Some Georgia players walked off the field against Ole Miss knowing they had played their final game for the Bulldogs.

Such was the case for wide receiver Colbie Young.

“It meant everything,” Young said. “Unfortunately, this is my last game, and I got to be out there to contribute to this team. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Others admitted they still were unsure about their prospective NFL futures. Linebackers CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson, the defensive engines for Georgia last season, both told DawgNation after the game that they still had some thinking to do when it comes to declaring for the NFL draft.

“It’s something I just have to talk with my family, my coaches, you know,” Allen said. “Really haven’t put too much thought into it.”

Defensive tackle Christen Miller moved quickly, as he announced on Saturday that he would be entering the NFL draft. Miller bypassed the 2025 NFL Draft to return to Georgia for a fourth season and graduate.

Allen and Wilson aren’t the only two who have decisions to ponder. A handful of Bulldogs will have to decide if it is better to jump to the NFL now or return to Georgia for another season. Players like Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith greatly helped shape the 2021 and 2022 national championship teams by returning to school for another year.

Below are the players to keep an eye on in terms of their upcoming NFL decisions. The deadline for Georgia players to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft is Jan. 14.

Georgia football 2026 NFL Draft decisions to know

Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling — This may well be the most important decision for the upcoming season.

Freeling emerged as a very capable left tackle in his first full season as a starter. He played in every game, starting in 13 of them. He showed impressive toughness by playing through an ankle injury in Georgia’s win over Auburn, which also earned him SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors.

Freeling has the kind of traits NFL teams look for at the left tackle position. He doesn’t currently have the ideal number of starts to be a high-end draft pick, but neither did Broderick Jones and Amarius Mims. Both ended up being first-round picks.

If Freeling gets a first-round draft grade from the NFL advisory board, it would be hard to turn that down. But with NIL, perhaps Georgia can make it worth Freeling’s while to come back to Athens for a fourth season, gain some more experience and position himself as a high-end offensive tackle prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Wide receiver Zachariah Branch — Branch carried the Georgia passing offense in 2025. He set a school record for receptions in a single season with 81. He led the team in yards with 811 and touchdowns with 6.

Branch was the only Georgia pass catcher to finish with more than 400 receiving yards. He’s elite in the screen game and an asset as a returner as well.

Mel Kiper Jr. currently has Branch rated as the No. 22 overall player in the draft class. He’s not the biggest wide receiver, which will put a cap on his draft range.

Ladd McConkey was taken with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s believed that Branch’s draft range is comparable. It would be a boon for Georgia if Branch were to return next season but that seems unlikely given everything he has going for him after an exemplary 2025 season.

Linebacker CJ Allen — Allen seems like Georgia’s best bet to be a first-round pick. He was a consensus All-American this past season, leading the team in tackles and tackles for loss.

Roquan Smith, Jalon Walker and Quay Walker are all recent examples of first-round linebackers from Georgia. If Allen can join that group, he should probably move on to the next level after a great career in Athens.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton: Stockton is draft-eligble and had an impressive season statisically. He accounted for 34 total touchdowns and finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting.

Yet the performance against Ole Miss showed a number of areas in Stockton can continue to get better. Stockton is also not an elite athlete at the position, even if he is more than willing to put his body on the line.

He also only has 15 career starts. While Stockton hasn’t publicly announced anything, it would seem to be a safe bet that he returns next season.

Linebacker Raylen Wilson — Wilson’s future is much less certain than that of Allen. He’s got a near equal amount of experience as Allen, just not the same level of production.

Wilson is a better athlete than that of Allen and would likely be one of the better testers at the NFL combine, should he attend.

Georgia has Chris Cole, Justin Williams and Zayden Walker primed for bigger roles in 2026. But having a senior with as much experience as Wilson would provide a real boost to the Georgia defense.

Offensive tackle Earnest Greene — There is a world where Georgia has to replace both of its starting offensive tackles.

Greene has had some really strong stretches of play during his four-year stay in Athens. But injuries have also hindered him, including in 2025.

Greene has positional flexibility, which should only help him at the next level. But perhaps a full year of strong play, like he had in 2023, would do wonders for his NFL draft stock. Of course, health can’t be guaranteed, which only further highlights the difficulty of Greene’s decision.

Tight end Lawson Luckie — Oscar Delp is moving on to the NFL and Luckie could possibly join him, given Luckie is draft-eligible.

Luckie is one of the tougher and more impressive players on the team. Even in a loaded tight end room, Georgia would want Luckie back for his leadership alone.

Working in Georgia’s favor is that the Bulldogs signed Carter Luckie as a 4-star defensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The ability to play with his brother is something the NFL cannot offer the Georgia tight end at this point in time.

Defensive end Gabe Harris — The loss of Harris was felt in Georgia’s season-ending defeat to Ole Miss.

Harris missed the game because of a turf toe injury, prematurely ending what had been a great season for the junior. He played his best football at the end of the season, finishing with 4.0 tackles for loss in the final four games he played in.

Georgia’s defensive front was very young in 2025. Getting a veteran like Harris back would be significant for the group in 2026.

Center Drew Bobo — Much of what was said about Harris is true for Bobo. His season was cut short after suffering a foot injury against Georgia Tech.

Perhaps no one was more impacted by Bobo’s foot injury than Gunner Stockton, who didn’t seem to trust his pocket against Ole Miss.

Bobo has only 14 career starts but also played at an All-SEC level this past season. The foot injury and lack of starts have Bobo’s stock trending in the wrong direction at this time. That may prove to be a great thing for the 2026 Georgia team.

Defensive back Joenel Aguero — Like Bobo and Harris, an injury ended Aguero’s season as he dealt with a wrist injury late in the year. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Rasean Dinkins, who had some nice moments but also looked like a true freshman at times in Georgia’s College Football Playoff loss.

Aguero plays the star position but could also move to safety if need be. Georgia has already made one transfer portal addition in the defensive backfield in Khalil Barnes and will be looking for more help. It will be interesting to see how the transfer portal impacts things for Aguero.