Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson plans to enter transfer portal

The defensive lineman has two years of eligibility remaining.

Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson provided valuable depth over the course of his time in Athens. Now, Jefferson is looking for a new start and a new opportunity elsewhere.

Jefferson announced on Monday his intentions to enter the transfer portal. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Jefferson has two years of eligibility remaining.

Jefferson’s post on social media about his departure included the following message:

“Dear Bulldog Nation, first and foremost, I would like to thank God for blessing me with the opportunities that I have experienced during my time at the University of Georgia. I want to express my gratitude to the University of Georgia for giving me the opportunity to be a Bulldog and to play football at a level that I have dreamt of since childhood. I also want to thank my coaches and my teammates for shaping me into the player I am today. After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 2 years of elibility remaining. Thank you all for your support!”

Jefferson appeared in seven games for the Bulldogs this season. In that time, he had 1 tackle, which came against Kentucky.

Jefferson appeared in five games as a redshirt freshman in 2022. Prior to that, he played in one game as a true freshman.

A native of Douglasville, Georgia, Jefferson signed with Georgia in the 2021 class as a four-star recruit.

 

 

Kirby Smart not worried about Georgia’s motivation for Orange Bowl

The Bulldogs head coach believes the players who show up in Miami will be ready to fight for the team’s 13th victory.

The Georgia Bulldogs were one win away from taking the top seed in the College Football Playoff and chasing another national title. Saturday’s loss to Alabama effectively knocked the Bulldogs out of the playoff and into a traditional New Year’s Six bowl, but Kirby Smart is not concerned that his team will not show up ready to play.

Smart spoke on Sunday about No. 6 Georgia’s Orange Bowl matchup with No. 5 Florida State and expressed his confidence that the Bulldogs will not take this game lightly. When asked about the challenge of facing a Seminoles team that feels slighted by the College Football Playoff Committee, Smart emphasized that the Bulldogs feel the same way and want to show they’re still one of the nation’s top teams.

“I personally feel like we deserved to be in. We’ve got a really good football team and we’re considered No. 1 in the country all year then fail. We have a hornet’s nest around here, too, of players that are disappointed. That works both ways,” Smart said. “The good news is we got each other to go play. I know they’ll be up for us and we’ll be up for them. You worry a lot more when you have a matchup that they might not look forward to. I don’t know who that would be because it shouldn’t be that way. It is that way. I have learned that.

“I know our kids are going to be up for FSU. I know FSU is going to be up for us. We’re going to rely on each other to have that, to be able to go out and play.”

Smart described the matchup between Georgia and Florida State as a great one and added that his players were excited when they found out they would be facing the Seminoles. He said outside of making the playoff that playing in the Orange Bowl in a matchup of this magnitude is where the Bulldogs would love to be.

Smart made it clear he’s learned by experience when it comes to handling these types of games.

Georgia had a poor showing against Texas in the 2019 Sugar Bowl after which Smart and the coaches took on a new bowl mantra: you’re either in or you’re out. From that point on, the Bulldogs have been calculated in terms of which players make the trip and which ones do not tag along.

While that strategy may mean that some key players don’t take the trip, Smart believes it’s the best approach for a team looking to end the season with one more win.

“We’re going to go compete. We’re going to go practice. We’re going to have our practices and get after it, after a long, tough, grueling year with a championship week on top of it. This is what we’re going to do,” Smart said. “We’re going to practice this many times. You’re going to buy into it or not. That is how teams win. It is how you win is be committed to the calls, be all in on it. If you’re wondering or trying to decide then you probably don’t need to.”

Smart acknowledged this line of thinking will force Georgia to play younger kids, particularly given the transfer portal opening on Monday. Smart said playing some new faces is practically unavoidable before adding he’s not sure what it looks like for the Orange Bowl quite yet.

Smart later added that conversations with players who will not suit up against the Seminoles will likely happen over the coming week.

“To be honest with you, I’m really not stressing or worried about it right now,” Smart said. “We have a week to kind of get ourselves together. Our guys will take some time off, take a little break they need, get back and get back to working out, throwing, practice time. It’s not a major concern for me right now because I know we have a good core of our team that’s going to want to be there and play.”