3 Georgia football takeaways regarding the updated Blue-Chip Ratio numbers

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3 Georgia Football Takeaways From Updated Blue-Chip Relationships

If you want to understand why the Blue-Chip relationship matters as much as it does, you only have to look at last year’s national championship game. Georgia cleared the 50 percent threshold, while TCU did not. As injuries pile up over the course of a 15-game season, the Blue-Chip Ratio helps illustrate which potential teams have the depth to make it through the season and potentially come out on top.

Georgia won the national title game 65-7, outscoring TCU in four quarters. Georgia’s guards were able to find the end zone and get stops with ease. While Georgia has lost double-digit players to both the NFL draft and the transfer portal, it is once again well over the 50 percent mark.

There is no surprise among Georgia. But digging a little deeper into the numbers, there are some takeaways from Georgia’s roster and the competition Georgia faces as it hopes to win a third straight national championship.

*All rankings are via the 247Sports Composite

Georgia football has no problem with three-star prospects

You could see a pretty big gap between Georgia and its contemporaries in Alabama and Ohio State. The Crimson Tide’s roster once again has the most talented roster in the nation on paper, with 90 percent of the roster comprised of blue-chip recruits. Ohio State’s share is 85 percent.

Obviously, the 3-star recruits are a big part of the difference between Georgia and the other two programs. The Bulldogs have 18 former 3-star recruits on the roster. That’s more than Alabama and Ohio State combined, as Alabama only has five and Ohio State has nine.

But as any Georgia fan knows, these three-star recruits shouldn’t be relegated to second-class citizenship. Javon Bullard and Ladd McConkey are Georgia’s key players this season and were both three-star recruits during the recruiting process. They have clearly exceeded that mark.

Kirby Smart has emphasized the importance of trusting his player evaluations during the recruiting process. The development of Bullard and McConkey shows its value, especially since both have had big games against both Alabama and Ohio State.

Georgia currently has four 3-star recruits in its 2024 recruiting class. Georgia is ranked No. 1 right now, but it’s clear Smart is again relying on his evaluations instead of various recruiting services

Another mistake for Georgia’s schedule

Georgia is scheduled to play just two of the 16 teams that exceed the 50 percent threshold. That would be Florida, which is made up of 64 percent blue-chip players, and Auburn, which just squeezes in at 51 percent.

By comparison, Alabama plays four games during the regular season.

Georgia’s toughest game on paper appears to be Tennessee, as the Volunteers won 11 games last season. Josh Heupels’ program is just outside the 50 percent mark.

With changes to the SEC schedule, the 2023 season will likely be the last time Georgia plays just two regular season games against teams with mostly blue chip players. Both Texas and Oklahoma will join the SEC next year and are at 70 percent. Georgia no longer plays the likes of South Carolina and Missouri every year, instead seeing more of LSU and Texas A&M.

Here we should also point out that in Georgia’s 2024 season, the Bulldogs will face a Clemson team that currently has 72 percent blue-chip players on its roster. It currently ranks Fifth among all schools. Georgia had no problem dismantling an Oregon team with a roster made up of 67 percent blue-chip players.

Georgia was not hurt by the moves

Of the 16 schools that exceed the 50 percent threshold, only Georgia and Michigan were not negatively impacted by the addition of transfer players.