Kirby Smart discusses his thoughts on the spring transfer portal window

admin | April 17, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Tuesday marks the formal start of the spring transfer portal window.

Players have the next 15 days to decide whether to play elsewhere or return to their existing institution.

However, SEC players cannot transfer inside the conference.

Three Bulldogs have chosen to transfer thus far: running back Andrew Paul, walk-on wide out Braxton Hicks, and wideout Tyler Williams. Georgia is likely to see more players make similar decisions before the April 30 deadline.

Georgia fans have a bad taste in their mouths after the winter window, which saw 21 Bulldogs, including some former five-star prospects, leave Athens for other possibilities. That is UGA’s highest mark throughout the transfer portal period.

How does head coach Kirby Smart feel about the spring window? He was asked if he was concerned after the Bulldogs’ G-Day spring scrimmage on Saturday.

“I’m not. Can I control it? I can’t. If I concern myself with things I can’t control, I won’t live long,” Smart said. “There’s just too much out there. It’s really one of those things of, ‘do you want to be here? Or do you not?’ Because they know how we do things by now. They all know. That (G-Day) was the easier practice we’ve had all spring. They enjoyed it thoroughly. Guys want to be somewhere else, I have no control over that.”

The Bulldogs have their own opportunity to grab some players from the portal.

According to reports on Tuesday, UGA has contacted former Penn State wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who led the Nittany Lions in receiving in 2023. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Lambert Smith has heard from Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, Colorado, and West Virginia so far.

That raises the issue of whether UGA is attempting to add depth to an already crowded wide receiver group, or whether they anticipate losing any of their own.

Georgia’s quarterback position is intriguing. Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton lead the depth chart, with Ryan Puglisi being the third scholarship player at the position on the squad.

Smart revealed on Saturday that Georgia aims to have four scholarship quarterbacks on its roster. UGA received a commitment from UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava during the winter window before he swiftly switched to USC.

Puglisi is now out with a stress fracture in his knee, so there is clearly a need here.

“Oh yeah, I always want to have, our goal is to have four and a really good walk-on. That’s the goal,” Smart said. “We think we’ve got a preferred walk-on kid that’s a really good player that’s coming in, excited about him. We thought he was a really good player in our state. We’ll see what happens. I can’t predict the portal, I won’t even try to. I’m worried about our guys and the retention of our players.”