Transfer News for the Georgia Bulldogs: Two Bulldogs departing, a revised forecast, and several visitors
The college football offseason is alive with movement, and few programs are as heavily scrutinized during this period as the Georgia Bulldogs. Coming off another championship-caliber season under head coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are reshaping their roster with surgical precision. But with the spring transfer portal window officially open, even a powerhouse like Georgia can’t avoid the inevitable churn of outgoing talent, shifting evaluations, and potential additions.
As of mid-April, Georgia has seen two players enter the portal, prompting a revised outlook on depth chart projections heading into summer workouts. Meanwhile, a wave of transfer visitors has fans speculating about new weapons possibly arriving in Athens. Here’s a breakdown of the current movement involving the Bulldogs: who’s leaving, what it means, and who could be joining the fold in the coming weeks.
Departures: Two Bulldogs Enter the Portal
1. DE Darris Smith
Edge rusher Darris Smith, a redshirt sophomore from Appling County, Georgia, officially entered the portal this week. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound defender came to Athens in the class of 2022 as a highly touted four-star prospect. Smith flashed elite speed and agility off the edge but struggled to earn consistent playing time behind a deep and experienced group of edge defenders.
In limited action over the past two seasons, Smith tallied just six total tackles and one sack. While his raw physical tools intrigued the coaching staff, Georgia’s rotation at outside linebacker—headlined by stars like Chaz Chambliss and promising underclassmen Damon Wilson and Samuel M’Pemba—meant Smith was buried on the depth chart.
His departure frees up a scholarship and opens the door for Georgia to either add a veteran pass rusher or accelerate the development of some of its younger edge players. Expect Wilson and M’Pemba to see an uptick in spring reps, while 2024 signee Justin Greene could be a surprise riser over the summer.
2. WR Jackson Meeks
The second Bulldog to hit the portal is wide receiver Jackson Meeks, a senior from Phenix City, Alabama. Meeks has been a quiet but reliable member of Georgia’s receiver room since his arrival in 2021. Primarily used on special teams and in blocking roles, Meeks finishes his UGA career with 7 catches for 90 yards across three seasons.
While Meeks was never a high-volume target in Georgia’s offense, he was respected for his toughness and commitment to team roles. His exit likely won’t change much schematically, but it does open a roster spot and increases the urgency for Georgia to solidify its two-deep among the receivers.
With star wideouts Dominic Lovett and Rara Thomas returning, plus the addition of Miami transfer Colbie Young, Georgia isn’t short on pass-catching options. However, Meeks’ exit gives rising sophomore Anthony Evans III and early enrollee Nitro Tuggle a better shot at securing more meaningful reps.
What the Departures Mean for Georgia’s Roster
On paper, these two departures won’t cripple Georgia’s championship ambitions, but they do have ripple effects. Darris Smith’s exit leaves a void in rotational depth at a position where injuries often strike. Meanwhile, Jackson Meeks’ transfer nudges Georgia closer to the scholarship limit, providing flexibility if the staff wants to make another portal addition at receiver or elsewhere.
But beyond pure depth chart implications, these moves underscore a larger reality for UGA: Kirby Smart is constantly fine-tuning this roster. The departures aren’t viewed as program-altering losses, but they do highlight where the staff sees potential improvement—either from internal development or external additions.
Revised Forecast: Key Position Battles Take Shape
Spring practices have given the Bulldogs coaching staff a clearer picture of who’s rising and who may be slipping down the depth chart. With the portal now open again, Georgia is reassessing which positions need fortifying and which young players are stepping up.
1. Edge Rusher: The Room Gets Younger
With Darris Smith leaving and veteran Marvin Jones Jr. having transferred to Florida State earlier this offseason, Georgia’s edge room is being reshaped around youth. Sophomore phenom Damon Wilson looks like a breakout candidate, while Samuel M’Pemba has drawn praise for his increased physicality and understanding of the scheme.
Freshman Justin Greene, an early enrollee from Mountain View High School, has reportedly impressed in camp. The Bulldogs may not need to add a veteran if Greene or another underclassman can handle rotational duties.
2. Receiver Rotation: A New Opportunity Emerges
The loss of Jackson Meeks isn’t seismic, but it does open a spot in a crowded receiver group. With Lovett, Thomas, and Young likely locked into the top three, there’s a battle brewing behind them.
Early buzz suggests that true freshman Nitro Tuggle has turned heads with his blend of speed and route running, while redshirt freshman Tyler Williams is flashing the physical traits that made him a top-100 recruit in 2023. Expect this competition to stretch into fall camp, especially if Georgia adds another wideout via the portal.
3. Inside Linebacker and Secondary Depth
While not directly tied to this week’s transfer news, two positions to watch from a roster forecasting perspective are inside linebacker and the secondary.
With Smael Mondon recovering from injury and Jamon Dumas-Johnson now at Kentucky, Georgia is evaluating several options next to sophomore star CJ Allen. Raylen Wilson appears to be the front-runner, but there’s talk that Georgia may look for a veteran linebacker in the portal to hedge against depth concerns.
In the secondary, the Bulldogs are restocking after losing Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith to the NFL. Daylen Everette is the projected No. 1 corner, with Julian Humphrey and AJ Harris battling on the opposite side. Georgia may entertain the idea of bringing in a proven safety or nickel corner depending on how summer evaluations shake out.
Several Visitors: Portal Activity Heating Up
While Georgia has been selective about bringing in transfers this offseason—preferring development over quick fixes—that doesn’t mean they’re standing pat. Several portal visitors have been confirmed or rumored over the past week, especially at positions where Georgia has recently seen attrition.
1. WR Ja’Corey Brooks (Alabama)
A familiar name to SEC fans, Brooks entered the portal after three seasons at Alabama. He was a five-star recruit in 2021 and had a breakout sophomore year in 2022, finishing with 674 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. A nagging injury and a deep Bama receiver room slowed him down in 2023.
Sources indicate Brooks is on Georgia’s radar as a plug-and-play contributor who could complement the existing core. With his SEC experience and vertical threat capabilities, Brooks would be a natural fit in Georgia’s offense.
2. EDGE Adin Lynch (San Diego State)
An under-the-radar name to watch is San Diego State’s Adin Lynch, a quick-twitch edge rusher with 6.5 sacks last season. He visited Athens earlier this week and reportedly came away impressed with the program’s player development focus.
Lynch wouldn’t start immediately but could fill the same kind of rotational role Georgia envisioned for Darris Smith—someone to provide pass-rush pressure in situational packages. His experience makes him an intriguing fit as the Bulldogs look to maintain depth.
3. S Demari Henderson (UCF)
The Bulldogs are reportedly doing background work on UCF safety Demari Henderson, a rangy defender who made 42 tackles and 2 interceptions in 2023. His versatility allows him to play in multiple coverages, and Georgia views him as someone who could challenge for the STAR or deep safety role.
If Henderson does visit in the coming days, Georgia could move quickly depending on how the current crop of defensive backs perform in post-spring evaluations.
Recruiting Overlap: Portal Activity and High School Commitments
One underappreciated dynamic in this cycle is how Georgia is managing the balancing act between portal additions and high school recruiting. With 2025 commitments already rolling in—highlighted by five-star linebacker Zayden Walker and quarterback Ryan Montgomery—Kirby Smart is trying to avoid overloading certain position groups with short-term portal solutions that could alienate elite recruits.
That’s why any transfer addition this spring will come with a deliberate, “does this help us and not block someone” evaluation. A one-year grad transfer is far more likely than a multi-year portal pickup, especially at wide receiver, edge, or safety.
Smart Adjustments in the Smart Era
In many ways, Georgia’s current transfer activity reflects the program’s overall philosophy: prioritize development, only use the portal when absolutely necessary, and do it with surgical precision. The departure of Darris Smith and Jackson Meeks gives the Bulldogs some flexibility, but not desperation.
With several intriguing visitors on deck and a few roster tweaks likely in the coming weeks, Georgia remains in a strong position to chase another national title. The portal comings and goings are part of the new normal—but in Athens, the standards remain sky-high.
