ATHENS – The day after Georgia won the national championship, coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs likely would have “multiple kids” leave the program. A day later, the first one was gone.
Cornerback Ameer Speed, a fifth-year senior and part-time starter for the Bulldogs, announced via social media that he was seeking a new address next season via the NCAA’s transfer portal.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
As Smart pointed out Tuesday, in the new NCAA age of immediate eligibility for one-time transfers, more and more players will be seeking a better situation in the offseason. For some, that’s more playing time elsewhere. For others, it’s a chance to seek championship opportunities and a higher profile at more established programs.
Georgia has been and certainly now is even more of a destination program after winning the school’s third national football title Monday night. The Bulldogs defeated Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff Championship game.
Well before the game, Smart was informed of several players’ intentions to leave after the season.
“We’ve had discussions with (current players who) held that off out of respect for the team,” Smart said. “I thought that was tremendous. And we’ll have that. Everybody will think that’s a terrible thing, but in some cases, it’s actually a good opportunity for kids.”
One could definitely see the benefits for Speed. A 4-star prospect when he signed with the Bulldogs out of Sandalwood High in Jacksonville, Fla., the 6-foot-3, 211-pound Speed was the consummate team player and reliable contributor for Georgia. This past season, he played in 14 of the Bulldogs’ 15 games with three starts. He always was a major producer on special teams, where he logged the majority of his 26 career tackles.
Now fitted for a national championship ring and holding an undergraduate degree from UGA in learning design and technology, Speed can use his extra season of eligibility to further his academic career while getting more time on the field.
With his size and experience, Speed certainly could have helped the Bulldogs next season. But, ultimately, he plays the same position in Georgia’s defensive backfield as redshirt freshman Kelee Ringo. It was Ringo who made what will surely become one of the more famous plays in UGA annals – a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown with 54 seconds remaining to seal the victory over Alabama.
As many as a half-dozen or more players may end up leaving the program, and at least two or three transfers likely will come to Georgia.
A lot of offseason attention will be on the quarterback position. Fifth-year senior Stetson Bennett, offensive MVP of the championship game, has another season of eligibility via the NCAA’s COVID-19 hardship exception policy. Whether he decides to return, transfer or make the transition into the professional world could affect the decisions of junior JT Daniels and redshirt freshman Carson Beck. Meanwhile, freshman Brock Vandagriff, who redshirted this season, has been turning heads in practices, and Georgia signed the nation’s No. 7-ranked quarterback this year in Gunner Stockton of Rabun County.
The Bulldogs also have a glut of players at tight end and wide receiver. Add to that the uncertain status of Georgia’s draft-eligible underclassmen, and there’s no telling what the Bulldogs’ roster might look like as they begin defense of their national title Sept. 3 against Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Butkus Award-winning linebacker Nakobe Dean and defensive end Travon Walker are among the juniors expected to make the leap. And nobody knows what wide receiver George Pickens is going to do.
“We don’t know how many spots we have because we don’t know what some guys are doing, like (junior safety) Lewis (Cine) and other guys,” Smart said. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”
Roster management has been one of Smart’s strongest attributes in his six seasons as the Bulldogs’ coach.
Meanwhile, Speed had nothing but kind things to say about Georgia fans and his experience playing football for the Bulldogs.
“UGA gave me the best fans in the world, the people that have had my back and believed in me this whole ride,” Speed wrote on social media. “You guys were a large part of the reason I stayed. I truly love you all I will carry the amazing feeling of what it feels like to be a Dawg the rest of my life.”
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