After that 39–34 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in the Cotton Bowl, the Georgia Bulldogs’ head honcho Kirby Smart did not waste any time letting people know he means business by snatching a former hometown hope to Athens. Mind you, the good news came after paying a hefty quadruple price.

On January 4th, Georgia Bulldogs’s insider Jed May hopped onto the X and spilled the news that brings a smile to everybody in Athens:

“BREAKING: Georgia has its first transfer portal pickup, and it’s a big one. Clemson transfer safety Khalil Barnes has committed to Georgia.”

Barnes is actually coming home! The 6’2 DB grew up right near the Athens campus and played high school football at North Oconee High School, just about 20 minutes away. The local connection probably made this decision a little easier for him.

He spent three seasons at Clemson causing ruckus in the backfield; 61 tackles, four interceptions, and three pass breakups. Plus, he was even a Freshman All-American back in 2023 and has racked up an impressive 7 interceptions and 139 tackles in his career.

Timing couldn’t get any better than this. Georgia’s safety position had a pretty rough time this season. It wasn’t necessarily a lack of talent with guys like the young and impressive KJ Bolden stepping up, but rather a series of unfortunate events that led to a lot of inconsistency.

The big problem was the depth issue. The team just didn’t have enough players ready to fill in when things went wrong later in the season. To make it worse, their safety after JaCorey Thomas maxed out on his eligibility and Jaden Harris dipped into the portal.

Barnes still has one year of eligibility left, so he’ll be a one-year rental, but he’s expected to make an immediate impact on the defense, even if it comes on the heels of Georgia losing several players to the portal within a day or so of the Sugar Bowl loss.

Kirby Smart’s quadruple portal loss

Georgia’s transfer portal losses piled up quickly on Day 1, with plenty of players deciding to move on. Linebacker Kris Jones was the first to enter the portal on January 3.

A former four-star recruit, Jones played in every game this season and showed promise after switching positions from inside to outside linebacker. Even so, with Georgia’s linebacker room loaded and roles constantly shifting, Jones chose to look for a better long-term opportunity elsewhere.

Shortly after, reserve safety Jaden Harris also decided to test the portal. The former Miami defensive back redshirted and was expected to provide depth at safety and the STAR position. But younger players moved ahead of him on the depth chart. That lack of a clear path to playing time most probably played a big role in his decision to leave Athens this fast.

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Georgia also lost offensive lineman Nyier Daniels and defensive lineman Jordan Thomas. Daniels entered the portal after being dismissed from the program following legal issues. Thomas, a redshirt freshman defensive tackle, saw limited chances to break through in a stacked defensive line room.

Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. Their RB3 Roderick Robinson hit the portal after an injury-bugged season. Cornerback Daniel Harris moved on after losing his role late in the year. Tight end Pearce Spurlin also decided to transfer after first being medically disqualified and later cleared.

Moreover, these exits are proof of just how hard it is to earn some playing time at Georgia. Even the talented ones can get pushed out by heavy competition.