UGA Transfer Portal Update
It’s quiet. Too quiet. As of the morning of December 28th, the Dawgs are the only team in the SEC without an incoming transfer. It’s not for lack of trying. UGA has pursued and is in pursuit of several players, particularly at the quarterback and wide receiver position. Read more UGA transfer portal update.
The Biggest Miss
Probably the biggest miss this portal season was former Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key. Key would have been a great fit for the Dawgs, since they are very thin at X receiver. Key brings plenty of SEC experience and has managed to put up solid stats with questionable QB play. UGA thought they had Key locked up (forgive me) with a solid NIL offer and the bonus of his girlfriend already at UGA as a softball player. Instead, Key committed to Nebraska.
Eric Singletary
UGA also kicked the tires on Georgia Tech WR Eric Singletary. Singetary has punished UGA for the last couple of years, and despite a solid NIL deal at Tech, he was looking for a raise and better opportunities elsewhere. He found that at Auburn who also brought in Jackson Arnold to throw to him.
Other Missed Opportunities
The other major miss for the Dawgs at receiver was Kevin Concepcion from NC State. KC Concepcion was high on everyone’s wish list last year, but stayed put. This year, he has hit the portal, but his destination is still unknown. From what I’ve read so far, UGA communicated their interest, but he would have to come down on his price range to end up in Athens. At this point, it is incredibly unlikely he’ll be a Dawg.
UGA also was heavily involved in the QB recruitment of Fernando Mendoza from Cal. Mendoza is originally from Miami with a prototypical QB build at 6’5 225. He threw for just over 3000 yards this year and 16 touchdowns with 2 rushing touchdowns. While he’s more of passer, he’s athletic enough to make a play with his legs, even managing a 50 yard touchdown run this year. Mendoza ultimately committed to Indiana, likely because he would be almost guaranteed the starting role, a move that Kirby Smart rarely, if ever, makes with incoming players.
UGA is still in the hunt for a pair of players, the Branch brothers. Zachariah and Zion Branch are both former top 100 recruits who seem to be a package deal. Zach Branch is the more coveted of the two, a slot receiver who is also incredibly dangerous as a returner on special teams. Zachariah was a first-team All-American as a freshman, and won the award for the nation’s top returner as a freshman. Zion has battled injuries throughout his career, but managed to play in 12 games this past season. He is a safety, which is a position of need for UGA. It appears that UGA and Arizona State are the two leading teams at the moment to land these brothers. While UGA would love to have a dynamic playmaker and more safety depth, Zachariah Branch doesn’t exactly fit the WR room needs like Dane Key did. We need X receivers, the big playmaker on the outside, not more slot guys. Still, if you can upgrade, you take it.
Keep an eye on WSU DB Ethan O’Connor. He is a redshirt freshman who nabbed four interceptions this year. UGA has traction with the former 3-star.
Out Going
Here are the players who have hit the portal so far from UGA
CB Julian Humphrey to Texas A&M. Humphrey hit the portal before the SEC Championship after losing his starting role late in the season. I think he left a bad taste in his teammates’ mouths in doing so.
OLB Sam M’Pemba. The former 5-star recruit couldn’t crack the rotation at UGA. He’s an athletic freak and UGA knew he’d need to develop a ton more technique to play in the SEC. He didn’t develop physically or technically as hoped, so he’s headed with Humphrey to A&M to seek playing time.
Safety Jake Pope. UGA took him in the portal last year as a surprise, but they needed depth at safety. His gone after Kirby Smart publically called him an idiot when he was filmed celebrating with fans wearing Ole Miss gear after the loss. He apologized to the team and said it was an old friend. However, I think his career at UGA ended right there. He hasn’t committed anywhere yet.
DL Jamal Jarrett transferred to USC. Jarrett was a huge body who UGA hoped could develop into another Jordan Davis kind of player to plug up the middle and command double teams. Jarrett had trouble maintaining healthy weight and working to get into the rotation. He did get more time when Christen Miller went down with an injury, but he’s decided to go find more time elsewhere.
LB Troy Bowles transferred to Michigan. Bowles is the son of Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles. From what I hear, Bowles is a legit player, even though he walked on to UGA. There are multiple teams in the SEC he would start for. Michigan taking him shows you just how good they think he is. Bowles never got the chance for playing time and is looking for more in an already packed inside linebacker room.
DB Justyn Rhett transferred to Nebraska. Rhett barely saw the field at UGA.
Hey, make sure you check out our picks on the GW Daily Picks page.
Reaction
No one who is leaving surprises me in the least. Humphrey was a foregone conclusion once he lost the job. Pretty much everyone else is looking for playing time. None of our out-going guys is a major loss, but M’Pemba is the most disappointing given the hype he came in with.
I am concerned UGA hasn’t gotten anyone in the portal at receiver. To me, Dane Key was a “must get” kind of player who fit exactly what UGA likes to do in the portal—they know him well, he fit a position of need, and he didn’t have an insane price tag to him. While UGA is running out of time, there also could be more portal entries by playoff teams, who have an extension on the portal closure deadline. It also means UGA likely hasn’t seen the end of their departures. No need to panic yet, but the lack of experienced X receivers on the roster is a cause for concern looking ahead to next year, even with some exciting prospects coming in from high school as freshmen.
