Latest Georgia transfer portal additions give real boost to 2026 roster

ATHENS — Thursday proved to be a fruitful day for the Georgia program when it comes to the transfer portal.

The Bulldogs made three notable additions, landing Auburn defensive lineman Amaris Williams, Georgia Tech wide receiver Isiah Canion and USC cornerback Braylon Conley.

For a Georgia program that hasn’t been aggressive in terms of using the transfer portal, the Thursday additions are all the more important.

Canion was the first of the three to commit Thursday. He took a visit to Georgia on Tuesday after spending the previous two seasons at Tech.

At 6-foot-4, Canion brings some much-needed size and physicality to the Georgia wide receiver room. Colbie Young and Noah Thomas are both moving on to the NFL.

For the Yellow Jackets last season, Canion had 33 catches for 480 yards and four touchdowns. With the Bulldogs having to replace six of their top seven pass receivers, Canion should have plenty of opportunity to make an impact for the Bulldogs.

Georgia might well add another wide receiver via the transfer portal, with Vanderbilt’s Tre Richardson visiting this week. The Bulldogs will expect more production of their young receivers like Talyn Taylor, Landon Roldan and CJ Wiley, who were all freshmen this past season.

Conley was the next to join the Georgia program. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining and is set to provide some much-needed depth to the Georgia cornerback room.

The Bulldogs have seen two cornerbacks depart the program via the transfer portal, to go along with three safeties. Adrian Maddox became the latest to do so, entering Thursday.

Georgia brings back Ellis Robinson IV and Demello Jones, who figure to be Georgia’s starting cornerbacks next season. The Bulldogs have to replace Daylen Everette, who is off to the NFL. Conley, Dominick Kelly and Jontae Gilbert should provide depth for Robinson and Jones.

Conley and Canion both have relationships with current Georgia staffers. Conley committed to play for USC when Donte Williams was the defensive backs coach for the Trojans. Canion signed with Tech when Josh Crawford was the program’s wide receivers coach. He’s coached running backs for Georgia the past two seasons.

As for Williams, Georgia got an up-close look at the defensive end earlier this season when the Bulldogs played Auburn. Williams appeared in 11 games last season for Auburn, finishing with 14 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

He gives Georgia’s defensive line another big body. At 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, Williams has a lot of physical similarities to that of Gabe Harris.

His presence was badly missed by Georgia in the season-ending loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, as Harris dealt with turf toe. Easing the burden on Harris would go a long way toward making the Georgia defensive front more disruptive in 2026.

“Gabe’s a wrecker, man. He wrecks things,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Harris. “He’s tough, physical, relentless. He’s been a force with our defense, and he’s one of those guys that doesn’t question things. He just gets out there and works, competes and gets better, and I’m really proud of the improvement he’s made for our defense.”

It’s been a very good week for the Georgia defensive line as it retools for next season. While Georgia did lose Christen Miller to the NFL draft, the Bulldogs retained defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod. As it stands, the Georgia defensive line should be a strength in 2026. That’s been a recipe for success for the Bulldogs in championship seasons.

In total, the Bulldogs have four transfer-portal additions to this point. Clemson safety Khalil Barnes is the other, having committed to Georgia this past weekend.

The Bulldogs are still operating at a deficit when it comes to the transfer portal, having seen 11 players depart the program. Only Joenel Aguero represents a notable loss and the Bulldogs already have a ready-made replacement in Rasean Dinkins. He started the final two games of the regular season when Aguero dealt with a wrist injury.

As for where Georgia might still look for help, the offensive line and running back loom large. Georgia awaits the NFL decisions of offensive linemen Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene. Should both leave, look for Georgia to try to find an experienced option at offensive tackle.

The Bulldogs have had three running backs leave the program, but they do return leading rushers Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens.

The transfer portal will remain open until Jan. 16. Georgia can add players after that date, but there is only one transfer portal window this year.