Kirby Smart’s Blunt Admission on Transfer Portal After Earning College Football Playoff Bid
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs will have three weeks off before taking the field again. And the UGA staff will be using some of that time to scout transfer players that could help add depth in Athens next season.
Georgia (11-2) secured the No. 2 seed and a bye week in the final College Football Playoff rankings after taking down then No. 2 Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. It was the Bulldogs’ second time beating Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns this season. Smart has now led his alma matter to three SEC championships in nine seasons.
But the national championship is the main goal for the Dawgs, as they chase their third national title in the last four seasons. The strength of Georgia’s back-to-back national championship teams in 2021 and 2022 was the elite level of depth throughout the roster. However, Smart has been outspoken about how things have continued to change in the NIL and transfer portal era.
The Bulldogs have brought in fewer players than they have lost in the transfer portal in the last two years. Georgia lost a program-record 24 players to transfer in the 2024 cycle and a similar number is expected in 2025.
When asked about UGA’s approach to the opening of the portal on Dec. 9, Smart admitted that the Bulldogs need help everywhere.
“All of them (positions). It’s not a position that we don’t have enough depth at,” he said on Sunday. “I mean, like I repeatedly say, we have less depth than we’ve ever had before. So we evaluate the transfer portal on who fits our culture more than we do who fits our talent level.”
The issue that a roster turnover like that can have on a program boils down to the lack of experience among rotational players. It’s rare in this era to have a talented, upperclassmen backup that is content with limited snaps.
The silver lining, of course, is the portal works both ways. UGA brought in 11 transfers last season, including former Florida running back Trevor Etienne. The junior has taken over the starting role and, most recently, led the team with 16 carries for 94 yards and two touchdowns against Texas.
“There’s tons of talented guys out there,” Smart continued. “We just want to find people that want to fit our culture and really our ethic because it’s not a place to go to if you’re just looking for sheer numbers. I mean, you’ve got to want to win, and you’ve got to want to make sacrifices for the team here.”
While Smart and his staff continue to adapt to the changing landscape in recruiting, the high school ranks are still the bread and butter in Athens. UGA holds the No. 3 class in the nation (247Sports) in the 2025 cycle after signing the No. 1 class last cycle.
With the playoff and a potential national title run down the road, the Bulldogs have already lost two players to the portal in former four-star cornerback Julian Humphrey and former USC transfer receiver Michael Jackson III.
The winter window will last from Dec. 9-28, with the final window of the cycle opening from April 16-25.
Georgia will take on the winner of No. 10 Indiana (11-1) at No. 7 Notre Dame (10-1) in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. Kickoff is slated for 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN).
