Transfer Portal Saga Could Work In Georgia's Favor

The NCAA transfer portal has become a hot topic of conversation, and the reality is that Georgia can gain a lot from playing the system well.

Evan Crowell | Jan 18, 2022

College football implemented new transfer rules last offseason, and since then, the transfer portal has been full of activity. Players want to play, and they will go wherever they can to do that.

These changes have been long overdue in some's opinion. In a world where college coaches can leave programs at the tip of a hat, players should be afforded that same freedom. The transfer portal will change the trajectory of programs every season, and fans have to adjust to this new world of recruiting.

Georgia is a perfect example. Quarterback Stetson Bennett has an extra season of eligibility left due to the coronavirus pandemic. If he returns to school, several Georgia quarterbacks could hit the portal searching for better opportunities.

In previous seasons, the Bulldogs could have rested on their laurels, knowing that they had multiple quarterbacks waiting in the arms after Bennett. That is no longer the case.

Coaches constantly have to search for answers at every position due to the possibility that depth can now be depleted in a single afternoon or portal activity. Currently, Georgia has five quarterbacks on the roster that could conceivably see playing time in the future.

Whether or not Bennett returns, there will be portal activity in that room. That is what the facts or college football are right now. Programs are being forced to adapt, and manage their roster on a daily basis.

Adapt or die.

Conversely, if teams figure out how to use the portal effectively, they can put themselves in the national spotlight. Georgia is one of several programs that won't rely on the portal to make up their entire roster.

They will continue to sign full-size class with Top-3 recruiting rankings. That won't change under Kirby Smart. Other Power-5 programs aren't given this luxury.

Assuming that most of their needs have been met when they go into the portal, Georgia can hone in on a few key targets and allocate their time and resources to ensuring those recruits end up in Athens.

For example, Georgia had a serious hole at corner entering this season. They had already filled most of their other positions with talented players, so they keyed in on Clemson corner Derion Kendrick.

They made him feel like a priority from the beginning, and he ultimately decided to transfer to Georgia. Georgia's gamble paid off in a big way as Kendrick hauled in four interceptions and was named defensive MVP in their semifinal win over Michigan.

Georgia's attack strategy in the portal is fairly simplistic, but the larger question that every program is asking right now is: how can we keep players in our program once they arrive?

Head coach Kirby Smart and his staff have been asking themselves this for years, and they began to adjust their strategy last season. They are signing more in-state high school recruits to ensure they aren't losing players due to homesickness. Some also believe that NIL deals are made stronger when athletes remain within close proximity to their home market base.

Many players entering the portal are seeking out schools closer to home. That decision becomes more complex if you are already close to home. The decision appears to have paid off so far, as Georgia has fewer players entering the portal than multiple other programs.

Additionally, Kirby Smart and Georgia have spent a tremendous amount of resources on developing the mental approach and mental state of his athletes. It was a major point of emphasis in Athens this past offseason, they worked a lot of hours on the minds of the young men they coach. It paid off on the field, now it appears to paying off in the portal.

NFL Draft Declarations Update:

January 17th, 2022 - Georgia LB Channing Tindall Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
January 17th, 2022 - Georgia DB William Poole will return to Athens
January 17th, 2022 - Georgia OL Justin Shaffer declares for the NFL Draft
January 17th, 2022 - Georgia LB Nolan Smith will return to Athens
January 16th, 2022 - Georgia DB Tykee Smith will return to Athens
January 16th, 2022 - Georgia P Jake Camarda declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
January 15th, 2022 - Georgia DB Derion Kendrick declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
January 15th, 2022- Georgia DL Devonte Wyatt declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
January 14th, 2022 - Georgia S Lewis Cine declares for the 2022 NFL Draft.
January 14th, 2022 - Georgia LB Nakobe Dean declares for the 2022 NFL Draft.
January 14th, 2022 - Georgia DL Travon Walker declares for the 2022 NFL Draft.
January 14th, 2022 - Georgia WR George Pickens declares for the 2022 NFL Draft
January 14th, 2022 - Georgia RB Zamir White declares for the 2022 NFL Draft.
January 12th, 2022 - Georgia RB James Cook declares for the 2022 NFL Draft.

TRANSFER PORTAL UPDATE

January 15th, 2022- Jalen Kimber will transfer to Florida
January 15th, 2022- Justin Robinson will transfer to Mississippi State
January 14th, 2022 - Lovasea Carroll has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal
January 13th, 2022 - Latavious Brini Announced he will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal
January 12th, 2022 - Sources confirm Georgia DB Jalen Kimber is in the NCAA transfer portal
January 12th, 2022 - Georgia WR Justin Robinson has requested to enter the portal according to sources.
January 11th, 2022 - Georgia WR Jaylen Johnson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal according to sources
January 11th, 2022 - Sources confirm DB, Ameer Speed has entered the NCAA Transfer portal

The conclusion of this season now sparks the conversation of players who are draft-eligible and could be leaving the program to chase their dreams of becoming an NFL player. It also creates the question of players who could possibly be returning for another season as a Georgia Bulldog, and with the additional year of eligibility granted by NCAA due to COVID-19, things are gonna get messy.

The following players listed below are ones who have obtained the required three years in college football and are eligible to enter the 2022 NFL draft:

Warren McClendon, OL, RS Sophomore
George Pickens, WR, Junior *Declared for NFL Draft
Nolan Smith, LB, Junior *Will return to Athens for another season
JT Daniels, QB, Junior
Kenny McIntosh, RB, Junior
Lewis Cine, S, Junior *Declared for NFL Draft
Nakobe Dean, LB, Junior *Declared for NFL Draft
Tykee Smith, DB, Junior *Returning to Athens
Travon Walker, DL, Junior *Declared for NFL Draft
Warren Ericcson, OL, Junior
John Fitzpatrick, TE, Senior
James Cook, RB, Senior *Declared for NFL Draft
Zamir White, RB, Senior *Declared for NFL Draft
Quay Walker, LB, Senior
Kearis Jackson, WR, Senior
Ameer Speed, DB, Senior *Entered Transfer Portal
Jaylen Johnson, WR, Senior *Entered Transfer Portal
Derion Kendrick, DB, Senior *Declared for the NFL Draft
Stetson Bennett, QB, Senior
Christopher Smith, DB, Senior *Returning to Georgia for 2022
William Poole, DB, Senior *Will return to Athens for another season
Robert Beal Jr, LB, Senior
Latavious Brini, DB, Senior *Entered Transfer Portal
Channing Tindall, LB, Senior *Declared for the NFL Draft
Justin Shaffer, OL, Senior *Declared for the NFL Draft
Jamaree Salyer, OL, Senior *Declared for the NFL Draft
Jake Carmada, P, Senior *Declared for the NFL Draft
Julian Rochester, DL, Senior
Devonte Wyatt, DL, Senior *Declared for NFL Draft
Jordan Davis, DL, Senior

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Published Jan 18, 2022

EVAN CROWELL