Mekhi Mews, Georgia receiver and return specialist, enters portal
Georgia wide receiver and return specialist Mekhi Mews became the most recent Bulldog to enter the transfer portal. While the Grayson, Ga. native is a walk-on, he managed make a major impact this season and carved out a role for himself.
A redshirt sophomore, Mews saw action in all 13 games, catching passes in seven as he totaled 13 grabs, 155 yards and a touchdown. He also had 402 yards on 15 kickoff returns and 205 yards on 20 kickoff returns including a 69-yard touchdown against Ball State, Georgia’s first punt return for a score since 2018.
“He’s provided a spark,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Mews, commenting specifically on him as a punt returner, after the win over Ball State. “We trusted him last year, he was Ladd’s back-up, he got a couple of returns. I think he returned a couple against Georgia Tech. He does it every day in practice. He’s done it for 3 years and done a great job as a scout team guy. And when you go against the guys he’s gone against in our place, you’re going to get better.”
“We’ve got a kid that’s going to be one of our returners and slot receivers in Mekhi Mews, he was great in the spring game he made some plays in the spring game,” Smart said of Mews during fall camp. “But man, he has had a really good camp and he wants to eat off the floor every day,” Smart said. “He’s 5-foot-8, 185 pounds and he’s blocking and playing bigger than he is.”
Mews, who also saw action in a combined four games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next school. He is the ninth Bulldog to enter the transfer portal during this initial opening, joining outside linebacker Darris Smith, defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson, quarterback Brock Vandagriff, wide receiver Jackson Meeks, offensive lineman Austin Blaske, EDGE CJ Madden, kicker Jared Zirkel and cornerback Nyland Green.
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 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.
