (Wake Forest to Notre Dame)
QB Graham Mertz (Wisconsin to Florida)
QB Devin Leary (NC State to Kentucky)
DB Travis Hunter (Jackson St. to Colorado)
LB Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska to Michigan)
WR Dominic Lovett (Missouri to Georgia)
OL Javion Cohen (Alabama to Miami)
S Ja'Had Carter (Syracuse to Ohio State)
CB Denver Harris (Texas A&M to LSU)
Non-Conference Matchups
As usual, Notre Dame headlines the list of the biggest non-conference matchups. They have 3 HUGE games in 2023. They host Ohio State on 9/23 and USC on 10/14. They also have a road game against Clemson on November 4th. Here are some more of the biggest non-conference games in 2023:
9/2- Florida @ Utah, Colorado @ TCU, West Virginia @ Penn State
9/3- LSU vs FSU (in Orlando)
9/9- Texas @ Alabama, Texas A&M @ Miami, Utah @ Baylor, Wisconsin @ Washington State, Nebraska @ Colorado
9/16- Michigan State @ Washington, Virginia @ Maryland, Minnesota @ UNC
