Georgia’s Christen Miller Had Great Reason for Opting Out of Transfer Portal

Miller was set to enter the transfer portal, then reversed course.

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Christen Miller (52) against the / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Christen Miller made big news on Wednesday when he appeared set to enter the transfer portal. The Georgia defensive lineman posted a now deleted tweet thanking Georgia for his time there. On Thursday, Miller reversed course and announced he was staying. The former top recruit said he had to finish what he started with his "bruddas."

Miller was a four-star recruit out of Georgia in 2022 and was part of an elite Bulldogs class on the defensive side of the ball. During his redshirt freshman season in 2023, Miller appeared in 13 games as a reserve and posted 14 tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack. He missed the Orange Bowl due to an injury. That came after appearing in four games as a true freshman.

Gotta finish what I started with My bruddas ❤️ #GoDawgs https://t.co/BzoMPwDgzm

— Christen Miller (@fatchr7s) April 25, 2024

Given his pedigree, the playing time he received at Georgia and the fact that he has multiple years of eligibility remaining as a redshirt sophomore, Miller would have been a coveted prospect as a transfer. The 6'4" 305-pound tackle is expected to see more playing time this season in Athens but could have been a star elsewhere.

In the new era of college football defined by the transfer portal and NIL, one thing we haven't yet seen is players announcing transfers and using them as leverage for better NIL deals. That may not be what happened with Miller, but it could be the kind of thing college football seems more of moving forward. In this case, the player may have simply wanted to finish his journey at one school.

Miller will be back at Georgia and Kirby Smart has avoided having to fill a big hole in his defensive plans for 2024.