Andrew Paul planning to enter transfer portal for spring window

Georgia running back Andrew Paul plans to enter the transfer portal when it open on Tuesday according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The redshirt sophomore spent two seasons in Athens, suffering a torn ACL during the first in 2022 before playing in seven games in 2023. Paul totaled 129 yards on 29 carries and one rushing touchdown. He also reached the end zone with a seven-yard receiving score against Kentucky.

“He’s really improved tremendously at his pass pro, picking people up. He’s thick, he’s heavy. We’ve got some guys that we feel like are different than him in terms of weapons. Whether it’s Cash, Dillon, Kendall, Daijun, those guys are playing there too,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Paul last season. “We feel like Andrew has done a good job and continues to improve.”

“Being with Andrew since he came in, first thing I was super happy just to be able to see him playing because last camp was when everything kind of went downhill and then he started coming back up and seeing him put the work in. With the ACL, it’s not the easiest to come back from because there’s a lot of things in the back of your head. But he’s been pushing every single day,” added Kendall Milton. “His development has just went through the roof. Every day he continues to work hard, continues to get better. Like I said, he asked me and Daijun what can he do better on certain plays ’cause he’s just one of those people that he’s always striving to be great or always trying to find that little niche to take his game to the next level. I feel like Andrew, he’s in a good place right now and it’s only up from where he’s at.”

Paul becomes the 20th Georgia player on scholarship to enter the transfer portal this offseason. He’s the first to announce plans to do so in the spring window after 18 entered in the winter and graduate transfer offensive lineman Chad Lindberg entered prior to the start of spring practice. A full list of Georgia entries, along with their chosen destinations, can be found below.

Aliou Bah – Maryland
Austin Blaske – North Carolina
Jamon Dumas-Johnson – Kentucky
Nyland Green – Purdue
AJ Harris – Penn State
Zeed Haynes – Syracuse
Jonathan Jefferson – SMU
Marvin Jones Jr. – Florida State
EJ Lightsey – Georgia Tech
CJ Madden – Colorado
Jackson Meeks – Syracuse
Josh Miller – Syracuse
DeNylon Morrissette – Purdue
CJ Smith – Purdue
Darris Smith – Missouri
Xavian Sorey – Arkansas
Brock Vandagriff – Kentucky
Jared Zirkel – Texas A&M

The Bulldogs have also been the beneficiary of additions by way of the transfer portal. Six signed and joined Georgia for spring drills – Florida running back Trevor Etienne, Miami wide receiver Colbie Young, Vanderbilt wide receiver London Humphreys, USC wide receiver Michael Jackson, South Carolina defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod and Alabama defensive back Jake Pope. A seventh newcomer, Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek, will join the team come summer. UGA also added a pair of specialists out of the portal with UCLA snapper Beau Gardner and Duke kicker Charlie Ham. Each of them will also join the team during the summer.

Following Paul’s departure, Georgia is down to six scholarship running backs: Etienne, a junior, redshirt sophomore Branson Robinson, who is recovering from injury, second-year Roderick Robinson, who had an impressive showing on G-Day while working with the first-team, and a trio of true freshmen signees from the Class of 2024: Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips. Walk-ons Cash Jones and Len’Neath Whitehead, along with Brandon Mathis, are also with the team, all being coached now by first-year running backs coach Josh Crawford after the departure of Dell McGee.