Editor’s Note: This is the 11th of a 25-part series. Using our still-too-early Top 25, 247Sports is giving a post-National Signing Day outlook for college football’s top teams.

Georgia Spring Game : April 22

Kirby Smart’s first campaign at Georgia was filled with both hope and a little disappointment. Three losses by three points or less led to an 8-5 campaign, but the season also showed growth from what was one of college football’s youngest units.

Year 2 will be critical for Smart with a staggering 19 starters returning and the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class incoming to provide an extra boost of depth.

Georgia should fight with Florida for a championship game slot in the SEC’s far weaker division. Something went very wrong if the Bulldogs don’t.

Offseason Outlook

(Returning Starters: Offense – 7, Defense – 11)

Georgia's offseason outlook is pretty simple: They're pretty much back if they played last season.

Outside of nickelback Maurice Smith (who played Georgia’s STAR position), essentially the entire Bulldog defensive two-deep returns. That includes the unit’s 11 starters, which will feature six seniors in 2017. There will certainly be some changes to that lineup, but no unit will have more stability than the Georgia defense in the SEC next season.

Georgia finished 35th in scoring defense a year ago. The Bulldogs should markedly improve in 2017 with so many returners and in the second year of Smart’s system.

Offensively, the Bulldogs return everyone except three members of the offensive line (left tackle Tyler Catalina, right tackle Greg Pyke and center Brandon Kublanow). Those departures are problematic for Georgia, however, as there were times in 2016 true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason came under significant fire. A lack of time in the pocket stunted Eason's developmental progress and also makes it much harder to judge his first-year production.

Inconsistent and sometimes stagnant is the best way to describe the Bulldog offense in 2016. Georgia finished 102nd nationally in points scored per game with the passing attack (97th nationally) being a main source of the unit’s woes.

Eason had his up-and-down freshman moments, but there were times he flashed the potential that had 247Sports rank him as the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2016 class. The Bulldogs just had a hard time finding anyone to catch the ball.

Drops were an issue all year long, and only junior Isaiah McKenzie (44 catches, 633 yards) managed to clear the 400-yard receiving mark. McKenzie departed early for the NFL Draft.

The good news offensively for Georgia is a deep stable of backs will return, led by senior-to-be Nick Chubb. One of the nation’s top rushers before tearing ligaments in his knee midway through the 2015 season, Chubb returned quickly in 2016 to rush for 1,130 yards.

With an additional year to get healthy, Chubb should be even closer to his sophomore year form that saw him rush for 1,547 yards and 7.1 yards per carry. Add in fellow senior Sony Michel (840 yards, 5.5 ypc), and the Bulldogs will have one of the top one-two running back combos in college football.

Offseason Storyline to Follow

There are a lot of offensive stories to track with the Bulldogs, but the most important is how the offensive line comes together.

A group that was inconsistent in both run blocking and pass protection last year must replace three starters. Right guard Lamont Gaillard will likely slide to center to replace Kublanow, but that still leaves a number of roles to be filled.

Top junior college offensive lineman D’Marcus Hayes enrolled early and should take one of the two openings at tackle. Georgia also signed three Top 100 offensive line prospects in the 2016 class, including five-star tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson.

Both are on the raw side and in need of work, but expect at least one of them to contend for a starting spot in 2017. The tackles left on the two-deep (Pat Allen and Kendall Baker) have a lot to prove.

In terms of the open guard spot, look out for redshirt freshman Solomon Kindley and redshirt freshman Ben Cleveland. Georgia also signed 6-foot-4, 341-pound guard Netori Johnson in the 2017 class. Already 20 years old, the four-star prospect is college-ready and could contend at right guard when he arrives this summer.

Offensive line isn’t the team’s only issue, but its improvement will play a huge role in Eason’s development and the potential elevation of the rushing attack from good to elite.

It all starts in the trenches for the Bulldog offense.

Instant-Impact Addition

Jeremiah Holloman (WR): Taking the incoming offensive linemen out of consideration, a true freshman to watch out for is the 6-foot-2, 195-pound early enrollee. Holloman, the nation’s No. 125 overall prospect, will instantly be one of the most explosive athletes on Georgia’s roster.

He’s a big, athletic wide receiver – he's a two-time state champion in the triple jump – and is exactly the kind of threat Eason needs on the outside.

Holloman will need some polish as a route runner and blocker, but he’s almost certain to play in 2017. An early enrollee, Holloman is already on campus and forming a bond with Eason. Expect him to be a part of the two-deep come Georgia’s season opener.

Previous Teams Ranked in 247Sports' Too-Early Top 25 Countdown

No. 25: Oregon

No. 24: Florida

No. 23: UCLA

No. 22 Boise State

No. 21: Texas

No. 20: South Florida

No. 19: Miami

No. 18: West Virginia

No. 17: Stanford

No. 16: Kansas State