Georgia linebacker EJ Lightsey enters transfer portal
Georgia has its tenth entry to the transfer portal as of Thursday afternoon with linebacker EJ Lightsey entering according to On3.
The second-year player out of Fitzgerald, Ga. found himself in a tough spot. He redshirted as a freshman, playing in just four games, before 2023 saw him sidelined the majority of the season with an injury. He did not appear in a contest this season for the Bulldogs. In his four games of 2022 action, Lightsey totaled three tackles (two versus Vanderbilt, one against Samford, action against Auburn and Georgia Tech).
Georgia’s linebacker room is quite crowded, even with potential departures to the NFL from Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon. Xavian Sorey, Jalon Walker, CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson and Troy Bowles are all around – several of whom seem to be ahead of Lightsey on the depth chart – while three more are currently committed to UGA in the Class of 2024.
Lightsey joins the following Georgia players to have entered the transfer portal during this window: outside linebacker Darris Smith, defensive lineman Jonathan Jefferson, quarterback Brock Vandagriff (Kentucky), wide receiver Jackson Meeks, offensive lineman Austin Blaske, EDGE CJ Madden, kicker Jared Zirkel, cornerback Nyland Green and walk-on wide receiver Mekhi Mews.
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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.
Since its implementation, Georgia has added several notable prospects. That list includes Lawrence Cager (Miami), Eli Wolf (Tennessee), Tre’ McKitty (Florida State), Derion Kendrick (Clemson), Tykee Smith (West Virginia), Rara Thomas (Mississippi State) and Dominic Lovett (Missouri), among others. The Bulldogs have had years when they’ve been active in the portal, attempting to take as many as four prospects before the 2021 season. They have also had seasons like 2022 when they didn’t take a single player and went on to go 15-0 and win the National Championship for a second straight season.
Portal needs for Georgia in the current class include defensive line and wide receiver, where it is expected to land multiple players at each position. The Bulldogs could also be in the market at running back, outside linebacker, offensive tackle, or safety. If a player wants to transfer from SEC school to SEC school, he must do so by January 2 when the current window closes. There is another window that will open in the spring but, at that point, a player must transfer in from outside the conference.
