Georgia football looks to reload on special teams in 2026 season

To get an idea how much this is a season of change for Georgia football's special teams, look at the coaches preseason All-SEC teams this year and last.

Georgia placed four on the first team in 2025 and had none make first, second or third team this year.

Punter Brett Thorson, the Ray Guy Award winner, is now in the NFL. He made the Vikings’ initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent.

Kickoff and punt returner Zachariah Branch is now with the Falcons.

Beau Gardner, who won the Patrick Mannelly Award for nation’s top snapper, is gone, too.

Back for a fourth season as Georgia’s kicker is Peyton Woodring.

Coach Kirby Smart said Monday of the Bulldogs' special teams: "It's in good hands considering what we lost. We lost some guys there."

Woodring was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award last season after making 17 of 19 field goals. Coaches didn’t place him on the preseason teams this year.

Smart said Woodring and freshman Harran Zureikat from Pittsburgh have had good camps.

Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell made first team at kicker, Ole Miss’ Lucas Carneiro was second team and Auburn’s Alex McPherson was picked third.

Drew Miller, a third-year player from Mediapolis, Iowa, handled the punting duties in the opener last season and in the Sugar Bowl in the 2024 season after Thorson was injured.

He averaged 48 yards on 6 punts against Marshall and 39.8 on 4 against Notre Dame.

"He's punted," Smart said. "It's not like his first time going out there. He's had a really good camp. He's had some good matching distance and hangs which is important to us, not outkicking his coverage. He's been really good at sky kicks."

Smart said that Miller is getting pushed by freshman Wade Register from Trinity Christian School.

"He's got a challenge, he's got competition," Smart said. "I've enjoyed watching those two go at it."

Sacovie White-Helton, Landon Roldan and Craig Dandrige are among those who could be returners this season.

Smart mentioned senior snapper Will Snellings as doing "a good job. Georgia also signed Colton Dermer, who flipped from Michigan last winter.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football looks to reload on special teams in 2026 season