Georgia defender headed to join teammate, transferring in the SEC
The latest wave of transfer portal commitments has two more Georgia Bulldogs off the board. After Justyn Rhett joined teammates Jamaal Jarrett and Troy Bowles in announcing a commitment on Saturday, Sam M’Pemba did so on Monday. Rhett is headed to Nebraska while M’Pemba will stay in the SEC and make his way to Texas A&M.
Both players will have three years of eligibility remaining at their next stops. Uncommitted players from Georgia still in the portal include safety Jake Pope and wide receiver Michael Jackson III. Former Bulldogs committed are the following: cornerback Julian Humphrey (Texas A&M), defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett (USC), linebacker Troy Bowles (Michigan), Justyn Rhett (Nebraska) and linebacker Sam M’Pemba (Texas A&M).
Justyn Rhett – Nebraska
Rhett spent two seasons with the Bulldogs playing in a total of four games. The Las Vegas native saw the field against UT Martin and Ball State as a freshman in 2023, taking a redshirt year, before appearing in two games again in 2024 (Clemson, Tennessee Tech). He had one tackle in each of the contests he appeared in but has been sidelined with injury since the early stages of the season.
A four-star prospect from the Class of 2023 once committed to Notre Dame and announcing a pledge to Georgia less than 10 days later, Rhett ranked as the nation’s No. 355 overall prospect and 40 cornerback. He has spent the majority of his time at Georgia with the safeties and STARs though.
Sam M’Pemba – Texas A&M
A two-year player in Athens, M’Pemba was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. He ranked as the nation’s No. 44 overall player according to the On3 Industry Ranking and the No. 6 EDGE in the Class of 2023.
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M’Pemba played in 10 games his freshman season, doing so primarily on special teams. His role decreased significantly as a sophomore, seeing action in just four games and taking a redshirt. Overall, he tallied six tackles (all in his first season) including two each against Ball State and Ole Miss.
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.
Last season, Georgia lost 21 scholarship players to the portal, watching several end up at power conference programs around the country. The Bulldogs did add to their talent however, as they’ve done before. Adding to the likes of Lawrence Cager, Tre McKitty, Derion Kendrick, Tykee Smith, Dominic Lovett and others that have joined the program in the past, UGA brought in Trevor Etienne, Colbie Young, London Humphreys, Ben Yurosek, Xzavier McLeod and others that have had an impact on the Bulldogs’ 2024 campaign.
