ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart will take to the podium on Tuesday to discuss Saturday’s scrimmage, providing more insight to what UGA fans hope will be a championship team.

The Bulldogs open the season at 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 against Clemson in what promises to be a physical football team that will test the 2024 edition of Georgia football.

There are plenty of questions about every football team in the nation entering the 2024 season, and the Bulldogs, as talented and experienced as they are, are no exception.

Here are five burning questions for Georgia with less than two weeks before the team’s opening game:

Defensive line depth

The Bulldogs’ interior defensive line dropped off last season, and there’s been hope the return of veterans Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson could raise the bar on last season’s run defense, which finished 18th in the nation.

Stackhouse has maintained his health, but with Brinson nursing an Achilles-related injury and former 5-star recruit Jordan Hall out with a stress fracture in his leg, there will be questions about the quality of play in the unit.

Carson Beck focus

Beck most always carries a cool disposition on and off the field, but there will be questions about how Georgia’s celebrated quarterback manages the pass game with three-time All-American Brock Bowers and explosive wideout Ladd McConkey having moved on to the NFL.

Beck looked good on the final drive of the G-Day Game, but how will the new primary pass targets look when confronted by opponents in a different colored jersey in non-scripted play?

Running back rotation

Florida transfer Trevor Etienne was arguably the most pivotal addition in the SEC, but the opening day status of the gifted back is in doubt on account of a well-documented offseason driving incident.

The Bulldogs have given electric freshman back Nate Frazier plenty of work in the preseason scrimmages which had led to some speculation the experienced Etienne might not be made available for the opener on account of possible disciplinary action.

Power back Rod Robinson sat out the last scrimmage (turf toe), while Branson Robinson continued to work his way back from last year’s knee injury, leaving questions as to how the carries might ultimately be distributed against the Tigers.

Secondary status

There has been plenty of competition in a talented, but reloaded secondary that saw three starters from last season’s team selected among the Top 100 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

All-American Malaki Starks and veteran Dan Jackson are projected to start at safety, while former 5-star recruit Joenel Aguero has matured into a sophomore starting at the Star.

How soon might dynamic freshman and former 5-star recruit KJ Bolden show his high ceiling?

Daylen Everette is an All-SEC-type cornerback, but there are questions at the other corner where redshirt sophomore Julian Humphrey and sophomore Daniel Harris are battling it out for starting honors.

The best 11

Smart pledges to start the best 11 each time out, but that can vary by opponent, as Georgia schemes carefully for each opponent.

A two-tight end looks seems most likely on offense, as it provides the offense with great versatility, while players’ health and experience will be major factors when selecting the defensive starting unit.

Georgia’s return game, shaky at times last season, is another question as Smart stresses consistency and good judgment as much as explosive potential.