The Georgia Bulldogs’ 2024 season was a mixed bag, to be honest. They won the SEC championship even in the absence of Carson Beck, but lost to Notre Dame in their first playoff game, despite earning a bye. There were all kinds of accusations from Carson Beck, not providing enough, to Mike Bobo’s offense faltering in crucial moments, or even the receiving corps not supporting enough. Now, in the off-season, Kirby Smart has another challenge to face: attrition.

So far, the Bulldogs and Kirby Smart have outright failed to protect their existing squad players. With more than 17 players entering the portal this off-season, it certainly looks like something more concerning is going on behind the scenes. Players like Carson Beck are going to Miami on a sensational $4 million deal, and other players like Julian Humphrey (CB) and Michael Jackson (WR) are choosing to jump ship. Now, too, two players have decided to do the same.

According to Pete Nakos of On3, the Georgia CB Chris Peal has decided to enter the transfer portal. Peal is a 4-star prospect of the 2023 class and was ranked 21st nationally in his position and was 6’1″ and 190 lbs at the time. In the two years the player has spent at Georgia, game time has been quite scarce for him. He has just managed to garner 1 tackle overall and currently stands at 6’1″ and 195 lbs. The other player who is transferring is quite interesting.

The player is none other than Luke Bennett, a red-shirt wide receiver who is also the brother of the former UGA QB and two-time national champion Stetson Bennett. Benett, like Chris Peal, has also struggled to receive playing time and enrolled at Georgia in March 2022. The 5’11” and 175 lbs WR appeared in Georgia’s Bowl game win against FSU in 2023 and then appeared against Tennessee Tech in 2024. The wide receiver looks to have transferred in search of a more prominent role in the squad.

Kirby Smart’s attrition concerns aren’t new; just last year, the Dawgs lost 22 players to the portal. So Smart may know one or two tricks to make his players stay. Or if not that. Then bring in new faces to offset that loss. Take, for example, Smart’s 2025 recruitment class. It has everything a winning team would need to make a title run. In comes 5-star Elijah Griffin (DL), Isaiah Gibson (Edge), Zayden Walker(LB), and Talyn Taylor (WR). Transfers? Zachariah Branch (WR) from USC and Noah Thomas from Texas A&M are stellar additions in the receiver room. But there may be one player to finally cap this recruitment class off.

Jared Curtis plans to recommit to the Georgia Bulldogs?

We all know the story of Jared Curtis, the player who snubbed UGA and finally committed to Dan Lanning’s Oregon.  A five-star prospect of the 2026 class, the player could have been the only QB since Justin Fields to come with a five-star tag. So, this was a loss mainly for Georgia and a massive gain for Dan Lanning, who just lost Dillon Gabriel to the NFL draft. But now it seems the story has a massive twist.

According to recent revelations, the 5-star QB isn’t locked on Oregon either. This opens up an opportunity for Smart to swoop in and grab the QB before everyone else. The player’s agent, Peter Webb, made it clear recently. “It’s not about who’s gonna pay him the most… Once he’s made the decision, then we go to work”. This points directly that the QB is still keeping his options open. Moreover, ESPN’s Eli Lederman also recently gave a verdict that Smart might get his prized QB back: “The same relationships that landed Georgia Curtis’ initial commitment should win out again,“.

Curtis is quite an exciting player in the 2026 recruitment class, and at 17 years old, still has a lot on his plate, including academics and college offers. As fart as On3 probability ratings are concerned, Georgia is ranked second at a chance of 36.9% of landing the guy. Mike Bobo, who recruited Curtis earlier, is still there, and that is something of a boost as far as personal relationships are concerned.