Georgia didn’t lean on the transfer portal the way LSU or Ole Miss did this past offseason, with the Bulldogs bringing in only nine transfers.

While the transfer portal haul wasn’t big, there’s still an expectation that the Bulldogs pulled out a few impact players.

ESPN’s Max Olsen gave praise to Auburn defensive end Amaris Williams, tabbing the transfer as a potential breakout star.

“Williams could end up being one of the breakout stars of this portal cycle if he can put it all together in Athens,” Olsen wrote. “The No. 88 overall recruit in the 2024 ESPN 300 played just 310 snaps over his two seasons in a rotational role at Auburn and hasn’t been as productive as the other edge players available in the portal with 20 career tackles, 12 pressures, 7.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks. But Williams has flashed the potential to become an explosive pass rusher while playing behind projected first-round pick Keldric Faulk. Now it’s time to prove he can become a reliable full-time starter and a difference-maker for the Bulldogs.”

Williams will have two years of eligibility remaining after spending the previous two seasons at Auburn.

Georgia got an up-close look at Williams, playing against him twice. Georgia won both of those games. When Williams went into the transfer portal, head coach Kirby Smart felt more than comfortable going after the talented defender.

“We’ve got Amaris Williams, a kid coming from Auburn who’s a really violent rusher, twitchy. We had problems blocking,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in an interview with Jeff Dantzler of Glory Glory. “We’re excited as hell about what he can do because one of the things we got to improve is pass rush. Gabe Harris is going to do that. He’s going to do that. Getting Q back is going to do that. So we were able to put some pieces together.

Georgia’s defensive front should be the strength of its team next season. Williams joins a defense that brings back Gabe Harris, Quintavius Johnson and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye as defenders who can help along the edge. Georgia did not have Harris in the loss against Ole Miss and his impact was very much missed.

Adding Williams gives Georgia another big-bodied defender it can let loose on its defensive line. Georgia does have to replace Christen Miller, but it brings back Elijah Griffin, Xzavier McLeod and Jordan Hall on the interior.

Georgia’s defensive front could use some more production, as the Bulldogs had only 20 sacks and 59 tackles for loss, ranking outside the top 100 nationally in both categories.

While Olsen tabbed Williams as a possible breakout player, he is far from the only impact addition Georgia made. Clemson safety Khalil Barnes, Oklahoma cornerback Gentry Williams and Georgia Tech wide receiver Isiah Canion are also names to watch as players who could make a big impact for Georgia next season.

Georgia’s most impactful offensive player last season was wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who came from USC. Time will tell if Williams, Canion or anyone else makes that type of impact for the Bulldogs.