Georgia kicker Jared Zirkel enters transfer portal
Georgia has another entry to the transfer portal, this time from a specialist. Fourth-year kicker Jared Zirkel has reportedly put his name in, the seventh Bulldog to do so in this entry window.
A native of Kerrville, Texas, Zirkel signed with Georgia as one of the top place kicking prospects in the country in 2020. He did now however beat out Jack Podlesny in the attempt to replace Rodrigo Blankenship. Podlesny held the job for three seasons before going pro, and once again, Zirkel was beat out for the job. This time, it was a highly touted place kicking prospect like Zirkel himself, freshman Peyton Woodring that won the job.
In 19 career contests with the Bulldogs, Zirkel attempted just one field goal, a make from 21 yards against South Carolina. He handled Georgia’s kickoff duties this season, totaling 62 touchbacks on 95 attempts. Three of his kicks, including the opener of the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, went out of bounds.
Zirkel joins outside linebacker Darris Smith, defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson, quarterback Brock Vandagriff, wide receiver Jackson Meeks, offensive lineman Austin Blaske and EDGE CJ Madden in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs lost 15 players to the portal after the 2022 season.
More on the transfer portal…
The NCAA student-athlete transfer portal launched in 2018. It marked a chance from when student-athletes had to get a release from their school to transfer to another and they could be limited as to where they transferred. The portal allows student athletes to simply notify their current school and its compliance department that they intend to move on to another program.
Since its implementation, Georgia has added several notable prospects. That list includes Lawrence Cager (Miami), Eli Wolf (Tennessee), Tre’ McKitty (Florida State), Derion Kendrick (Clemson), Tykee Smith (West Virginia), Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) and Dominic Lovett (Missouri), among others. The Bulldogs have had years when they’ve been active in the portal, attempting to take as many as four prospects before the 2021 season. They have also had seasons like 2022 when they didn’t take a single player and went on to go 15-0 and win the National Championship for a second straight season.
Portal needs for Georgia in the current class include defensive line and wide receiver, where it is expected to land multiple players at each position. The Bulldogs could also be in the market at running back, outside linebacker, offensive tackle, or safety. If a player wants to transfer from SEC school to SEC school, he must do so by January 2 when the current window closes. There is another window that will open in the spring but, at that point, a player must transfer in from outside the conference.
