Before playing again, Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs will take a three-week break. Additionally, some of that time will be spent by the UGA coaches scouting transfer players who could contribute to Athens’ depth the following season.
After defeating then-No. 2 Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Georgia (11-2) secured the No. 2 seed and a bye in the final College Football Playoff rankings. This season marked the Bulldogs’ second victory over Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.
In his nine seasons, Kirby Smart has led his alma mater to three SEC titles. The Bulldogs are now focused on capturing their third national championship in the past four seasons, with winning it all as their ultimate goal.
The outstanding depth across the roster was the key to Georgia’s back-to-back national championship teams in 2021 and 2022. Smart has been vocal about the ongoing changes in the NIL and transfer portal era, though.
Over the past two years, the Bulldogs have acquired fewer players through the transfer portal than they have lost. The 2024 cycle saw Georgia lose a program-high 24 players to transfers, and 2025 is predicted to see a comparable number.
Smart acknowledged that the Bulldogs require assistance everywhere when questioned about UGA’s strategy for the portal’s December 9 opening.
“Every one of those jobs. We have adequate depth at that position,” he stated on Sunday. As I’ve said many times, we don’t have as much depth as we once did. Therefore, we consider who best fits our culture when evaluating the transfer portal rather than who best suits our level of talent.
The lack of experience among rotational players is the main problem that such a roster churn can have on a program. Having a great backup that is happy with few pictures is uncommon in this day and age.
Naturally, the fact that the portal is bidirectional is a plus. Trevor Etienne, a former Florida running back, was one of the 11 transfers that UGA brought in last season. With 16 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns versus Texas, the junior, who has assumed the starting job, most recently led the team.
“There’s tons of talented guys out there,” according to Smart. It’s not a place to go if you’re only seeking for sheer numbers, so we just want to find people that want to suit our culture and really our ethic. It is imperative that you have a desire to win and to sacrifice for the team.
“There’s tons of talented guys out there,” according to Smart. It’s not a place to go if you’re only seeking for sheer numbers, so we just want to find people that want to suit our culture and really our ethic. It is imperative that you have a desire to win and to sacrifice for the team.
Athens’ high school rankings remain the mainstay, even as Smart and his team continue to adjust to the shifting recruiting environment. After signing the top class the previous cycle, UGA has the third-ranked class in the country (247Sports) for the 2025 cycle.
The final transfer window of the cycle will be open from April 16–25, with the winter window running from December 9–28. On New Year’s Day, Georgia is set to compete in the Sugar Bowl against the winner of No. 10 Indiana (11-1) and No. 7 Notre Dame (10-1). The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET on ESPN.
