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Will Georgia Succeed in Transfer Portal This Offseason?

Georgia had success in high-school recruiting this season, but will that translate to the transfer portal?

Georgia football was a big winner on the high-school recruiting trail in 2021, but what presence, if any at all, will the Bulldogs have in the transfer portal this offseason?

Georgia is one of the favorites to land tight end Arik Gilbert from the portal. Gilbert, a product of Marietta High School, spurned his home state to sign with LSU in the 2020 recruiting class. In just eight games, Gilbert caught 35 passes for 368 yards with a pair of touchdowns for the Tigers.

Despite his large role in LSU's offense, Gilbert elected to enter the portal in December. When rumors began circling about Gilbert potentially entering the portal, it was reported that Gilbert was "homesick" and wanted to be closer to home. That could partially be true, but as the story develops, we've learned there's a bit more to it than that.

According to sources, Gilbert wants to be the guy in an offense surrounded by good weapons. He wants an offense that features the tight-end position and that will elevate his current first-round NFL projection into potential No. 1 overall pick discussions. 

Gilbert won't enroll until the summer wherever he lands. We still believe Florida is in the lead here, but there's plenty of time for this story to develop. 

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One area that is a necessity for Georgia this offseason is the defensive backfield. The Bulldogs lost six defensive backs from 2020 either to the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. Georgia doesn't lack talent at either position, but it does lack experience. A good transfer could help the Bulldogs in this area.

The most notable defensive back in the portal is cornerback Jalen Green from Texas. He has 30 games of experience through three seasons, and he's started eight games. However, seven of his starts came during his sophomore year. 

Green still made plays for the Longhorns off the bench. He had a huge game in Texas's comeback victory over Oklahoma State, registering two tackles and intercepting one pass for a 41-yard return that set up a Texas score. 

Whether or not Georgia targets a player like Green all depends on what the coaching staff thinks of the defensive backs already on the roster. There's plenty of talent waiting in the wings between Kelee Ringo, Jalen Kimber and Major Burns. Newcomers David Daniel and Nyland Green should also contribute early on.

According to what sources told Dawgs Daily, Georgia is vetting the corners currently in the transfer portal, but they won't be taking a corner only for depth purposes. If they pursue one in the portal, it would be a Day-1 caliber type of player in the SEC. Currently, there's no one available at that level. 

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