Kirby Smart rarely admits a mistake, but one recruiting miss from last season is clearly haunting him. After a 12–2 season and a Sugar Bowl run, Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs didn’t have a very reliable arsenal at wideouts apart from Zachariah Branch. No Bulldogs wideout had more than 360 yards except for Branch.

“We got a receiver [Isiah Canion] that we probably should have gotten out of high school. But we didn’t,” Kirby Smart said to Jeff Dantzler of Glory. “He went to a rival school, and he got better. He got developed. We think he’s really talented. We’re excited as hell about Canion, and he’s going to be a good player.”

Despite being the No. 194 overall recruit in the 2024 class and a standout from Warner Robins High, UGA never offered Canion out of high school. He initially committed to Notre Dame before flipping to Georgia Tech.

The Bulldogs acted quickly after Canion entered the transfer portal in early January, with Georgia making him feel valued. By January 8, the 6-foot-4 wideout officially joined the Dawgs. Smart admits past misses but is “excited as hell” about Canion, especially since he’s friends and high-school teammates with current Bulldogs like Isaiah Gibson and Rasean Dinkins.

Canion isn’t the only one Smart has second-guessed himself on. He also recently targeted edge rusher Amaris Williams in the portal after regretting not having his “violent” pass-rushing style on the team sooner.

This was a critical pickup for Georgia’s offense because they’re losing a lot of star power. With big names like Zachariah Branch and Colbie Young heading to the NFL, the receiver room was looking a bit empty. Canion’s expected to step right into that “X” receiver role and give Gunner Stockton a reliable deep threat.

His 2025 numbers might understate his talent since Georgia Tech and Haynes King favor running. As a sophomore, he led Georgia Tech with 33 catches, 480 yards, and 4 TDs. He impressed Kirby in their matchup last November with 4 catches for 56 yards. Smart noted he improved after playing elsewhere first.

Smart is now focused on the future. By snagging the only wide receiver they took from the portal this cycle, the coaching staff is betting big on Canion’s talent and fit. With Canion on board, Kirby Smart also accomplished his 2026 offseason goal.

Kirby Smart’s biggest offseason challenge: Retention

Retaining players during the offseason is hard for any college football team. During the transfer portal period, 14 Georgia players left the team. However, of the 27 players Georgia recruited in the 2025 class, only one transferred.

Kirby Smart explained how critical it was to keep players on the team: “We had a goal of keeping the players on our roster that we could, and we went through agents, players, parents, and meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting to try to retain our roster, which I think we won that battle. We were able to keep a lot of the players we wanted here.

We’ve got the best retention rate among playoff teams. We’ve got the best retention rate in the SEC, so our guys want to be here, and we have to learn to want to be here.”

By keeping most of his starters and adding some new talent, Kirby Smart built a mix of experience and fresh energy on the team. Georgia also added new players like Dante Dowdell, Amaris Williams, Jae Lamar, Isiah Canion, Ja’Marley Riddle, and Khalil Barnes. Running backs Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, as well as players like Raylen Wilson, Lawson Luckie, and Gabe Harris, said they will return next season.

With these returning and new players, Georgia has a strong team and a good chance to go further in the postseason, even after losing to Ole Miss in the quarterfinals.