Georgia Football: New Year's Resolutions for the Bulldogs

2015 is over for the Georgia Bulldogs. They do have a bowl game to get ready for, but that’s not until January 2, 2016. So the Bulldogs have a chance to start the new year on the right foot.

And they need a fresh start after what happened in 2015. Yes, the Bulldogs won four consecutive games to end the season, and they also have a chance to have a 10-win season. But the fact that they got blown out by Florida and Alabama did not sit well with Bulldog Nation, which led to Mark Richt being let go and Kirby Smart taking over.

So it’s safe to say 2016 can’t get here any faster for the Bulldogs. Here are a few New Year’s resolutions that will help them have a year to remember.

Find a Quarterback

In Greyson Lambert’s defense, he did not have a terrible season. He completed 64 percent of his passes, he had an efficiency rating of 143.7 and he led the Bulldogs to nine wins this season, including four straight to end the year.

But he never was asked to win a game for the Bulldogs, and when he needed to make plays, he came up short, especially in the Alabama game when he completed 41 percent of his passes.

247 Sports

With a new coaching staff coming in, Lambert’s job is not set in stone for next season. Jacob Eason will enroll early, and if new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney likes what he sees from Eason, he will likely go with the true freshman.

Regardless of what decision the Bulldogs make at quarterback, they need to make it as soon as spring practice is over and not have the battle go into fall camp like it did this past year.

Have a Top 10 Recruiting Class

This might be a challenge because the Bulldogs lost a few recruits as soon as Smart was hired. However, in the 247 Sports Composite Recruiting Rankings, Georgia is ranked No. 13.

Once Smart is done with his duties at Alabama, he will focus on getting some of the top recruits in the state such as Derrick Brown, Demetris Robertson and Nigel Warrior. And Smart would love to nab some of the top recruits in the country such as Rashan Gary, Isaac Nauta and Ben Davis.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Smart was known for being a good recruiter during his time at Alabama, and according to Kipp Adams of 247 Sports, Smart is working hard to get 4-star recruit Xavier McKinney to flip from Alabama to Georgia.

"I talked to Coach Kirby Smart on Christmas eve," McKinney said during check-in for the Elite Junior Classic in Powder Springs, Georgia. "He kind of told me that he really wanted me and that he is going to try really hard to get me to flip."

If Smart can get McKinney to flip, that could lead to more recruits coming to Georgia, which will also means the Bulldogs will get back to being a Top 10 class when Signing Day arrives.

The Return of Nick Chubb

Finding a quarterback will help the Bulldogs tremendously next season. But they need Nick Chubb to be healthy in order for them get where they want to go.

Chubb injured his knee in the Tennessee game back in October. When that happened, the offense changed, and it was not for the better.

Sony Michel was able to do some good things as Chubb’s replacement, rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. But Chubb made a huge impact on the offense because he could break tackles, run away from defenders and hit defenders hard as he was running.

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Nick Chubb 2015 Highlights https://t.co/gjadxfMb3R

— Bulldawg Illustrated (@BD_illustrated) November 11, 2015"

The good news is Chubb’s recovery is going well according to Seth Emerson of DawgNation. Chubb is currently with the team in Jacksonville, Florida, as they get ready for the TaxSlayer Bowl, and he was walking without crutches or a boot.

“He’s doing good,” fellow sophomore tailback Michel said. “In good spirits. He doesn’t have any worries. He knows he’s gonna be back strong next year, playing football.”

That’s good to hear, because whoever becomes the starting quarterback needs to have a strong running game in order to be successful. And when Chubb and Michel are able to do work at the same time, it’s very difficult to stop.

All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports, unless otherwise noted. You can follow Brian Jones on Twitter @brian_l_jones.