Georgia picks up former 4-star DL Xavier McLeod from transfer portal
Georgia entered the Winter 2023 transfer portal window with the intention of bolstering its defensive line. The Bulldogs took a big step in that direction on Tuesday by adding South Carolina defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod. The 6-foot-5 325-pound defender will have four years to play four after taking a redshirt in 2023.
McLeod announced intentions to enter the transfer portal well before it opened. He left the South Carolina program after playing in just four games, preserving a year of eligibility. In those four games McLeod tallied one total tackle and an interception.
Georgia is quite familiar with the Camden High School (Camden, S.C.) product. The Bulldogs finished as the runner up for McLeod’s signature in the 2023 class. He took at least seven visits to Athens before committing to the Gamecocks in August of 2022.
When that recruiting cycle was over, McLeod stood as the nation’s No. 196 overall prospect per the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that includes all four recruiting ranking services. He was the nation’s No. 22 defensive lineman and the No. 3 player in South Carolina.
“It was pretty much the same things I saw last time,” McLeod said of his recent weekend visit to Georgia. “We went to eat, watched the team practice, and met with Coach [Tray] Scott and Coach [Kirby] Smart.”
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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.
