The Georgia Bulldogs are experiencing a mass exodus of players entering the transfer portal, and now head coach Kirby Smart is losing a preseason All-American in linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
Matt Zenitz with 247Sports reported on Thursday that Dumas-Johnson would be entering the transfer portal.
Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson is expected to enter the transfer portal, sources tell @247sports.
Dumas-Johnson, who was a preseason first-team All-American, has career totals of 126 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.https://t.co/6Cw7NKmknb pic.twitter.com/Qd5MkEorjP
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 15, 2023
The move comes as a huge surprise for a program that has consistently produced NFL-caliber inside linebackers over the last few seasons, including the likes of Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. Dumas-Johnson was also having a solid season before a forearm injury back in November sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Prior to enrolling at Georgia, Dumas-Johnson was a 4-star recruit out of Baltimore, Maryland in the 2021 recruiting class. He had top offers from programs like Michigan, Florida State, and Florida, but ultimately decided to play for Kirby Smart for a unit that's been historically dominant over the past few seasons.
The junior linebacker looked like a legitimately budding star as a more regular contributor in 2022 as a sophomore. He finished the year with 70 total tackles, 45 solo tackles, four sacks, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble. While he looked like he was approaching similar numbers this season, the forearm injury kept him out for the rest of the season.
Dumas-Johnson isn't the first player to enter the transfer portal for the Bulldogs. Former 5-star pass rusher Marvin Jones Jr. has also entered the portal, as has backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who has transferred to Kentucky. Other transfers include fellow linebacker Xavian Sorey, offensive lineman Austin Blaske, and EDGE Darris Smith.
Things have flipped quickly for Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs staff. After a 29-game winning streak that included back-to-back national titles, a loss to Alabama in this year's SEC Championship suddenly had Georgia sitting on the outside of this year's College Football Playoff. With so many noteworthy players transferring, Smart will need to turn things around quickly this offseason in order to make another run at a national title next season.
