Kirby Smart doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry. While other programs panic, Georgia sits calmly with the nation’s No. 31 transfer portal class, having added just nine players, the fewest of any SEC team and tied for fourth-fewest among all P4 programs. Also, no SEC team has fewer incoming transfers. 

Kirby Smart lost 15 players to the portal. That imbalance would trigger panic in many programs. But not Georgia, which refuses to budge from its recruiting tradition. On January 31, cfbalerts shared Chris Marler’s “crazy stat” report on Instagram.

“5 teams in CFB took 40 or more players in this year’s transfer portal cycle,” he reported. “UGA has taken 35 total players from the portal in the last 5 years combined. Kirby is different, man.”

Kirby Smart’s 2026 portal class reflects that philosophy almost too cleanly. The class features two four-star transfers and seven three-stars. The headliners are familiar names in the region, including Georgia Tech WR Isiah Canion and Auburn edge rusher Amaris Williams. Both rank inside the national top 40 among transfers. 

Smart selectively plugged holes, bringing in Oregon QB Bryson Beaver for depth behind Carson Beck and adding backfield competition with Kentucky’s Dante Dowdell. On defense, he bolstered the secondary with experienced players like Oklahoma corner Gentry Williams and Clemson safety Khalil Barnes, targeting specific needs rather than just accumulating bodies.

Georgia just recorded its second SEC title last season. The most interesting fact about their recent win is that Kirby Smart and Co. did it with a roster where more than half the contributors were freshmen or sophomores. This strategy isn’t anything new because Kirby Smart’s portal activities by year tell the same story. Smart has already revealed his stance on the transfer portal, that he’s not willing to live and die by it back in 2023. 

“I don’t know because I’m not in the portal industry as much,” he said. “I mean, we’re gonna always look and try to take a great player, but I’m not gonna live and die by it. I want to develop players and bring them in from freshmen all the way up.”

Meanwhile, look around the country. LSU leads the portal race with 40 additions, including top-position transfers QB Sam Leavitt, OT Jordan Seaton, and edge Princewell Umanmielen. Oklahoma State took 54. Arkansas, UCLA, and Colorado all landed 41. But Georgia doesn’t need volume. Because while others chase the portal, Kirby Smart is already looking ahead. 

Kirby Smart’s focus remains on recruiting

Kirby Smart is clearly pushing early. With the portal window closed, Georgia is already back on high school campuses. Late in January, he landed from a helicopter on the baseball field at Hephzibah High School. He was visiting juniors Dextavion Reese and KJ Dunn. Reese plays both WR and safety. Dunn lines up at DE and TE.

Georgia currently sits No. 9 in the 2027 On3 Industry Rankings with five commits. He isn’t stopping there, either. On January 13, the Bulldogs extended an offer to 2028 4-star edge Jackson Vaughn out of New Jersey. Meanwhile, players who have been playing under Kirby Smart also seem content. QB Ryan Montgomery is among the bunch who expressed how lucky he is to be a part of the Georgia Bulldogs program.

“I love the guys in the room. My teammates. I’d do anything for them. It has just been an awesome opportunity. I’ve just been excited to learn, continue, and grow,” said Montgomery at the Sugar Bowl game last month. “This place is amazing. It is such a great opportunity to be here, and I couldn’t be happier.”

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The point is to build foundational relationships early, a strategy Kirby Smart has mastered to create a lasting trust with young recruits. But will it pay dividends when push comes to shove? It remains to be seen how the upcoming season pans out for Smart with his minimalist approach to the transfer portal.