Kirby Smart ended his opening statement at SEC media days by highlighting the importance of staff continuity. It was clearly an emphasis of his, as the Georgia coach believes it will give the Bulldogs an edge heading into this year.

“Every full-time coach on this year’s staff -- listen to me carefully -- every full-time coach on this year’s staff was on last year’s staff,” Smart said. “Tell me the last time a national championship team can say that.”

Georgia did have to make one rather big coaching change this offseason. The team has a new offensive coordinator, as Todd Monken is now calling plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

In his place will be Mike Bobo. He was an analyst on last year’s team, helping out behind the scenes.

Georgia players were already used to seeing him around the building. Now they’ll see him with the play sheet.

“Yeah, it was pretty seamless because Bobo was there last year and then the tight end room actually helping out and just being the offense, quality control, assistant kind of role,” tight end Brock Bowers said. “So everyone was kind of used to him. I mean, everyone really likes him. So it’s been a pretty seamless transition.”

Bowers became one of the best players in the country thanks to Monken. The tight end led Georgia in receiving in each of the last two seasons as he powered the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships.

Getting the most out of Bowers would be a great place to start for Bobo as he takes over in a new role.

But thanks to being on staff last year, Bowers feels confident that Bobo knows his personnel.

“Coach Bobo was in the tight end room last year so it was an easy transition,” Bowers said. “He brings a lot of the same offensive stuff to the table as Coach Monken did, and so he’ll be throwing a few wrinkles here and there.”

This isn’t Bobo’s first time running an offense at Georgia, as he was the offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2014. He’s also served as the head coach at Colorado State, in addition to stops at Auburn and South Carolina as offensive coordinator.

Georgia’s offense led the Bulldogs to a national championship last year, as the Bulldogs averaged 41.1 points per game. That was the highest output for Georgia since 2014, Bobo’s last offense at Georgia.

The Bulldogs do have to replace both offensive tackles and find a new quarterback, with Stetson Bennett now being a Los Angeles Ram. The continuity among players isn’t quite the same as it is for the coaching staff for Georgia. Carson Beck is the favorite to win the job, but Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton will continue to battle for the job.

“I can’t put a timetable on that or a volume of plays,” Smart said on making a decision at the quarterback position. “Coach Bobo and the offensive staff bring me a sheet every day that says this is who is getting the 1′s percentage, this is who is getting the 2′s and who is getting the 3′s. The one luxury we have is Carson has had a greater volume, so if you’re willing to cut his volume, you’re able to increase the other two’s volumes with the ones. So, we’ll see how that goes. I just don’t know exactly how much right now.”

Georgia had to replace four coaches off of the 2021 championship staff and the Bulldogs were able to overcome that on their way to winning a second-consecutive national championship.

Smart is banking on the strength of that coaching staff once again guiding the Bulldogs to another championship. Even if there has been a tweak at one of the more important coaching positions on staff, Georgia still knows what it is about and what it wants to be on offense.

“I expect us to still be explosive. The offense is looking great,” defensive back Kamari Lassiter said. “The quarterbacks, all three of those guys, they are three guys who are very composed and very good.”