After 2022 Signing Day, Georgia Turns it's Attention to the Transfer Portal
Athens, GA- Head Coach Kirby Smart and Staff turned in a great 2022 class that not only is talent-filled but fills a lot of team needs for 2023 and beyond. Georgia ended up with the #3 recruiting class in the nation and also in the SEC based on recruiting sites, only behind Texas A&M and Alabama. Back to Georgia's Need vs. Talent in this class, Georgia seemed to of focus on the defensive side of the ball with 12 out of the 23 commitments planning to play defense. 5 of those were defensive backs.
Kirby has obviously noticed that UGA is planning on losing up to 5 defensive backs after the season due to graduation or the NFL draft (Lewis Cine -draft eligible JR). Expect Kirby to look for more help in the defensive backfield through the transfer portal as he said as much during Wednesday's press conference.
"We don't have enough DBs now. I don't know what you would be referring to—I don't know how many are in there, I get confused between what's in and what's not in, but we don't have enough. We're still lower than we've ever been in terms of defensive backs. We have more leaving than we have coming. We were already below, so if you have more leaving than you have coming, you're actually net gain, so we're still working on that defensive back position. It's a position that's been tough for us this year because we've not been able to play dime packages, we've not been able to do some of the things we've wanted to do, put six DBs on the field. I am really proud of the DBs in this class that we have, but we're not anywhere near where we used to be. I think there are seven that have left since the last year, then you throw in the seniors, those core Georgia guys that have been here forever and they're all finishing. When you add those seven plus four or five, that's a one-year window of 14 to 15 guys. In my mind, we're still short numbers of scholarship players."
That quote speaks volumes. When a defensive-minded head coach can't play Dime package defenses due to number of defensive backs on the roster... That's an issue, especially when offenses nowadays are so pass heavy! Expect Georgia to dive into the Transfer portal to add to this position.
Another position of need that got some attention was the linebacker group. UGA is expected to lose 6 linebackers to graduation or the NFL draft after this season. While there is depth and talent already on the roster from previous recruiting cycles, Georgia brought in 4 linebackers/edges to add some depth.
Last but not least, Georgia's defensive success this season can be attributed to the defensive line. Unfortunately, Georgia is set to lose up to 4 lineman to the draft. Tray Scott and company have done a good job of recruiting this group and have brought in 3 defensive tackles with both Bear Alexander and Mykel Williams being 5-Star prospects.
So where does Georgia go from here... Why where everyone else has gone for talent- The Transfer Portal.
If there was a Miss in the 2022 recruiting class, it would be at Wide receiver. No offense to De’Nylon Morrissette, Cole Speer, or C.J. Smith but none of these recruits were in the Top 200 composite Recruiting rankings. At the same time neither was Ladd McConkey. More on that later...
Georgia depended on Freshman Ladd McConkey and Freshman Tight End Brock Bowers a little more than they would care to admit. While they are studs, injuries to this position has shown you can never have enough depth. George Pickens, Kearis Jackson. Arian Smith, Marcus Rosemy-Saintjack, Justin Robinson, and Dominick Blaylock all missed significant time in the 2021 season. Expect Georgia to bolster this position a bit during the offseason through the transfer portal.
*Below is a list of the contributing seniors the UGA is set to lose due to graduation along with draft eligible Juniors:
Seniors:
LB Quay Walker
LB Channing Tindall
DB Derion Kendrick
OL Justin Shaffer
OL Jamaree Salyer
S Latavious Brini
LB Robert Beal
S William Poole
S Christopher Smith
DT Jordan Davis
DT Devontae Wyatt
P Jake Camarda
DT Julian Rochester
RB James Cook
LB Adam Anderson
DB Ameer Speed
*QB Stetson Bennett - Covid Year eligible
Juniors (Possible Draft Entrees)
RB Zamir White
DT Travon Walker
LB Nakobe Dean
WR George Pickens
S Lewis Cine
QB JT Daniels
RB Kenny McIntosh
LB Nolan Smith
Incoming Freshman Class:
“Bear” Alexander - DL
Aliou Bah OL
Drew Bobo -OL
Oscar Delp - TE
Daylen Everette -DB
Jacob Hood-OL
Julian Humphrey-DB
Marvin Jones, Jr.-EDGE
C.J. Madden-LB
De’Nylon Morrissette-WR
Branson Robinson-RB
Griffin Scroggs-OL
Jaheim “Slim” Singletary-DB
C.J. Smith- WR
Cole Speer- WR
Malaki Starks-ATH
Gunner Stockton-QB
JaCorey Thomas-DB
Brett Thorson-P
Jalon Walker-LB
C.J. Washington-LB
Shone Washington -DT
Mykel Williams-DT