Georgia lands first transfer portal commitment in Clemson defensive back Khalil Barnes
Georgia has made an addition to the 2026 roster, adding safety Khalil Barnes via the transfer portal.
Barnes took a visit to Georgia on Saturday. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
The Clemson transfer was a multiyear starter for the Tigers. What’s more, Barnes played at North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia. The Bulldogs have signed wide receiver Landon Roldan and outside linebacker Khamari Brooks in recent classes.
In three seasons at Clemson, Barnes notched 139 tackles, 7 interceptions and 6.5 tackles for loss.
Georgia will see safety JaCorey Thomas move on to the NFL after this season. The Bulldogs also saw safety Kyron Jones miss the final eight games of the 2025 season because of a foot injury.
The Bulldogs bring back sophomore safety KJ Bolden. Georgia signed six defensive backs as a part of the 2026 recruiting cycle, with Jordan Smith, Zech Fort and Blake Stewart projecting as safeties.
Georgia has seen seven players depart the program via the transfer portal thus far, with safety Jaden Harris being one of them.
The transfer portal opened on Jan. 2 and closes on Jan. 16.
Georgia football transfer portal moves
- Defensive back Daniel Harris — entered transfer portal
- Tight end Pearce Spurlin — entered transfer portal
- Running back Roderick Robinson — entered transfer portal
- Defensive lineman Jordan Thomas — entered transfer portal
- Offensive lineman Nyier Daniels — entered transfer portal
- Defensive back Jaden Harris — entered transfer portal
- Outside linebacker Kris Jones — entered transfer portal
- Clemson safety Khalil Barnes — transferred to Georgia
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
