Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Perhaps the slowest thing about Georgia’s offseason is the transfer portal. Georgia only brought in nine players in this cycle, and here is their Report Card.
Numbers to Know
Players Lost: 15
Players Gained: 9
On3 Ranking: No. 53
247Sports Ranking: No. 32
Headliner – Isaiah Canion (from Georgia Tech)
Canion fits immediate needs for Georgia, and it only helps that he travels 79 miles to Athens from their oldest rival, Georgia Tech. Canion led the Yellow Jackets with four receiving touchdowns and finished his season with four catches for 54 yards against Georgia. Those Bulldogs lose multiple key contributors at wide receiver, and Canion provides an immediate impact, 6-foot-4 target with legitimate Power Four experience and success.
This is a full-circle moment.
After Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate in 2025, I took this of Isiah Canion (middle) when he played at Georgia Tech, with former high school teammates and current Georgia players, Rasean Dinkins (left) and Isaiah Gibson (right).
Now, Canion is a Dawg. https://t.co/LnaPIleR3h pic.twitter.com/RIQBA1ApLa
— Lance (@LM_Sports_Media) January 8, 2026
Biggest Loss – EDGE Elo Modozie (to Purdue)
This is a hard category to discuss considering they only lost 15 players, and if it were a player that Kirby Smart truly felt he needed, I’m sure he’d still be in Athens. Modozie was a player with a lot of upside when he came in and may still be scratching the surface of his potential. He was a top 150 player in this year’s cycle and the No. 16 EDGE rusher in the country. Georgia is still full of talent, especially on defense, but Modozie could be a player that has a big year for Purdue.
Watch #18 Elo Modozie OLB 6-4 248 pic.twitter.com/ARIN1aUxH2
— Trey (@Trey2Triggerr) September 1, 2025
Immediate Impact – Amaris Williams (from Auburn)
Williams was a top 100 prospect out of Cinton, North Carolina. Williams had 6 tackles for loss this season, and the raw talent is there. Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann tend to get the best out of their defensive lineman, and they rotate that position unit better than any other defense in America. Even their most elite defensive line units in 2021 to 2022 saw the starters and future first round draft picks average around 25-30 snaps per game. Williams will get plenty of opportunities.
Auburn DL signee Amaris Williams vs Ohio State OL signee Ian Moore pic.twitter.com/QwKMKRWH17
— Mike Roach (@MikeRoach247) January 2, 2024
Biggest Sleeper – S Khalil Barnes (from Clemson)
Barnes is one of three safeties Georgia is bringing in after losing three at the position. He played at Clemson a season ago, and played at North Gwinnett High school roughly 30 minutes from Athens. Last season he finished with just 24 tackles and zero interceptions, but nabbed four interceptions the year before. One safety spot is locked down with KJ Bolden returning, but Barnes could make an impact at the same spot for the Dawgs in 2026.
DAWG! Clemson transfer S Khalil Barnes has just announced he will transfer to #Georgia. 🐶
The 6’0” S from Athens, GA recorded 139 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and 7 interceptions. Barnes will have one year of eligibility. 👀 pic.twitter.com/VC7T5gpL9r
— Dawg Recruiting (@DawggRecruiting) January 4, 2026
Grade – C
This should come with an asterisk because Georgia has not been a program that has shown a want to dive into the portal. There’s a reason why Smart has brought in just 35 players from the portal in the last five years combined. This year alone, five teams in the Power Four signed 40 or more players. Georgia did a solid job despite not having a true star like a year ago when they added Zachariah Branch.
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