This doesn’t figure to be quite the tumultuous offseason for the Georgia football program, at least not as much as last season. Seventeen of the 22 starters on offense and defense in Monday’s Outback Bowl were non-seniors, and there isn’t expected to be any mass exodus of underclassmen or staff members.

But some players will inevitably leave, whether it be for the pros or a better chance at playing time. There are always unexpected moves. And the Georgia coaches will continue to recruit and tweak to try and make the program better.

So this is a best guess, or at least an educated snapshot, of the decisions that will shape Georgia’s offseason. (And does not include decisions already announced, or more general concerns, such as special teams.) They were put in order of immediate concern:

1. Bacarri Rambo’s decision: The junior safety has appeared to be leaning towards going, but a third-round draft grade from the NFL may give him pause. If Rambo returns, Georgia’s secondary will be filled with very experienced talent. If he leaves, Corey Moore, who got scant time this year as a freshman, would be the early favorite to step in his role. Or Sanders Commings could move permanently to safety, leaving Branden Smith and Damian Swann at cornerback.

2. Orson Charles’ decision: The junior tight end was the team’s leading pass-catcher in the regular season, but only had a two-yard catch in his Tampa homecoming. Will that affect his decision at all? Charles is more likely to be persuaded to return if he doesn’t receive a first-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee. If he comes back, quarterback Aaron Murray will have yet another weapon to go along with a deep core of receivers (Malcolm Mitchell, Tavarres King, Michael Bennett and Chris Conley). But if Charles leaves, then sophomore Arthur Lynch ascends to the top spot, and Jay Rome, who redshirted as a freshman, will move into the rotation as well. Georgia’s offense would be better with Charles, but it could be argued that Rambo would be the bigger loss. 

3. Wild-card pro decisions: Outside linebacker Cornelius Washington is mulling it over too. Should he stay, he’ll likely be the starter again opposite Jarvis Jones. Should he leave, the Ray Drew era would begin. Branden Smith hasn’t closed the door on going pro either, and if he and Rambo were to leave the secondary would be in a big state of flux. It doesn’t appear that any other underclassmen are seriously considering the jump, but you never know.

4. Todd Gurley and Mike Davis: Georgia already has a commitment from Keith Marshall, the nation’s top-rated tailback, but it has continued to recruiting Gurley and Davis. That’s a sign of discontent with the current crop of tailbacks (more on that in a moment) but Gurley and Davis could also play right away. Would the Bulldogs sign three tailbacks? Or even a fourth that came along? Considering the chaos in the backfield lately, if Georgia thinks a tailback is both a good prospect and a good citizen, it will find room.

5. Which tailbacks stay or go: We know Marshall is on the way. If Gurley and or Davis come – and one seems likely – then that makes for a crowded backfield. Richt has done little to hide his displeasure with the tailbacks, with only Richard Samuel – the good citizen of the bunch – getting consistent praise. Will there be a repeat of last year, when Washaun Ealey left the program for what were called personal reasons? Perhaps.

6. Coaching staff changes: None are immediately foreseen. But hardly an offseason goes by when an assistant doesn’t leave for a better job or makes a lateral move for some reason. At this point any move will be impossible to predict. As much as fans grumble about offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, he has Richt’s confidence, is a good recruiter and is close to Murray. Running backs coach Bryan McClendon may have to answer for all the trouble with his unit, but he’s also an outstanding recruiter, and Georgia more than doubled his salary last year to keep him from going anywhere. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham could be a target of another team, but Georgia will do what it takes to keep him, unless it’s an NFL team, in which case it would come down to a personal decision for Grantham.

7. OL Avery Young’s college decision: The offensive line prospect from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., would have a chance to play right away on Georgia’s line, which loses three seniors. The Bulldogs are already getting John Theus, perhaps the nation’s top O-line recruit, who could start at left tackle. But Young would be a candidate to start somewhere as well.

8. WR Cordarrelle Patterson’s college decision: Patterson is a junior college prospect who would play right away. Georgia may be loaded at receiver already, but Patterson is good enough to break into the rotation right away.

9. Backup quarterback Hutson Mason: The sophomore has been outspoken in his desire to play, and knows that with Murray around it likely won’t happen in the next two years at Georgia. The Bulldog coaches would prefer he redshirts than leaves, but Mason may have other ideas. If Mason leaves, Christian LeMay becomes the backup, with Faron Bauta the only other quarterback on the roster. If Mason stays, he will still like to redshirt. Mason sticking around and being Murray’s main backup in 2012 could still happen, but it isn’t very likely.

10. Defensive position switches: Grantham may have to move some players around before spring practice, depending on who returns. Nick Marshall could see time at cornerback or safety. The team also has a wealth of good inside linebackers – Alec Ogletree, Christian Robinson, Mike Gilliard and Amarlo Herrera – so one could be moved to help at another spot. Things could also change at linebacker if Josh Harvey-Clemons, a recruit from south Georgia, signs with the Bulldogs.