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Georgia

Former Georgia DL Jonathan Jefferson commits to SMU

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe12/11/23JakeMRowe
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Jonathan Jefferson. (UGA Communications)

Georgia has had 12 players enter the NCAA’s Student-Athlete transfer portal since the end of the regular season and now the second player out of that group has found his new home. Defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson committed to SMU on Monday.

Jefferson joins quarterback Brock Vandagriff among the former Bulldogs who have committed to schools out of the transfer portal. Vandagriff is staying in the SEC to continue his football career at Kentucky.

After signing with Georgia in 2021 and enrolling in January of 2022, Jefferson appeared in 13 games as a Bulldog. He took a redshirt in 2021, which gives him two years to play two. He saw action in just one game as a freshman before playing in five contests in 2022. He tallied two total tackles that season and had one more in seven games as a redshirt sophomore.

The Carrollton High School product was rated as a four-star prospect in the 2021 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the nation’s No. 136 overall prospect and the No. 17 defensive lineman. Jefferson finished that cycle as the No. 15 player in Georgia.

More on the transfer portal…

The NCAA student-athlete transfer portal launched in 2018. It marked a change from when student-athletes had to get a release from one 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. Entering the transfer portal does not mean a prospect has to transfer, it just means they can be recruited by other programs and take visits. Georgia has had players enter the portal in the past and elect to return.

Since its implementation, Georgia has added several notable prospects. That list includes Lawrence Cager (Miami), Eli Wolf (Tennessee), Derion Kendrick (Clemson), Tykee Smith (West Virginia), Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) and Dominic Lovett (Missouri). 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, winning 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. 

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