Tag: UGA Football

Georgia player impacted by the Diego Pavia ruling

The Diego Pavia ruling could impact Georgia Bulldogs senior receiver Colbie Young.

On Dec. 18, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that gave Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia another year of college eligibility.

Pavia sued the NCAA last month, claiming his junior college experience (he played two years at a junior college in New Mexico) shouldn’t count toward his overall years of eligibility. He claimed it was a violation of antitrust law that unfairly limited his ability to make money from his name, image and likeness.

This ruling could have massive implications on college athletics. Now players can contest having junior college years count toward their eligibility totals, as Pavia did, if the NCAA even bothers trying to enforce that rule any longer.

Georgia’s Colbie Young is one of those players. Similar to Pavia, Young transferred to Georgia with one year of eligibility remaining. However, he started his collegiate career with one year at Lackawanna College, a junior college. He played two seasons for the Miami Hurricanes before transferring to Georgia.

With Georgia, Young played five games before his indefinite suspension from the team following his arrest in October. He is awaiting trial, and it is unlikely he plays in the Sugar Bowl.

Considering Georgia is on the hunt for wide receivers in the transfer portal, getting Young back for another year could be beneficial. Young could also transfer to another receiver-needy team.

Young is one of many players in Georgia’s history who attended junior college before becoming a Bulldog. Devonte Wyatt started at Hutchinson CC before playing with the Bulldogs and becoming a first-round NFL draft selection. Javon Wims is another UGA player who attended a JUCO and was drafted in the NFL.

Of course, Stetson Bennett, who left Georgia in 2017, spent a year at community college in 2018 before returning to the Bulldogs in 2019 and leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles. If this ruling were a few years earlier, he could’ve had another year of eligibility at Georgia and potentially led the Bulldogs to a three-peat in 2023.

This ruling could also affect recruits for Georgia. JUCO prospect Seven Cloud recently committed to Georgia as a member of the 2026 recruiting class. This ruling would make JUCO recruits more valuable in the long run.

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Georgia star LB confident in quarterback Gunner Stockton

Georgia football players have confidence in quarterback Gunner Stockton.

There is a lot of pressure on Georgia Bulldogs starting quarterback Gunner Stockton. After Thursday’s diagnosis that Carson Beck will miss the Sugar Bowl, all eyes turn to Gunner Stockton to keep the Bulldogs afloat in the College Football Playoff.

Stockton delivered a fearless performance against Texas in the SEC championship to get Georgia to the Sugar Bowl, but there are some critics, like former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray that remain skeptical that he can do it again.

Stockton’s Georgia Bulldogs teammate Jalon Walker, one of the heart-and-soul players on the team, has confidence in Stockton to deliver for Georgia. He expressed this on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Thursday.

“He’s played big time football because he’s seen it everyday,” Walker said. “He does a great job preparing himself mentally and physically. Including for what he has to do for the game. I think he’ll be fine.”

He sent a final message to Georgia fans who doubt Stockton becoming a leader for the Bulldogs if they lose.

“I feel like our team will have Gunner’s back, no matter what happens,” Walker declared.

Stockton’s insane high-school reel and pedigree (he was the state’s 11th prospect overall) earned him an offer from Georgia in 2021, which led to this point.

Aaron Murray predicts national championship winner

Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray makes his championship prediction. What does he predict for UGA?

Former Georgia Bulldog Aaron Murray submitted his playoff bracket predictions on Instagram. He predicted the Ohio State Buckeyes to take home the national championship by beating the Georgia Bulldogs.

Ohio State is the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have a 65.3% chance to beat Tennessee according to ESPN’s matchup predictor. If Ohio State beats Tennessee, it would have to play No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, a rematch of a Week 7 game that Ohio State lost.

Murray has the Buckeyes playing the Texas Longhorns in the semifinal, and, of course, he has Ohio State playing against his former team.

Murray still has the Bulldogs reaching the national championship despite showing little faith in Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton.

Murray was one of several people from the Players Lounge to post their predictions, including former Bulldog Keith Marshall, former Tennessee Volunteer Josh Dobbs and former Clemson Tiger Darien Rencher.

Marshall, along with content creator Jack Wright, predicted the Bulldogs to win the championship. Clemson sideline reporter Mare d’Entremont was the lowest of the bunch on the Georgia Bulldogs, predicting Notre Dame to beat them in the Sugar Bowl.

Georgia DT Jamaal Jarrett commits to Big Ten school

Georgia Bulldogs football DT Jamaal Jarrett announces transfer portal destination

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jamaal “Jah” Jarrett is transferring to Southern California to play for the USC Trojans he announced via social media.

Jarrett, a former four-star prospect from the 2023 recruiting class, will bring multiple years of eligibility to his new team. He played in 11 games for the Georgia Bulldogs during the 2024 season, finishing with three tackles. He competed for a starting role but had been limited throughout his career because of injuries. Jarrett is primarily a run stopping force.

He is replacing Bear Alexander, another former Bulldog, in the middle of the line. With Alexander gone to Oregon, Jarrett has the opportunity to become the anchor the Trojans’ run defense.

Jarrett will have three years of eligibility remaining. He becomes the second Bulldog to find a new home for next season. Julian Humphrey announced this month that he will join SEC foe Texas A&M.

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Georgia transfer WR target commits to Florida

Georgia football couldn’t land UCLA transfer standout WR

The Georgia Bulldogs are aggressively pursuing wide receiver transfer targets, particularly bigger-body receivers. J. Michael Sturdivant was one of those Georgia was interested in.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were unable to land the former UCLA standout. According to On3, Sturdivant committed to the Florida Gators.

Sturdivant was a four-star recruit when he committed to the California Golden Bears in 2021. However, he transferred to UCLA after two seasons with Cal. Through three seasons with both Cal and UCLA, Sturdivant caught 123 passes for 1,667 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Sturdivant will be on the other side of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Week 10 of 2025. He is not the first Georgia transfer target that will end up playing the Bulldogs in 2025 and he probably will not be the last.

Georgia is in the running for a few other wide receivers, including  Kentucky’s Dane Key. Kirby Smart and Georgia still don’t have a transfer commitment.

Should Carson Beck declare for the NFL draft?

Georgia Bulldogs quaterback Carson Beck can either stay for another college football season or declare for the 2025 NFL draft.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has seen his 2025 NFL draft stock fall down significantly since the beginning of the 2024 college football season. In August, some media pundits considered him to be the best quarterback and the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Unfortunately, Beck struggled once SEC play began, throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns against the SEC (12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions). When it looked like he seemed to finally turn a corner, he suffered an elbow injury in the SEC championship.

It remains to be seen whether he can play another game for Georgia, but he technically still has another year of eligibility if he doesn’t want to declare for the 2025 NFL draft.

What are the pros and cons of each draft decision for Beck.

If Carson Beck declares for the NFL draft

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

So far, there aren’t any major drafting sites that have Carson Beck selected in the first round. With his turnover issues and injury rehab, it could be considered a risk for teams to draft him that early.

Tankathon has the Cleveland Browns selecting him in the third round with the 69th pick. On the NFL mock draft database, he is the fifth-ranked quarterback prospect.

Then again, the draft stock of quarterbacks usually rises as the draft gets closer. Quarterbacks are always in high demand, and there are almost always teams that are willing to overdraft a quarterback to lead their offense. Plus, there are many that believe the 2025 quarterback class is weak.

If Carson Beck stays at Georgia

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Carson Beck could benefit from staying another year at Georgia. With an extra year, he could put this down year behind him with a great 2025. He could further improve his skills, develop chemistry with his wide receivers, and show more in both the stats and the eye test.

Of course, it could backfire for some. Take Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. In October 2023, Ewers was mocked to go as high as No. 11 in the 2024 NFL draft. However, he decided to stay another year at Texas so that he could improve his draft stock even further.

Unfortunately, with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2024, his draft stock slipped to the point where Tankathon predicts him going in the late second round. Ewers should still have a chance to improve his draft stock in the playoffs, but his draft stock is far from where it was in 2023.

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That’s not to mention that the 2026 quarterback class could be stronger than 2025. Arch Manning, Nico Iamaleava, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, and Garrett Nussmeier are all players that could declare for the 2026 NFL draft. Nussmeier and Allar also could’ve declared for the 2025 NFL draft, but they both decided to stay put for another season.

Beck would earn a significant amount in Name, Image and Likeness money if he returns to Georgia.

Georgia football schedule: Is UGA playing today? 

Is Georgia football playing today? Here’s a look at the potential UGA future schedule in the CFP

Will the Georgia play on Saturday Dec. 21 of the college football season?

After winning the SEC championship, the No. 2 seed Georgia Bulldogs earned bye week in the first round of the College Football Playoff and won’t play on Dec. 20 or Dec. 21.

Georgia will return to the field in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET and will plays the winner of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus Indiana Hoosiers game in the New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl, which is the last game of the playoff quarterfinals and will be televised on ESPN.

Georgia is 11-2 overall and 7-2 in SEC games. Georgia made the playoff in the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff era.

Georgia has been preparing for the Sugar Bowl without quarterback Carson Beck, who expected to miss the game. The Bulldogs are practicing with Gunner Stockton as their starting quarterback.

On Dec. 21, Tennessee plays Ohio State (8:00 p.m. ET), SMU plays Penn State (noon ET), and Texas plays Clemson (4:00 p.m. ET).

Georgia 2024 schedule with results

Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs and players celebrate after defeating the Texas Longhorns 22-19 in overtime of the 2024 SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
  • Aug. 31: vs. Clemson (W, 34-3)
  • Sept. 7: vs. Tennessee Tech (W, 48-3)
  • Sept. 14: vs. Kentucky (W, 13-12)
  • Sept. 28: at Alabama (L, 41-34)
  • Oct. 5: vs. Auburn (W, 31-13)
  • Oct.12: vs. Miss. State (W, 41-31)
  • Oct. 19: at Texas (W, 30-15)
  • Nov. 2: vs. Florida (W, 34-20)
  • Nov. 9: at Ole Miss (L, 28-10)
  • Nov. 16: vs. Tennessee (W, 31-17)
  • Nov. 23: vs. UMass (W, 59-21)
  • Nov. 29: vs. Georgia Tech (W, 44-42 (8OT))
  • Dec. 7: vs. Texas (W, 22-19 (OT) SEC championship)
  • Jan. 1: vs. Indiana/Notre Dame winner (Sugar Bowl)
  • Record: 11-2

Georgia 2024 potential remaining schedule

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
  • Jan. 1: vs. Notre Dame/Indiana (Sugar Bowl)
  • Jan. 10: CFP semifinals (Cotton Bowl)
  • Jan. 20: National championship (Atlanta, Georgia)

Georgia football’s full 2025 schedule has also been released.

Former 5-star recruit, USC WR visiting Georgia football

Former five-star wide receiver recruit is visiting Georgia football

Elite transfer portal wide receiver Zachariah Branch is visiting the Georgia Bulldogs on Dec. 20. Branch recently entered the transfer portal after spending the first two seasons of his college football career with the USC Trojans.

Branch is a former five-star recruit. He was the No. 1 ranked receiver in the class of 2023. Branch played high school football for Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The elusive receiver is the fourth-best player and second-best receiver in the transfer portal according to 247Sports. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver was named as a freshman All-American in 2023. As a freshman, Branch had 40 total touches for 390 total yards and three total touchdowns (does not include punt or kickoff return statistics).

Branch is expected to be a package deal with his brother, safety Zion Branch. Zion Branch recorded 19 tackles and three pass deflections during his sophomore season with USC.

Zachariah Branch’s top contenders are Louisville, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona State and Miami. Branch entered the transfer portal with do not contact tag, so he may already have a transfer destination already in mind.

Zachariah Branch posted 47 receptions for 503 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore with USC in 2024. Branch has immense potential as an athlete. He is a threat to score a touchdown anytime he touches the ball. Branch returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown during the 2023 college football season.

Former Georgia OT commits to Bill Belichick, UNC football

Former Georgia offensive tackle, former four-star recruit is planning to transfer to the UNC Tar Heels

Former Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Chad Lindberg is transferring to the North Carolina Tar Heels and new head coach Bill Belichick. Lindberg has one year of eligibility remaining and announced his commitment to UNC via social media.

Last offseason, Lindberg transferred from Georgia to the Rice Owls last spring. At UNC, Lindberg is reunited with one of his former Georgia teammates in offensive lineman Austin Blaske, who started at center for UNC last season.

Belichick is known for having some of the best offensive lines in NFL history during his time with the New England Patriots, so UNC has major appeal for offensive line transfers and recruits.

In 2024, Lindberg started at left guard for Rice. He appeared in 11 games for the Owls, who finished the season 4-8. Lindberg’s hometown is League City, Texas.

Lindberg, a former four-star recruit, played in 12 games for Georgia throughout the 2023 college football season. He did not participate in 2024 spring practice for Georgia. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior offensive tackle played in 22 career game with UGA.

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Lindberg has the upside to be a starter at a Power Four school. The 2025 college football season will be his last year of eligibility.

Miami transfer WR visiting Georgia, two more SEC schools

Georgia football is a contender to land Miami Hurricanes transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton

Wide receiver remains Georgia football’s primary focus in the transfer portal. The Georgia Bulldogs are preparing to host another standout pass catcher soon. Miami sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Horton has planned visits to Alabama and Texas A&M, with Georgia also expected to host him per On3’s social media account.

Horton, originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, tallying 56 receptions for 616 yards and five touchdowns. He hit the 100-yard mark in one game and recorded 70 or more yards in four other games.

Horton was a highly regarded four-star prospect coming out of high school. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 205 pounds, he was ranked as the nation’s No. 337 overall player and No. 54 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking, which averages ratings from all four major recruiting services. He also ranked as the No. 12 player in Tennessee.

Horton has two seasons of eligibility remaining. If he commits to Georgia, then it would be the second straight year a Miami receiver has transferred to UGA (Colbie Young last offseason) and the third time in the Kirby Smart era (Lawrence Cager).

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Georgia recently hosted another wide receiver, Kentucky’s Dane Key. Key, who was Kentucky’s leading receiver, visited earlier this week and is predicted to commit to the Bulldogs.