The University of Georgia football team leads Texas Christian University 38-7 after the first half in the College Football National Championship at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday, Jan. 9.

Georgia’s second national championship victory in two years came with a bittersweet feeling.

A number of players on the team were donning red and black for the last time in their college careers. Nolan Smith, Kenny McIntosh, Stetson Bennett, and other parts of the Bulldogs’ winningest senior class were among the numerous players who have been crucial to the team’s success.

Smith’s injury, in the game against Florida, stung the program and many would have loved to see the leader and one of the most respected players on the team suit up one last time.

But during his time being active on the field, Smith nonetheless caused havoc for opposing offenses. Despite his injury that cut his final season with the Bulldogs short, he proved himself to be one of Georgia’s top defenders.

Now, Smith will likely be headed to the NFL Draft where he’s projected to be an early selection.

“Just because he doesn’t have a helmet or shoulder pads on means he can’t lead,” linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson said. “Nolan has been leading for the last six weeks with a t-shirt and a brace on. Nothing really changes.”

It seems as though running back Kenny McIntosh became a star overnight this season. With the exception of Todd Gurley, he is the only Bulldog to have at least 700 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in one season.

McIntosh’s total production in the 2022 season outperformed both Zamir White and James Cook, Georgia’s primary running backs in the 2021 season, who he had previously played behind. He capped off this season with 149 rushing attempts for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Georgia fans are all familiar with Bennett’s story, that of a former walk-on who many wrote off but went on to win two straight national championships for a program that hadn’t won one in 41 years.

The 25-year-old went out on a high note and will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Georgia football history.

“He’s at the top. The very top,” offensive tackle Broderick Jones said after the national championship game. “Stetson has done so much for this program it’s crazy. All the way from giving [the defense] scout looks to playing to throwing game-winning balls. He’s done everything he could at the University of Georgia.”

Like last year, this year’s defense featured a number of prominent players, including defensive back Christopher Smith, who joined the team in 2018 and spent his first two seasons on special teams and as a rotational defender.

When you play alongside notable names like Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Jalen Carter, players like Christopher Smith are often overlooked. But Smith excelled in his final two seasons as a Bulldog, becoming a leader in the secondary and many consider him to be among the best safeties available in the NFL Draft.

“Those guys that are leaving, just a special group of guys,” Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard said. “I know a guy who touched me is Chris [Smith]. I’m going to miss Chris. Chris is like a brother to me on and off the field.”

In addition to former kicker and fan favorite Rodrigo Blankenship, kicker Jack Podlesny will be remembered as one of the best kickers in Georgia football history. Podlesny made 84% of his field goals this season and missed only one extra point.

The 2023 CFP National Championship was a flawless conclusion for Georgia’s senior class and those who move on to playing the sport at the next level will look to wreak havoc in the NFL.