Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!
ATHENS - Kirby Smart’s UGA Football landed its first transfer of the 2026 offseason by earning the commitment of former Clemson safety Khalil Barnes.
It did not take long for Kirby Smart to get to work on improving Georgia’s roster for the upcoming season, as the 2025 campaign ended in New Orleans on Thursday night.
Barnes spent his first three seasons of college football at Clemson and put together solid numbers. He has intercepted seven passes (all in his first two seasons) and accumulated 139 tackles across three seasons. Barnes was named a first team freshman All-American by multiple media outlets after his first season in 2023.
Barnes took a visit to Georgia on Saturday, and the announcement came a day later. He is a local kid who went to North Oconee High School just down the road from Athens. He was ranked as a three-star athlete in the 2023 recruiting class.
He chose Georgia to play out his last year of eligibility and will likely have a chance to compete for a starting spot. JaCorey Thomas and Daylen Everette are both out of eligibility, so there are two starting secondary spots to fill from the 2025 team. Former Miami transfer Jaden Harris announced his intention to transfer again the other day, so there are a few defensive backs out the door.
UGA true freshman DB Resean Dinkins came on strong at the end of the 2025 season - starting both in the SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl in place of an injured Joenel Aguero.
Smart and the defensive staff added Harris, Adrian Maddox and Zion Branch in the portal last offseason, and the Dawgs have wasted no time trying to secure depth in the back end of the defense yet again.
