UGA Transfer Portal Players That Will Make an Immediate Impact
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and his staff at Georgia have brought in more players to Athens through the transfer portal this offseason than ever before.
Georgia is dealing with the most roster turnover in an offseason during Smart’s tenure as the head coach. The Dawgs added 24 early enrollees out of high school, which is not out of the ordinary, but the 10 transfer players the staff brought in is the record number.
With a team that is going through a lot of transition, many of the players that donned a different uniform last season are going to be expected to step in and make an immediate impact for Georgia. Some of them are all but guaranteed to be starters, and others will likely be a part of positional rotations that the Georgia Bulldogs have become famous for over the last few years.
These players should make an impact for Georgia this season, if not start:
WR Noah Thomas
Georgia’s wide receivers struggled in 2024. The Dawgs’ pass catchers led the country in dropped passes. Georgia was also missing a true outside/X receiver. The Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas helps solve both of those issues.
The 6’6” former Aggie is sure-handed and will provide a jump ball threat who can win on the outside. He led A&M in all receiving categories last season, hauling in 39 passes for 574 yards and eight touchdowns.
Thomas dealt with a shoulder injury during G Day, so his chemistry and fit in the offense is yet to be fully seen, but he was in the starting unit when he did play at the beginning of the game. He is a little smoother of a runner than you may think for his size that is primed to start for Georgia this season.
Another important thing to note is that Colbie Young is back for Georgia after being suspended for most of the 2024 season. He and Thomas will provide a tall, sure-handed duo on the outside that Georgia lacked last year.
Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch was one of the most sought after players in the winter transfer portal window. He is a former 5-star wide receiver from the 2023 class and spent the last two seasons in Lincoln Riley’s offense at USC being used somewhat sparingly.
Branch has the combination of shiftiness and explosiveness than no Georgia pass catcher possessed in 2024. Think of a blend between Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith. That combo would not be too far off of the type of athlete that Branch is.
He will be arguably the most dynamic weapon on Georgia’s offense this season and was clearly a part of the plan for the Dawgs’ starting unit while playing through an injury in the spring game.
Not only will he be a starting wide receiver, but the electric playmaker will almost certainly be Georgia’s primary kick and punt returner. In his true freshman season, he returned both a kick and a punt back for a touchdown. At G Day, he decided to field a punt from inside his own 10-yard line and weaved through Georgia’s coverage team on his way to what looked like it would have been longer than a 90-yard return for a touchdown. Smart blue the whistle to call the play off before he could take it back to the house.
RB Josh McCray
Josh McCray has had an injury-riddled career at Illinois up to this point. He was the Illini’ leading rusher last season, going for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns.
McCray is a huge running back. He is 6’1” and weighs over 230 pounds. Georgia has that with Roderick Robinson. Why did the program bring McCray in?
Georgia’s running backs have been a question mark. Nate Frazier should take a step forward in year two as the lead runner. Cash Jones will maintain his receiving role. Outside of that, there is a lot of unproven talent. Branson Robinson transferred, and Roderick Robinson couldn't stay on the field and did not have a normal spring practice nursing an injury.
True freshman Bo Walker looks like he can be a real contributor, along with Chauncey Bowens, but there is certainly a lot of uncertainty behind Frazier and Jones.
McCray can break tackles and be a real threat at the goalline and in short yardage situations for Georgia. He is another hammer for the tool box, and that box was missing a hammer last season.
OLB Elo Modozie
Georgia’s least experienced position group in 2025 will be its edge rushers. Gabe Harris Jr. is entering his third season as Georgia’s longest tenured guy at that spot, and he has no starting experience. He was out for this spring with an injury, which meant that second-years Kris Jones and Quintavious Johnson were the starting outside linebackers this spring.
Smart knows this is an issue. He brought in Elo Modozie from Army, who led the Black Knights in sacks with 6.5, which would have also been tied for the lead on the Dawgs last season.
Georgia lost Jalon Walker, Chaz Chambliss and Damon Wilson this offseason. Going after Modozie, who will likely win a starting spot in fall camp, was just as vital as bringing in Branch and Thomas at wide receiver.
DB Adrian Maddox
Smart brought in three safeties from the portal. Georgia has at least one open safety job next to KJ Bolden. Joenel Aguero looks to be the starter at the nickelback spot.
Arian Maddox looked to be the most talented of the three transfer safeties at G Day, and will certainly compete with senior Jacorey Thomas for the starting spot. It is too soon to count out Zion Branch or Jaden Harris, who also have starting experience at other schools.
Maddox would be the leader of the three to win a starting job, as he showed this spring that he is flexible to play multiple positions in the secondary. The UAB transfer showed his ability to fly off the edge and blitz front the secondary as well.