Georgia is gearing up for a busy weekend across multiple sports.
The men’s basketball team will host Texas on Saturday. Even after UGA’s surprising upset win at Kentucky earlier this week, the Bulldogs’ NCAA Tournament hopes are in a precarious position. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi recently had Georgia as one of his “last four in,” which means racking up a few more wins will be crucial. This weekend would be a great place to start against a Texas team that blew out UGA in January in Austin.
The Diamond Dawgs are also set for a series against Samford. There’s some nervousness around the program right now because recent transfer Kenny Ishikawa, who was honored by Baseball America as the top two-way player in the country last week, is dealing with an injury that will keep him out of action this weekend.
And of course, there’s always football on our minds, too. It appears Georgia might have to work to keep one of its new hires. FootballScoop is reporting that UGA’s recently-promoted offensive line coach Phil Rauscher is being courted by the Las Vegas Raiders. I’d expect Kirby Smart to do everything he can to convince Rauscher to stay, but the call to the NFL can be a tough thing to say no to.
So we’ll have to wait to see what happens next.
In the meantime, I hope you all have a great weekend and that you’ll check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
Which former Georgia football player first played professional football with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Chris Cole, Darren Ikinnagbon release statements following reckless driving arrests
Georgia linebackers Chris Cole and Darren Ikinnagbon separately posted statements to their Instagram accounts following their Wednesday arrests on reckless driving charges.
Cole was arrested on charges of reckless driving and exceeding the maximum limit, both misdemeanors. He was booked at 9:59 p.m. and posted a $26 bond at 10:39 p.m.
Cole is expected to be one of the key pieces and leaders on Georgia’s 2026 team. He had 59 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this past season as he appeared in all 14 games.
Ikinnagbon was booked at 10:27 p.m. on charges of reckless driving, exceeding the maximum limit and following too closely, all misdemeanors. He posted a $39 bond at 11:08 p.m.
Ikinnagbon appeared in five games, finishing with two tackles in those appearances. He is expected to take on a bigger role in his second year in the program.
Use the link below to read their statements.
UGA athletics daily schedule
Friday, Feb. 20
- Swim and dive: SEC Swimming & Diving Championships (Knoxville, Tennessee)
- Baseball vs. Samford: 3 p.m.
- Softball vs. Seton Hall: 3:30 p.m.
- Softball vs. Utah State: 6 p.m.
- Gymnastics vs. Florida: 7 p.m.
Georgia transfer generating buzz as ‘under-the-radar’ addition
For the second straight season, Georgia used the transfer portal to make multiple additions at the safety position.
Khalil Barnes from Clemson was the first transfer Georgia landed in this previous cycle. But it is the second safety, Ja’Marley Riddle, who is generating some offseason buzz.
Riddle comes from East Carolina University, having been a very productive player over the previous two seasons. In 2025, Riddle had 70 tackles and three interceptions to go along with six pass breakups and 4.0 tackles for loss.
Chris Hummer of CBS Sports tabbed Riddle as an under-the-radar transfer to watch entering next season.
“Personnel staffers love his tape,” Hummer wrote of Riddle. “The 6-foot, 182-pound safety is a sure tackler, covers a ton of space and has shown excellent ball skills with three interceptions in each of his underclassman seasons.”
Photo of the day
Georgia football throwback
Aug. 31, 2024: Georgia beat No. 14 Clemson, 34-3, in Mercedes-Benz Stadium to kick off its 2024 season.
CBS Sports analyst reveals why Georgia could ‘run away’ from Alabama
Georgia and Alabama have come to define the SEC over the past 10 seasons.
Starting with Smart’s arrival at Georgia in 2016, either Alabama or Georgia has won the SEC nine out of 10 times. Alabama won national titles in 2017 and 2020, while Georgia took home the national championship in 2021 and 2022.
The two sides met twice last season, with Alabama ending Georgia’s historic winning streak in Athens. The Bulldogs got revenge in the SEC championship game thanks to a dominant defensive display from Georgia.
The two sides will meet again in 2026, with Alabama hosting Georgia on Oct. 10. It’s one of the more intriguing rematches from the 2025 season, as Carter Bahns of CBS Sports lays out.
