Rian Davis enters transfer portal, parting ways with Georgia
After four seasons at Georgia and numerous injuries, serious and minor, Rian Davis is moving on. The former four-star prospect has entered the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Transfer Portal where he can be recruited by other schools.
Davis departure is Georgia’s second at the position since the 2022 season ended. Fellow 2019 signee Trezman Marshall exited the program during the first transfer portal window back in January. He chose Alabama as his new home.
The Bulldogs inked Davis out of Wekiva High School (Apopka, Fla.) At the time he was the nation’s No. 90 overall prospect, No. 11 linebacker, and No. 11 player in Florida per the On3 Industry Ranking. But due to a torn ACL during his senior season, Davis wasn’t able to really get his feet on the ground until a few years later.
He spent most of the 2019 season recovering from ACL surgery and battling various minor ailments. Davis bounced back to an extent in 2020, appearing in seven of 10 games but he spent the first part of the season sidelined by more nagging injuries.
Another major setback came early in the 2021 season. Davis appeared in the second game of the season but soon after that he suffered a ruptured quadriceps that knocked him out for the rest of the year. He wasn’t back at full speed until 2022 preseason camp.
Davis worked his way back from the injury and found a way to have the best season of his UGA career. He played in 14 of 15 games for the Bulldogs with his first two career starts. He piled up 15 tackles and five quarterback pressures on the year. He also had a sack (uncredited because it was labeled no gain) to put Georgia’s 27-13 win over then No. 1-ranked Tennessee on ice.
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Where Georgia stands at inside linebacker…
Davis has served as an emotional leader for the Bulldogs the past couple of seasons but they’re still in great shape as far as depth and talent are concerned. Starters Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon, the team’s two leading tacklers from last season, are back. They combined for 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in 2022.
Georgia also brings back Xavian Sorey, a redshirt sophomore and four-star signee from the 2021 class, and E.J. Lightsey, a redshirt freshman and three-star signee from the 2022 class. Those two saw extensive time with the first-team defense at G-Day.
Co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann also signed a big-time group in 2023. Two of those guys are already on campus in five-star prospect Raylen Wilson and four-star CJ Allen. They’ll be joined by another four-star prospect, Troy Bowles, this summer.
Losing Davis puts Georgia’s 2023 scholarship count at 89 players on paper. That’s without knowing if there are any arrangements for 2022 or 2023 signees to be on the roster as walk-ons. The current number includes the eight signees from the 2023 class who’ll enroll this summer.
