Georgia sophomore defensive back Tyrique Stevenson has entered the transfer portal, according to several media reports Monday.
First reported by Matt Zenitz of AL.com, Stevenson seemed to confirm the news as he retweeted a 247Sports news story about him entering the portal from his Twitter feed.
Stevenson could still elect to remain with the Bulldogs. If he chooses to transfer out, it will mean an almost complete rebuild for the secondary.
Stevenson’s departure would mean six of Georgia’s seven regulars in the secondary from 2020 are moving on. Junior cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes have declared for the NFL draft, and seniors Richard LeCounte, Mark Webb and D.J. Daniels accepted Senior Bowl invitations and also plan to enter the draft. The NCAA offered waivers for any seniors choosing to return for another year of college ball due to the pandemic-affected season.
Stevenson started four games for the Bulldogs this past season. He primarily played the nickelback position Georgia calls “star” and also was the sixth defensive back on the field in the Bulldogs’ “dime” package. The 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore from Miami moved to cornerback for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and made one of the biggest plays -- a fourth-quarter breakup of a critical third-down pass by Cincinnati -- in the waning minutes of Georgia’s 24-21 victory.
Stevenson reportedly wants to permanently move to cornerback for next season, according to persons familiar with the situation. Georgia coaches promised only a “fair shot” via competition. The Bulldogs have recruited well at cornerback, signing 5-star prospect Kelee Ringo and No. 9-ranked prospect Jalen Kimber in last year’s class. Both redshirted. Georgia also signed four defensive backs in the 2021 class, including Nyland Green of Newton County, who 247Sports ranks as the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the nation.
While it is a significant rebuild in the secondary, Georgia returns safeties Lewis Cine and Christopher Smith. Smith replaced LeCounte after he was sidelined for the season after an Oct. 31 motorcycle accident.
