Bret Bielema claps back at fan online after implying Georgia tampered with RB Josh McCray

Bret Bielema made some noise yesterday with what he had to say about the portal recruitment of Georgia RB Josh McCray, who left Illinois in the spring transfer cycle. He has since had to add to his comments with a post about it on social media.

Bielema took to Twitter to respond to a tweet by an account that discredited his apparent accusation that the Bulldogs tampered with McCray. He came with exact information as to how and when McCray entered the portal to further set their records straight.

Dear Jon-

He actually entered the portal on 4/18 at 12:08pm which we helped him do and guided him on the process moving forward.

Appreciate your time and inaccurate information. He is a great young man and at a great place with great people. Don’t make something of nothing. https://t.co/X4Hh0urgwy

— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) June 26, 2025

“Dear Jon – He actually entered the portal on 4/18 at 12:08pm which we helped him do and guided him on the process moving forward,” wrote Bielema. “Appreciate your time and inaccurate information. He is a great young man and at a great place with great people. Don’t make something of nothing.”

That comes after Wednesday’s comments from Bielema in an appearance on ‘The Triple Option’ with Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, and Mark Ingram. When McCray came up, Bielema implied the Bulldogs may have tampered with him this spring to get him into the NCAA Transfer Portal.

“We did lose a guy to Georgia,” Bielema said. “Somehow, he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal, he was on a flight to Georgia. I don’t know how that happened, but it’s crazy…Wish Josh all the best. He took advantage of that opportunity.”

McCray had a career-best season last fall as the leading rusher for the Fighting Illini. He posted 609 yards and 10 touchdowns, bringing him to 1,370 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground during his career in Champaign. He also had his best year in receiving from the backfield with 13 catches for 116 yards and another score.

However, coming out of the spring, McCray elected to enter his name into the portal rather than return for a fifth and final season with the Illini. He’d spend less than a week available before committing to and signing with the Bulldogs on April 20th, alongside DL Josh Horton (Miami) and LB Elo Modozie (Army) on the same day.

We’re seeing more and more outspokenness when it comes to what happens in transfer recruitments. Bielema is just the latest to call it out, with timestamp receipts and everything, based on this instance with McCray and UGA.