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Georgia football program tracker: Player movement, staff changes and other news
- Story byAthens Banner-Herald
- Georgia football program tracker: Player movement, staff changes and other news
The look of the 2024 Georgia football team will take shape in the months ahead. This is your one-stop spot for player movement in and out of the transfer portal, those declaring for the NFL draft and coaching staff changes.
Georgia was denied a chance to three-peat as national champions after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship and being left out of the College Football Playoff.
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The Bulldogs crushed Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30.
Georgia wide receiver Tyler Williams will join Andrew Paul in transfer portal
April 16: A day after running back Andrew Paul announced he's heading into the transfer portal, reserve wide receiver Tyler Williams told On3.com he's planning to enter the portal as well.
The redshirt freshman from Lakeland, Fla., played in two games last season, making a 4-yard catch against UAB.
The former four-star prospect was not listed as participating in the G-Day spring game last Saturday.
Wide receiver is one of the deepest positions on the team after the addition of three transfers this offseason and adding two freshmen that took part in spring practices.
Georgia adds Duke kicker Charlie Ham as a transfer
March 30: Georgia has picked up a commitment from an experienced kicker from an ACC school.
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Duke transfer Charlie Ham announced on Instagram that he's joining the Bulldogs for his final season of eligibility. Ham was coached early in his time at Duke by Kirk Benedict, now a Georgia support staff member as special teams coordinator.
Ham played at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and handled kickoffs at Duke.
Georgia lost its kickoff specialist when Jared Zirkel transferred to Texas A&M. It's unclear if Ham will join the Bulldogs as a walk-on.
Ham had 24 touchbacks on 54 kickoffs last season, which ranked 79th in the country, according to CFBstats.com. He was 19th on touchback percentage in 2022 and 87th in 2021 at 59.7.
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The NFL has adopted a new kickoff format t hat's expected to bring more returns to the game and cut down on injuries. College football could follow, but a timeline isn't clear.
"It's going to promote you kicking the ball in the field of play because it you kick the ball out the endzone, now the ball comes further out," Georiga coach Kirby Smart sad.
Ham went 36 of 50 on field goals from 2020-2022 for the Blue Devils but did not handle field goals and extra points last season.
Georgia returns sophomore Peyton Woodring at kicker. He made 21 of 25 field goals last season.
Georgia Bulldogs support staffers joining Dell McGee at Georgia State
March 5: Dell McGee is bringing aboard more Georgia support staffers as Georgia State assistant coaches.
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Manrey Saint-Amour, who coached the Bulldogs offensive line in the Orange Bowl while Stacy Searels had a bout of pneumonia, confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that he'll coach the offensive line under McGee. He was an offensive quality control coach last season.
Ryan Williams, who had the title Player Connection Coordinator, will be Georgia State's quarterbacks coach, according to his bio on X. Williams has been on the Georgia staff since 2018. He also served as a recruiting analyst and graduate assistant.
Georgia football reserve offensive lineman entering transfer portal
March 3: Nine days before the start of Georgia spring football practices, a reserve offensive lineman posted on social media that he's entering the transfer portal.
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Chad Lindberg, a redshirt senior, said he's going into the portal as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining. He posted the news on X, formerly Twitter.
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound League City, Texas native played in 12 games last season and 22 total after redshirting in 2020.
Dell McGee bringing aboard Georgia football support staffer to Georgia State
Feb: 28: Former Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee is bringing his first current Bulldog support staffer to work with him at Georgia State.
Assistant strength and conditioning coach KJ Florence has joined McGee at the Atlanta school, according to Florence's Instagram bio. He lists his title as Head Strength Coach.
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Florence spent one year at Georgia after previous roles at Virginia Tech and Ole Miss.
McGee already hired former Georgia assistants Jim Chaney and Kevin Sherrer as his coordinators, according to 247Sports.
McGee and Bryan McClendon were the most recent Georgia assistant coach departures. Kirby Smart filled them by hiring James Coley from South Carolina as wide receivers coach and Josh Crawford from Georgia Tech as running backs coach.
Georgia football's Scott Cochran no longer with Bulldogs
Scott Cochran is no longer with Georgia's coaching staff the school announced on Wednesday.
The special teams coordinator, serving in an off-field position, departed the program along with offensive analyst Darrell Dickey to pursue other opportunities.
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"I want to thank Scott and Darrell for their contributions to Georgia football. We wish them all the best moving forward," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.
Kirk Benedict will be promoted to special teams coordinator after serving as a special teams analyst the past two seasons.
Georgia Bulldog strength and conditioning staff adds new assistant
Feb. 1: Georgia has added a new assistant strength and conditioning coach to Scott Sinclair's staff.
Brandon Gilbert , who spent the past four seasons as director of strength and conditioning at Charleston Southern, fills an opening on the staff.
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He also served in the 2019 season as an assistant on Coastal Carolina's S&C staff and was an assistant at Charleston Southern in 2017-18 and spent time part-time performance coach at Indiana.
The USC-Upstate graduate will be paid $105,000 annually.
Former Georgia offensive lineman Warren Ericson joining Bulldogs staff
Jan. 30: Former Georgia starting offensive lineman Warren Ericson is returning to the Bulldogs as a graduate assistant, he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Ericson spent last season at Wofford, an FCS program, on its support staff as an offensive quality control assistant. He worked with the offensive line.
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The Suwannee native will also work with the Bulldogs offensive line. Ericson started 17 games for Georgia in a college career that ended in 2023. He was part of two national championship teams.
Georgia football graduate assistant lands assistant coaching job
Jan. 27: Jeremy King, an offensive graduate assistant for Georgia for the 2023 season, is the new offensive line coach at Western Carolina, the FCS school announced Saturday.
Bulldogs offensive line coach Stacy Searels took to X (formerly Twitter) to thank King "for your hard work with the UGA OL!"
The former Valdosta State player previously was a graduate assistant at Valdosta State the previous two seasons.
Georgia football defensive lineman Warren Brinson announces he's returning
Jan. 13: Georgia defensive lineman Warren Brinson announced he's returning in 2024.
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The Savannah native revealed the decision with a highlight video on Instagram reels with the message: Sorry 4 The Wait. #ImBack."
Brinson has played 47 games across four seasons but is taking advantage of the COVID year of eligibility. He has 45 tackles and four sacks as a Bulldog.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Brinson played in 13 games, starting four, and had 21 tackles with three tackles for loss including two sacks and a pass breakup this past season.
Georgia Bulldogs add safety Jake Pope from Alabama Crimson Tide
Jan. 12: Georgia has added another transfer on the defensive side of the ball.
Safety Jake Pope, who just finished his redshirt freshman season at Alabama, announced on his Instagram account he's committed to Georgia.
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Pope is a graduate of Buford High, the school where freshman safety KJ Bolden starred and became a five-star prospect.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Pope played 12 games this season, mostly on special teams, and did not record any stats. He was a four-star recruit out of Buford.
Transfer QB Jayden Maiava flips quickly to Southern Cal
Jan. 10: Well, that didn't last long. Former Fresno State quarterback Jayden Maiava backed off his Georgia pledge a day after making it and will play at Southern Cal. That means Georgia is now at three scholarship quarterbacks again.
Georgia football adds UNLV QB Jayden Maiava
Jan. 8: Georgia now will have a fourth scholarship quarterback on its roster for 2024. And it's one with starting experience. UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava joins Carson Beck, Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi on the Bulldogs' roster.
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Here's the lowdown on Maiava and what it means for the 2024 season and beyond.
Xavier Truss announces return for Georgia football for 2024
Jan. 5: Xavier Truss, who started games at three different spots on the offensive line this past season, announced he's returning for another Georgia season. He announced his decision on X, formerly Twitter.
The second-team All-SEC coaches pick is taking advantage of the COVID season of eligibility and will be back for a sixth year with the program. He has started 28 games in his college career.
The 6-foot-7, 320-pound West Warwick, R.I., native started eight games at right tackle, three at left guard and one at right guard in 2023.
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Georgia's offensive line is set to return left tackle Earnest Greene, left guard Dylan Fairchild, right guard Tate Ratledge and Truss who could line up again at right tackle.
Georgia football O-lineman Tate Ratledge returning for another season
Jan. 5: Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge is returning in 2024, bypassing turning pro. He announced his decision on social media.
The second-team AP All-SEC selection has started the past two seasons after sustaining a season-ending foot injury in the opener in 2021.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Rome native has started at right guard in 27 games the past two seasons.
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He will give Georgia's offensive line another experienced player after the departures of center Sedrick Van-Pran Granger and right tackle Amarius Mims .
Ratledge will still have two years of eligibility remaining entering the 2024 season due to the 2020 COVID season.
Nazir Stackhouse announces return to Georgia football for 2024
Jan. 5: "I'm back" — Nazir Stackhouse included those two words when he announced Friday he'll play for Georgia football in 2024 with a post on X, formerly Twitter. The defensive lineman has another year of eligibility due to rules stemming from the COVID pandemic.
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The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Stone Mountain native was an AP and Coaches All-SEC Second Team selection in 2023. He's started 29 straight games and had 29 tackles, 2 sacks and an interceptions this past season.
Georgia football adds USC wide receiver Michael Jackson III
Jan. 4: Georgia isn't done bolstering its wide receiver corps.
Michael Jackson III became the third transfer wide receiver to commit to the Bulldogs, joining already-enrolled London Humphreys from Vanderbilt and Colbie Young from Miami .
The former Southern Cal player announced his commitment on X, formerly Twitter, this afternoon.
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The 6-foot, 200-pound Las Vegas native had 46 catches for 498 yards and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Trojans. He had 17 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in nine games in 2023.
Georgia is losing wide receiver Ladd McConkey , who declared for the NFL draft, and senior Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint , and saw receivers Jackson Meeks, C.J. Smith, Mehki Mews, Zeed Haynes and DeNylon Morrissette go in the transfer portal.
Georgia football DB Julian Humphrey staying put after all
Jan. 3: Less than 24 hours after posting on social media that he would enter the transfer portal, Georgia cornerback Julian Humphrey is staying with the Bulldogs.
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Humphrey posted on X: Thank you to everyone. #GoDawgs," with a photo of Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and new defensive backs coach Donte Williams.
Humphrey indicated NIL money elsewhere was a major factor before changing his mind.
"The more I thought about this, why would I leave Georgia for a couple more bucks?," he told DawgsHQ. "I want to be there, it is Georgia and that is one of the top premier programs in the country."
Georgia Bulldog center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger announces departure for NFL
Jan. 3: Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger is the latest NFL-bound Bulldog player to bid farewell to the program in a social media post. He could have used an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID season.
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The move was long expected after he strongly considered leaving after last season. "I can not tell you have much this university will forever mean to me," he wrote in an Instagram Post.
"What was amazing was how consistent Sed has been as a leader," coach Kirby Smart said of the three-year starter. "He doesn't really care what you think about him. He'll say anything he wants to the team, and he doesn't care what anybody in that room thinks about him. That's kind of the way the center has got to be."
Sedrick Van Pran-Granger on Instagram
Georgia football TE Brock Bowers declares for NFL draft, CB Julian Humphrey to portal
Jan. 2: As was long expected, Bulldogs All-American tight end Brock Bowers announced he's declaring for the NFL Draft. He's a surefire first-rounder and likely to go in the top 10.
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Georgia also lost a possible starter for 2024 when cornerback Julian Humphrey said he's heading into the transfer portal. He was a top backup this season as a redshirt freshman.
Georgia Bulldog WR Ladd McConkey turning pro
Jan. 1: Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey announced he's declaring for the NFL draft. Here's our story on that decision by the fourth-year junior. Wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and defensive lineman Zion Logue are also pursuing NFL careers rather than take an extra year of eligibility from the COVID season.
Georgia football RB Daijun Edwards declares for NFL Draft
Jan 1: Both of Georgia's top running backs have revealed what was long expected — they are embarking on NFL careers.
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Daijun Edwards, Georgia's leading rusher this season, announced soon after Kendall Milton that he's also making his name available for the NFL Draft.
Edwards also isn't using an extra COVID season and wrapping his college career after his fourth season.
Edwards rushed for 880 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, leading the Bulldogs in rushing in seven straight games after missing the first two games due to injury. He rushed for 146 yards at Vanderbilt and 118 against South Carolina.
The 5-foot-10, 201-pounder from Colquitt County finishes his Georgia career with 2,082 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He also had 20 catches for 197 yards this season.
Georgia Bulldog RB Kendall Milton moving on to NFL career
Jan. 1: Georgia senior running back Kendall Milton, as expected, announced Monday that he's played his last college game and is embarking on an NFL career.
Milton could have taken a COVID season, but he leaves after his best season as a Bulldog.
Milton rushed for 790 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
Milton was Orange Bowl MVP after rushing for 104 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
The Fresno native battled injuries throughout much of his college career but finished strong with three 100-yard rushing games in his last five games including against Ole Miss and Georgia Tech.
He finished his college career with 1,839 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in four seasons.
Georgia football DB Tykee Smith announces NFL Draft decision
Dec. 31: Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith will declare for the NFL Draft, he announced via a social media post on Sunday.
Smith, a former four-star recruit from Philadelphia , spent two years at West Virginia before transferring to UGA in 2021.
He finished this season with 70 total tackles, four interceptions and two sacks.
Georgia football wide receiver enters transfer portal
Dec. 31: Redshirt freshman C.J. Smith will enter the transfer portal, the wide receiver announced Sunday on Instagram.
The Apopka, Fla. native, a former three-star recruit, had six receptions for 116 yards in 2023.
Georgia football OL Amarius Mims announces NFL Draft decision
Dec. 31: Georgia right tackle Amarius Mims, a former five-star recruit who had eight starts at Georgia, told ESPN's Pete Thamel he's declaring for the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-7, 340-pound Cochran product was key reserve for Georgia during the 2022 season and started in both playoff games.
He started six games at right tackle this season, but was sidelined after sustaining a high ankle sprain against South Carolina. He underwent TightRope surgery for a high ankle sprain.
Mims is projected as a first-round draft pick despite his relatively small sample size as a starter.
Georgia football cornerback Kamari Lassiter declares for the NFL Draft
Dec 31: Junior cornerback Kamari Lassiter has declared for the NFL Draft on an Instagram post that included some of his college highlights.
Coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs' 63-3 rout of Florida State in the Orange Bowl that he told Lassiter he should turn pro.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Savannah native who played high school ball in Tuscaloosa started 29 games for Georgia. He had 86 tackles and one interception in three seasons and had eight passes defended this season.
Lassiter was a second-team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.
K3 on Instagram: "DEA WAS PREYIN' ON ME I WAS PRAYIN' FOR EM GEORGIA, I LOVE YOU!"
Javon Bullard first Georgia underclassman to declare for NFL Draft
Dec. 31: The morning after Georgia ended its season with a dominant win over Florida State, junior safety Javon Bullard has revealed his NFL decision.
He's turning pro, he announced on his Instagram account.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Milledgeville was a second team AP All-SEC selection.
He made 114 tackles over three seasons with four interceptions and 3 1/2 tackles for loss. He had 56 tackles this season after moving from the Star nickel back position in the offseason.
The defensive MVP in both Georgia playoff games last season is rated as the No. 5 safety prospect by ESPN's Matt Miller.
Javon "JayBee" Bullard on Instagram: "THANK YOU GEORGIA❤️, I WILL FOREVER BE A DAWG!"
Kirby Smart updates Daniel Harris' transfer portal status
Dec. 29: Georgia's total number of scholarship players that have entered the transfer portal currently stands at 17.
Kirby Smart said at an Orange Bowl press conference Friday morning that cornerback Daniel Harris isn't in the transfer portal after all.
"No, he's not in the portal," Smart said. "He's not in the portal at all. Just because somebody posts about it, it doesn't mean they're in the portal. They have to go in the portal which he's not."
Harris is with the team here in Florida as is Jared Zirkel who handles kickoffs. Smart said that Zirkel was just interested in seeing if he would attract any interest.
Reserve wide receiver entering transfer portal
Dec. 25: An 18th scholarship player for Georgia is entering the transfer portal.
Reserve wide receiver DeNylon Morrissette told On3.com about the move.
The sophomore from Stone Mountain played in three games this season without a catch and had four catches for 34 yards last season. He was arrested for a DUI this offseason after a crash and had two other speeding citations.
Georgia Bulldogs lose freshman defensive back to portal
Dec. 25: Transfer portal news doesn't slow down for holidays.
A day after Florida running back Trevor Etienne announced a transfer to Georgia, the Bulldogs lost a freshman defensive back.
Cornerback Daniel Harris, a former four-star prospect from Miami, announced via X (formerly Twitter) that he's entering the transfer portal.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Harris played in five games, but did not record any statistics.
Georgia Bulldogs land transfer wide receiver Colbie Young
Dec. 23: Georgia has added a second wide receiver from the transfer portal in Colbie Young from Miami. He announced his decision on social media on Saturday.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Binghamton, N.Y. native caught 79 passes for 930 yards and 10 touchdowns the last two seasons for the Hurricanes.
He was third on the team this season with 47 catches for 563 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That includes 6 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a 28-20 win against Clemson on Oct. 21.
The Bulldogs open the 2024 season against Clemson in Atlanta.
Young spent the 2021 season at Lackawanna College where he averaged more than 19 yards a catch.
Georgia lost wide receiver Mekhi Mews, Zeed Haynes and Jackson Meeks to the transfer portal.
Young joins Vanderbilt's London Humphreys as wide receiver additions through the transfer portal.
"We need more depth at receiver," coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday. "It's a position that we're thin at. We've got to have enough people to surround Carson (Beck) with to create weapons."
Georgia football adds South Carolina Gamecocks D-lineman as transfer
Dec. 22: Georgia has added another transfer via the portal.
This time, it's on the defensive side of the ball.
South Carolina defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod committed via social media on Friday.
McLeod just played his true freshman season for the Gamecocks.
The 6-foot-5, 284-pound Camden, S,C., native had one tackle and one pass defended in four games. He played against Furman, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.
The 2022 South Carolina high school Mr. Football will have four seasons of eligibility remaining. He was a four-star prospect as a recruit.
Georgia football adds transfer from UCLA
Dec. 21: Georgia has added a transfer from UCLA for its special teams.
Long-snapper Beau Gardner posted Thursday night on X, formerly Twitter, that he's committed to the Bulldogs. Georgia special teams analyst Kirk Benedict reposted Gardner's announcement.
The redshirt junior from San Francisco snapped on kicks and punts this season for UCLA. He joined the Bruins in 2020 as a walk-on. It's unclear if he'll be a walk-on at Georgia as well.
The Bulldogs are losing long snapper William Mote who will take part in the Senior Bowl.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Gardner will be a graduate transfer this spring with two years of eligibility left.
Georgia football strength and conditioning coach set for Syracuse
Dec. 21: Fran Brown landed a pair of former Georgia wide receivers as transfers to Syracuse where he's settling in as the new head coach.
The former Bulldogs defensive backs coach also is bringing with him a member of Georgia's strength and conditioning staff.
Brown said yesterday during his signing day press conference that Jordan Barber is one of two hires for that staff. Barber is Georgia's associate strength and conditioning coach under Scott Sinclair.
Brown didn't specify what Barber's title will be. He spent two years with the Bulldogs.
"Getting coach Chad Smith here was big, him and Jordan Barber, we're really excited," Brown said. "We're very excited about getting those two guys."
Receivers Zeed Haynes and Jackson Meeks transferred from Georgia to Syracuse.
Reserve Georgia football offensive lineman enters transfer portal
Dec: 20: On a day of Georgia replenishing their roster, a reserve offensive lineman announced he's entering the transfer portal.
True freshman Joshua Miller from Chesterfield, Va., becomes the 16th scholarship player from Georgia to go in the portal. The three-star interior offensive lineman did not appear in a game this season.
Georgia football cornerback A.J. Harris entering transfer portal
Dec. 15: A year ago A.J. Harris joined the Georgia football team as an early enrollee.
Now the freshman is entering the transfer portal, DawgsHQ was first to report.
Harris is the 15th scholarship Georgia player to enter the portal. He was the nation's No. 3 rated cornerback prospect and the No. 41 player overall in 2023 by the 247Sports Composite.
The Phenix City, Ala., product played in seven games this season, making eight tackles.
Jamon Dumas-Johnson latest Georgia Bulldog set to hit transfer portal
Dec. 15: The most notable departure is near with the report Thursday night from 247Sports that inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson will be entering the transfer portal. Here are details of that from our story.
Georgia OLB Marvin Jones Jr. enters the transfer portal
Dec. 13: Marvin Jones Jr, a former 5-star recruit, has entered the transfer portal, according to On3.com.
Jones may be the biggest loss so far this cycle in the transfer portal for Georgia.
The sophomore outside linebacker is sixth on the team with 4 ½ tackles for loss to go along with 12 tackles, a sack and four quarterback pressures. He played in 12 games this season, starting one, after missing spring practices following shoulder surgery.
He is the son of former Florida State two-time All-American linebacker and New York Jet Marvin Jones.
Marvin Jones Jr. had a forced fumble and Georgia's only fumble recovery this season and one sack and one tackle in 2022 as a freshman.
"I think he's come a long way," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said before the Georgia Tech game. "Mentally, he's matured greatly, over the past couple of weeks especially. He's grown to a bigger role on our defense because he has the size, and now he has the mental capacity to understand all the concepts and what's coming at him."
Jones is the 13th Georgia scholarship player to enter the transfer portal. That includes recent additions offensive lineman Aliou Bah, wide receiver Zeed Haynes and linebacker EJ Lightsey.
Georgia linebacker Xavian Sorey hits the transfer portal
Former five-star recruit Xavian Sorey entered the transfer portal on Dec. 7, he announced with a post on Instagram. The sophomore linebacker had 19 total tackles in 2023.
Georgia Bulldog receiver/returner Mekhi Mews hitting transfer portal
Dec. 7: Wide receiver/punt returner Mekhi Mews is set to enter the transfer portal.
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound redshirt sophomore made a contribution as a walk-on, especially early in the season when the offense dealt with injuries.
He had 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown this season and averaged 10.3 yards on punt returns with one touchdown. He ranked third in the SEC in punt return average and averaged 26.8 yards on kick returns this season.
Mews had 75 receiving yards in the season opener against UT-Martin, had 111 punt return yards against Ball State and 76 kickoff return yards against Georgia Tech.
Georgia football CB Nyland Green enters transfer portal
Nov. 6: Redshirt sophomore cornerback Nyland Green is entering the transfer portal, he posted on his Instagram.
The four-star 2021 prospect from Newton High had 7 tackles in 13 games as a backup as a position where Kamari Lassiter, Daylen Everette and Julian Humphrey were the top three at the position.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Green also had one pass breakup and a half tackle for loss this season. He played in 10 games in 2022 with three tackles and a pass breakup.
He becomes the eighth Georgia player to enter the transfer portal off the 2023 team.
Georgia Bulldog kicker Jared Zirkel goes in transfer portal
Dec. 5: A Georgia kicker has put his name in the transfer portal.
Jared Zirkel, a Kerrville, Texas native who handled kickoffs this season, is the seventh player from this year's team to go in the portal, Zirkel confirmed to the Athens Banner-Herald.
Zirkel said he will play in the Orange Bowl.
ZIrkel knocked 62 of 95 kickoffs for touchbacks with three out of bounds.
Opponents averaged 16.4 yards per return.
Zirkel spent four seasons with the Bulldogs, redshirting in 2020. He was behind freshman Peyton Woodring on field goals and extra points this year and Jack Podlesny previously.
Zirkel graduated in May with a degree in finance.
Austin Blaske, CJ Madden latest into transfer portal
Dec 4: Make it six Georgia football players now into the transfer portal.
Offensive tackle Austin Blaske confirmed to the Athens Banner-Herald he's entering the portal and then took to X (formerly Twitter) with a post detailing his decision.
Blaske battled injuries this season after competing for a starting spot in the spring. The redshirt junior played in three games this season, nine in 2022 and six games in 2021.
Outside linebacker C.J. Madden, a redshirt freshman, also is entering the portal, based on his retweeting a report from On3.
The 6-foot-4 240-pounder from Ellenwood played in seven games with 3 tackles. He played in one game last season.
Georgia football Wide receiver Jackson Meeks entering transfer portal
Dec. 4: A fourth Georgia football player from this year's team has announced plans to enter the transfer portal.
Wide receiver Jackson Meeks, a junior from Phenix City, Ala., had one catch for 23 yards this season. That came against Tennessee. He has 10 catches for 132 yards in three seasons.
Meeks, a contributor on special teams, played in 12 games this season and appeared in 36 games overall as a Bulldog.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Meeks said on a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he's seeking "a new team that will provide the best platform to showcase my abilities."
Georgia Bulldogs QB Brock Vandagriff heading to transfer portal
Dec. 4: One of Georgia's top transfer candidates is now headed that way. Backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff posted on social media. Here's our story on that
Georgia football defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson entering transfer portal
Dec. 4: On what could be a busy day with the transfer portal open now, defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he's entering the portal
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound redshirt sophomore from Douglasville had one tackle in seven games this season. He played in five games in 2022 and one in 2021 after enrolling in January of that year. The former four-star prospect also had one pass breakup this season.
Georgia Bulldog linebacker Darris Smith set to enter the transfer portal
Nov. 28: Darris Smith , a sophomore outside linebacker from Baxley, plans to enter the transfer portal, he told jppvisuals.
Smith hasn't played since seeing action in the first five games of the season.
More: Nick Saban on Kirby Smart with Georgia football: 'It's phenomenal what he's accomplished'
More: Georgia football 12-0 and still may need to beat Alabama in SEC title tilt for playoff spot
"Darris is focused on academics and working out and conditioning and doing some things, but not necessarily with us," coach Kirby Smart said on Oct. 30.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Smith had three tackles including one for loss this season and one tackle last season
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football program tracker: The player and staff moves for 2024
