Juan Gaston had an offseason transformation. The Georgia OL came into his second season looking noticeably leaner and in better shape. But Kirby Smart wants everyone to pump the brakes. For the sophomore to become a dependable starter, the Bulldogs’ head coach says there is another hurdle left.

When Kirby Smart was asked about Juan Gaston’s progress during fall camp, he didn’t deliver the glowing review some might have expected. 

“Stamina needs to improve,” he said via DawgNation. “Somewhere out in you guys’ world, it became this great offseason loss of weight and this great physical specimen. But he has to be able to play more snaps. He’s got to have better stamina.”

Kirby Smart said the outside narrative had turned Juan Gaston’s weight loss into a bigger story than it actually was. But for him, a leaner appearance doesn’t matter if the strength can’t keep up. His message to the 6’7, 360-pound OL is not to get caught up reading the praise.

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“I’ve addressed that with him,” he added. “I’ve told him, ‘You can do one of two things. You can read what people write about you, or you can listen to what your coaches tell you and listen to the truth.’ And we’re very honest with him that he, to be able to start and play down and down and out, he’s got to get in better shape and be able to sustain.”

Kirby Smart also pointed to the kind of football Georgia expects from its offensive line. Eight, nine, or ten plays without the wheels coming off. Doing that in practice is one thing. Doing it inside Sanford Stadium, in the heat, with pads on and an opponent trying to wear you down is another.

“That doesn’t mean you’re prepared to go out in Sanford Stadium and play a 10-play drive when it’s 110 degrees,” he said. “We’re not where we need to be in regards to that. And that’s not directly at Juan as much as it is everybody is a group.”

Last season, Juan Gaston played 13 games and made four starts. He helped Georgia produce 32.1 points and 182.1 rushing yards per game while the Bulldogs allowed just 18 sacks, third-best in the SEC. Now the role is different. With Monroe Freeling gone, they have openings along the O-line. The sophomore has experience at both guard and tackle, but the current projection has him at right tackle.

That puts plenty of attention on Juan Gaston. Georgia’s line has enough talent to make the preseason hype believable. Earnest Greene III returns at left tackle. Drew Bobo is back at center after earning first-team All-SEC honors by SEC Media. Dontrell Glover provides another returning starter, while freshman Zykie Helton has pushed into the starting conversation at right guard.

CBS Sports even ranked Georgia’s offensive line No. 1 nationally entering the 2026 season. But rankings don’t block anybody. Juan Gaston will have to do that himself. The Bulldogs open the season against Tennessee State on Sept. 5. That’s when the offseason stories disappear, and the real test begins.

For Juan Gaston, Kirby Smart has already laid out the challenge. Looking better is nice, but staying on the field and winning snap after snap is what matters.