The spring transfer window was very quiet for the Georgia football program. The Bulldogs saw only two players depart the program, with Tyler Williams transferring to Minnesota and running back Andrew Paul still searching for a home.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart sees the lack of roster movement as good news. And he has a good idea why there wasn’t some great roster churn following spring practice.

While speaking to reporters during the Regions Tradition Golf Tournament in Hoover, Ala., Georgia head coach Kirby Smart explained why the SEC’s transfer restrictions helped Georgia.

During the spring transfer portal window, players were not able to transfer within the SEC.

“Yeah, I’d be comfortable with that rule being permanent,” Smart told reporters. “I think that’s important that we’re not fighting each other’s rosters during the spring time. Don’t think it’s very good for our league. It’s probably good for other leagues because I’ve had several coaches outside our league tell me they hope we keep that because it gives them an opportunity to gain SEC players. It’s something that’s been in for a while, and I support it.”

Georgia had 21 scholarship players in total enter the transfer portal from the 2023 roster. Five of those transfers ended up staying within the conference. Darris Smith is now at Missouri, Jared Zirkel transferred to Texas A&M, Xavian Sorey is now at Arkansas and Kentucky nabbed both Brock Vandagriff and Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

The Bulldogs grabbed a few SEC players of their own in the first transfer portal window, adding running back Trevor Etienne, wide receiver London Humphreys, defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod and safety Jake Pope.

In total, the Bulldogs have landed eight players from the transfer portal thus far. The latest addition was quarterback Jaden Rashada, who will be transferring in from Arizona State.

“Well we have three so we always want to have four quarterbacks,” Smart said of the addition of Rashada. “That’s the goal, and we’re excited to have him.”

Georgia figures to be one of the deepest teams in the country, as the Bulldogs routinely sign the best recruiting classes in the country.

That makes Georgia a prime school to have players poached via the transfer portal. The Bulldogs will always operate at a deficit when it comes to the transfer portal, losing more players than they add.

Which is why roster retention is so important for Smart, especially during this time of year.

“We kind of say if you’ve played over 500 snaps we see you as a returning starter, and we’ve got quite a few guys that fit that mold,” Smart said in a radio interview with WJOX. “The deal was can we build up the rest of our roster? You know, how do we retain them? How do we sell that you might be a 2 now, but you’re closer to going into the NFL Draft from here as a 2 than you are at our neighbor school as a 1? The development piece is probably what we sell the most.”

Georgia had eight players taken in the most recent NFL Draft. Alabama was the only SEC school with more.

Defensive lineman Christen Miller publicly announced his plans to enter the transfer portal, only to reverse course and end up remaining at Georgia.

Smart and the Bulldogs will have all summer, with the roster fully intact, to continue building towards the 2024 season. Georgia opens the upcoming campaign against Clemson on Aug. 31.