ATHENS — Georgia football will feature a 2 p.m. kickoff time for its annual G-Day Game on April 18 at Sanford Stadium.

The Bulldogs are just a couple of weeks from the start of spring football drills leading up to the much-anticipated scrimmage that draws tens of thousands to Georgia’s storied home stadium.

This year’s crowd could be among the biggest in UGA history with the Bulldogs expected to compete for a national championship and looking to make history with a fourth-straight SEC East Division title.

This year’s scrimmage will be streamed via SEC Network-plus, as there are several other SEC teams holding their respective spring games on the same date. The SEC Network plans “Whiparound” coverage between 2-4 p.m., with shifts from Georgia to Alabama and Florida spring games.

Georgia fans will be looking to see several new players on offense that are expected to play prominent roles.

Those players will be challenged by a defense that ranked as the best in the nation in 2019.

Nine of the 11 starters from the Sugar Bowl team are returning to what could be Kirby Smart’s best defense.

The offense, meanwhile, should have a new twist with coordinator Todd Monken at the helm and UGA shifting to a scheme suited for dual-threat quarterbacks.

The Bulldogs’ competition under center is sure to make the most headlines, although it would seem Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman is the favorite to win the starting job.

Smart typically allows the competition at positions to play out over the summer and into fall drills, with impact freshmen recruits arriving each summer.

At quarterback, however, incoming freshman Carson Beck is already on campus and enrolled in spring classes, giving him a good opportunity to learn the offense and show his skills.

Georgia also returns junior Stetson Bennett and redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis, both of whom will also be competing for the job.

The Bulldogs look to replace projected first-round running back D’Andre Swift and have a talented stable of backs who will also be competing for carries.

The offensive line, now led by associate head coach Matt Luke, is also a work in progress after losing three starters to early entry into the NFL draft — offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson, and offensive guard Solomon Kindley.

Georgia begins spring football practice on March 17, the day before the Bulldogs host their “Pro Day” with coaches and scouts from all 32 NFL teams on hand.