Six Georgia Bulldogs entered the NCAA transfer portal when it opened on Dec. 4, 2023. Across the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), over 500 players entered the transfer portal on the first day.
Georgia will see a lot of roster turnover over the next several months before the start of 2024 college football season. The Bulldogs have the No. 1 incoming recruiting class.
Georgia players are primarily entering the transfer portal in search of more playing time, but some are looking for better name, image and likeness deals. The Bulldogs are targeting top players in the transfer portal as well.
Many Georgia players in the transfer portal are back-to-back national champions. Most of them faced fierce competition for playing time and would have a larger role at another school.
What Georgia Bulldogs have entered the transfer portal so far? Note: these players could still elect to return to Georgia, but statistically most don’t return.
Quarterback Brock Vandagriff
Georgia Bulldogs No. 2 quarterback Brock Vandagriff has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Vandagriff, a redshirt sophomore, played in eight Georgia games this year. The former five-star recruit completed 12 of 18 passes for 165 passing yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
Vandagriff’s exit could be a sign that Carson Beck is returning for another season.
Wide receiver Jackson Meeks
Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jackson Meeks has entered the transfer portal. Meeks is a special teams ace for Georgia. However, Meeks had trouble earning significant playing time and targets in Georgia’s deep wide receiver room. Meeks hauled in one catch for 23 yards this season and will have one season of eligibility left at his new home.
Defensive end Jonathan Jefferson
Jefferson is in the portal after he signed with Georgia football as a member of the class of 2021. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive end played in seven games throughout the 2023 college football season.
Jefferson recorded one tackle against Kentucky this season, but did not see a ton of snaps on a regular basis. The redshirt sophomore is likely looking for more playing time at his new home.
Offensive tackle Austin Blaske
Blaske, a former three-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, missed most of the 2023 season due to injuries. He competed with Earnest Greene for the starting left tackle role in the preseason and will be a good addition to another offensive line.
Outside linebacker Darris Smith
Georgia outside linebacker Darris Smith entered the transfer portal earlier than any other Georgia player. Smith recorded three tackles in 2023. The lengthy sophomore played high school football for Appling County.
Outside linebacker C.J. Madden
C.J. Madden came to Athens rated as a four-star recruit. Madden was No. 16 edge and the No. 18 player in the state of Georgia in the 2022 recruiting class. Now, he is entering the transfer portal.
After redshirting his freshman season, Madden appeared in seven games in 2023, totaling three tackles. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Kicker Jared Zirkel
Georgia kicker Jared Zirkel has entered the transfer portal, but plans to play in the Orange Bowl. Zirkel handles kickoff duties for the Bulldogs.
Cornerback Nyland Green
Georgia cornerback Nyland Green, a former five-star recruit in the class of 2021, has entered the transfer portal. Green played in all 13 Geogria games in 2023, but missed out the starting outside cornerback role opposite Kamari Lassiter.
