As I mentioned Monday on DawgNation Daily, I think one of the under-discussed position groups for Georgia is the defensive secondary. If you’re looking for a spot that demonstrates the impressive collection of talent the Bulldogs have amassed through a blend of traditional recruiting and judicious use of the transfer portal, the defensive backs might be a great place to start.
As we’ve repeatedly stated this offseason, cornerback Ellis Robinson has a chance — if he can continue the improvement he displayed at times in 2025 — to be one of the special players in the country. On the other side, Demello Jones seems poised to lock down a starting spot, too.
Furthermore, safety KJ Bolden has already proved to be a valuable commodity and could take the next step this fall; not to mention the late-season emergence of Rasean Dinkins last year.
Then there is the recent arrival of some intriguing options from the portal, such as former multiyear starter at Clemson Khalil Barnes, who will almost certainly find significant playing time for UGA, too.
The bottom line is that Georgia’s defensive backs might not be generating the same chatter as some other position groups at the moment, but they’re likely to be crucial in determining how successful UGA can be this season.
Check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
What was the first bowl game Georgia football played in?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Georgia hopes Amaris Williams doesn’t repeat a familiar story
It’s easy to understand why coach Kirby Smart tends to be so guarded about what comes out of practice at Georgia.
Much of the chatter around Williams has been positive this spring. He was one of nine transfers Georgia brought in this offseason, though he has perhaps the highest upside. Williams has SEC experience and came to Georgia in part to reach his full potential.
Given Georgia ranked 107th in the country in sacks last season, it’s easy to assume Williams was brought in to elevate the pass rush. Smart said as much in a February sit-down with Glory Glory.
But Williams can’t be a one-way player, especially for how much Georgia prioritizes the run.
UGA athletics daily schedule
Monday, March 30
- Baseball vs. Georgia State: 3 p.m.
Seven Georgia players taken in latest ESPN mock draft
We’re less than a month from the 2026 NFL draft, with the first round is set for April 23.
No program has had more players taken in the previous five drafts than Georgia, and the Bulldogs are expected to be well-represented this year.
ESPN’s Matt Miller put out a seven-round NFL mock draft Monday that had seven Georgia players being selected.
Miller had linebacker CJ Allen and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling both coming off the board in the first round. Allen was picked to land with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with pick No. 15, while Freeling is set to go to the Detroit Lions at pick No. 17.
The second round also has two Bulldogs projected to come off the board. Miller had the New Orleans Saints drafting Zachariah Branch with the No. 42 overall pick before the Atlanta Falcons scooped up defensive tackle Christen Miller with the No. 48 overall pick.
Christen Miller, from Ellenwood, recently spoke about the possibility of being drafted by the hometown Falcons.
“Man, it’d be a blessing,” he said. “I think the city would go crazy. Man, if I was to come to Atlanta, it’d be a show every weekend. I know everybody popping up, everybody, everybody. And it’s just, I want championships. I won at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood. I won a championship here. And to bring a championship to the city, that’d be so special. I think my grandma would fall out. She’d lose her mind.”
After those first two rounds, however, Georgia’s representation dries up. Miller had the Kansas City Chiefs taking Oscar Delp in the fourth round with the No. 109 overall pick. Cornerback Daylen Everette is slated to land with the Green Bay Packers at pick No. 160.
Miller’s final Bulldog to come off the board was wide receiver Dillon Bell, who is projected to land with the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round at pick No. 200.
If Georgia has only seven players taken, it would be the team’s smallest draft haul since 2020, when Georgia also had seven players taken.
Photo of the day
Quote of the day
Smart on Williams:
“We’ll find out what he can add. He’s certainly a quick and twitchy guy that we recruited out of high school. We know a lot about. He’s gotta be able to play within our system, understand our system, but add value. He can start by taking the reps he’s gonna get this spring.”
Georgia basketball challenge grows for Mike White
Somewhere, one might imagine, Georgia men’s basketball coach Mike White was tuned into the final moments of UConn’s epic 19-point comeback win over Duke in the NCAA tournament Sunday.
If White wasn’t watching live he surely soon learned that Silas Demary Jr., formerly a two-year starting point guard at Georgia, played a pivotal role in the Huskies’ win with 11 points, five rebounds and a deflected pass that led to the game-winning shot.
Demary, Bulldogs fans know, was a UGA NIL casualty last spring when basketball-mad UConn lured the former Georgia team captain into its tradition-rich program.
White, of course, rebounded by landing a transfer class strong enough for the Bulldogs to set a program record with 22 wins en route to their first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances since 2002.
It was no easy task replacing a player like Demary, who led the team in assists, steals, minutes played and was second in scoring to future first-round NBA pick Asa Newell in 2024-25.
Trivia answer
Orange Bowl in 1942
