{"id":57212,"date":"2024-01-06T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T17:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=57212"},"modified":"2024-01-06T09:02:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T14:02:08","slug":"georgia-transfer-portal-analysis-turn-the-offense-up-to-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2024\/01\/06\/georgia-transfer-portal-analysis-turn-the-offense-up-to-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Transfer Portal Analysis: Turn the Offense up to 11!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before we dive into our Georgia transfer portal analysis, let’s start with a fact. Georgia is an elite team in college football. They have problems most teams would dream about. They wrapped up the top recruiting class in the country despite the #1 quarterback and #2 overall player<\/a> in the Class of 2024 decommitting less than a week before signing day. That would be catastrophic for most teams (including the one in Gainesville), but Georgia is different. Kirby Smart<\/strong> and Georgia continued moving forward and flipped KJ Bolden<\/strong>, the nation’s top safety, from Florida State.<\/p>\n

Nineteen players from the 2023 team entered the transfer portal during the early period. Reading the internet, there was a mass exodus out of Athens. The dynasty was over. Like the reaction to Dylan Raiola’s<\/strong> decision, the news and the number of those leaving are more provocative than profound, especially when you see what Smart and his staff added.<\/p>\n

Smart on the Transfer Portal<\/h3>\n

Smart was asked about the transfer portal on signing day. While many coaches have used the opportunity to talk about how the transfer portal will spell the end of days for college football, Smart took a more pragmatic approach. “The portal is a good thing; let’s not make that negative,” Smart said. “If you’ve been in a program for three years, and you’re not playing, and you don’t feel like you’re going to play, or you don’t feel like you’re getting developed, and it doesn’t look great, then you might need to look somewhere else, and that’s an OK thing.”<\/p>\n

It wasn’t all flowers and sunshine, though. Smart did raise concerns with players who have not put their time into a program and are jumping ship when they are not starting or playing “meaningful minutes” from the time they walk on campus. “It’s when it’s you’re first year and you’re doing that, it becomes a little more alarming. It’s why did you do that in the first place because you never really gave yourself a chance to grow?” Smart said. “So, I evaluate the portal based on that, and not the total number, because the total number is irrelevant because of the day and age we’re in. Sometimes the grass is greener, and sometimes it’s not. But we don’t control those decisions.” We’ll use Smart’s comments to help frame some of the more prominent names coming and going in 2024.<\/p>\n

Georgia Transfer Portal Analysis: Turn the Offense up to 11!<\/h2>\n

Who’s Leaving?<\/h3>\n

Brock Vandagriff<\/strong> was one of the biggest names from the 2023 Georgia team to enter the transfer portal. Vandagriff challenged Carson Beck<\/strong> throughout the Spring<\/a> of last year to be the starting quarterback. Beck appeared to be the odds-on favorite after the Spring game, and Vandagriff faced a tough decision<\/a>: stay on and continue to compete in Fall camp or use the Spring transfer portal to get a fresh start with a new team. Vandagriff chose to stay and was the backup this season. He appeared in five games, completing 12 of 18 passes for two touchdowns. Vandagriff will now head north to Lexington, where he will likely be the starter.<\/p>\n

Mekhi Mews<\/strong> was the biggest name and most productive of the five wide receivers who entered the transfer portal. Mews was primarily used as a kick and punt returner in 2023. Like the other five wide receivers, Mews enters the portal looking for an opportunity to catch more balls and be a more significant part of an offense. Most of these players entering the portal are in the same situation; they have been with Georgia for a couple of years but are looking for more opportunities.<\/p>\n