(Photo credit: Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The official start of a new era under center in Athens will begin on Saturday, when the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs host the Marshall Thundering Herd in the season opener.

After patiently waiting his turn, redshirt junior quarterback Gunner Stockton will assume the role of starting quarterback in 2025 after filling in for an injured Carson Beck at the end of last season. Stockton helped rally the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship Game victory over Texas, before throwing for 234 yards and a touchdown in Georgia's Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.

Now with a full offseason as the leader under his belt, Stockton is eagerly anticipating his chance.

'We're really excited about the season,' said Stockton, who holds the Georgia high school state record for career passing yards (13,652) and touchdowns (177). 'We've had a great offseason, just getting to know everybody and coming together and really connecting. ... I'm excited for this new year with the SEC schedule. It's no joke. I'm glad there's a bunch of home games. Can't wait for the first one against Marshall.'

Before Stockton and company can begin to think about the gauntlet of the SEC, the Bulldogs (11-3 in 2024) will welcome a Marshall team coming off its first 10-win season in nine years. After winning the Sun Belt title last year, head coach Charles Huff left for Southern Mississippi and the Thundering Herd hired first-year head coach Tony Gibson, who was serving as North Carolina State's defensive coordinator.

Preparing for the second all-time meeting with the program, Smart won't let his team overlook the overmatched visitors.

'Marshall's got a tremendous history of a lot of good football players, a lot of good teams,' Smart said. 'To look and see what they did last year in a really, extremely tough Sun Belt Conference, it kind of speaks for itself. So, our guys are excited to go play. We always say the game's about us, and it'll always be about how we play. We've got to go play our best, so that's the next step for us.'

Following a roster overhaul that saw Marshall's starting quarterback, leading rusher and virtually every contributing receiver enter the transfer portal, the Thundering Herd (10-3) were predicted to finish sixth in the Sun Belt's East Division.

Gibson knows it may take an adjustment period with the number of new faces, but that won't stop him from laying the necessary groundwork.

'We have 72 new players. We have 54 out of the portal and 18 from high school,' Gibson said. 'Our goal is we're going to establish a run game on offense. I want a physical football team. People that do not fit in well with me and our team are lazy and soft. I want loyal people as well.'

Syracuse transfer Carlos Del Rio-Wilson has emerged as Marshall's projected starter at quarterback. Before missing last season due to injury, Del Rio-Wilson appeared in 14 games from 2022-23, totaling 624 passing yards and five total touchdowns.

--Field Level Media