The sponsor of a Georgia Senate bill that would exempt college athletes from state income tax for compensation they make through NIL deals said he’s “basically calling it the Kirby Smart bill.”

 

Brandon Beach, a Republican who represents Senate District 21 that includes north Fulton County and Cherokee County, said Georgia football and other state programs are at a recruiting disadvantage because players have to pay a 5.39% income tax on deals for their name, image and likeness.

 

Georgia Senate Bill 71 was put in the finance committee Tuesday, Beach said, as it works its way through the legislative process.

 

“Listen, recruiting is a very, very competitive sport,” Beach told the Athens Banner-Herald on Tuesday. “When you’re recruiting these five-star athletes, they all have agents and we’re competing with Tennessee, Texas and Florida who have no state income tax. Eventually, we’ll get there and we won’t have a state income tax. I hope that happens, but until then we’ve got to get Kirby and these football coaches and basketball coaches, these coaches a tool in their toolbox to be able to compete.”

 

Beach said he’s actually not talked to Smart, the two-time national championship winning UGA football coach, about the bill, but said the idea came after a dinner he had with former Alabama coach Nick Saban and others at a home on Lake Burton, where Saban has a lake house.

 

He said Saban told him Missouri passed an NIL law after losing recruits to schools like Texas and Texas A&M that didn’t pay state income tax.

 

Missouri’s NIL bill, approved in 2023, allows in-state athletes to make money from endorsement deals in high school if they sign with public universities in that state.

 

Beach mentioned that Texas and Tennessee made the College Football Playoff this year and those schools don’t have state income taxes.

 

“When you’re talking about a $750,000 to a $1 million contract, these young kids and the agents say, ‘Hey, if you go to Texas, you’ll make another $40,000 by not paying state income tax’ or whatever the amount is. That can sway the difference in an athlete going somewhere else.”

 

Beach is a Republican as are the four other co-sponsors: Frank Ginn (21st District which includes Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, and Madison counties), Greg Dolezal (27th), Ben Watson (1st) and Carden Summers (13th).

 

“I think we’ll get major support,” he said.

 

He said someone asked him why a player like former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who drove a Lamborghini last year and has made millions in NIL deals, needs a tax break.

 

“We want to keep our athletes here and be competitive and win national championships and compete with states that don’t have an income tax, we’ve got to help them out,” he said.

 

Beach said athletes from Georgia won’t get this exemption if they go play in another state or transfer to a school in another state.

 

UGA athletics said it would not comment on the bill.

 

Beach said he hasn’t spoken to athletic director Josh Brooks or UGA president Jere Morehead about it, but he may call Brooks.

 

“College athletics generates millions of dollars for our university and local businesses and really the state economy,” Beach said. “Bill 71 will just help sustain that growth by putting a winning program on the field and putting the best athletes on the field and help these coaches in the recruiting battles.”

 

Could this mean that Georgia is the leader for the No. 1 recruit in the country?

 

 

Georgia football and the rest of the college football world are entering a recruiting dead period that will last for about a month. That means that recruits are not allowed to visit schools right now which means fans will likely get less updates on how recruitments are going.

 

However, on the day before this dead period begins, Kirby Smart and Georgia just received great news (and potentially a hidden message) from the top ranked player in the country.

 

5-star OT Jackson Cantwell

Jackson Cantwell is a five-star offensive tackle from Nixa, MO. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Cantwell is the No. 1 player from Missouri and the top ranked offensive takle in the 2026 class as well. That clearly is extremely impressive, but to take it a step further, Cantwell is also the No. 1 player in the country.

 

Cantwell just released his top six schools, and according to Hayes Fawcett with On3, Georgia made the cut. Michigan, Miami (FL), Missouri, Ohio State and Oregon are the five other teams included in Cantwell’s top six as well.

 

It’s clear this recruitment will be extremely difficult to win based on this competition, but it is a big deal that Georgia is still in the running. However, based on a social media post from Cantwell himself, Georgia may just be the team to beat.

 

In the above post, Cantwell is reacting to the original tweet from Fawcett announcing his top six. On the surface it seems like Cantwell is just giving love to the six schools still in the running in his recruitment. But at second glance, Cantwell might be sending a message to Georgia.

 

Georgia’s “Go Dawgs” hashtag just so happened to be listed first by Cantwell. Now this may mean absolutely nothing considering Georgia was also listed first by Fawcett in his top six graphic, but the order of teams listed by Cantwell does not follow the order displayed by Fawcett. This means that Cantwell chose on his own to list Georgia first.

 

Now it’s more than likely that this was random and has no meaning whatsoever. But it’s impossible to deny that there isn’t a chance that Cantwell is indicating UGA is his top school right now.

 

Time will tell if that is the case or not, but at the very least Georgia is still in the running which is a big win.

 

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Every Georgia football fan knows how special of a place Sanford Stadium is. This is especially true on Saturdays in the fall when Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have a big game taking place on campus.

 

Every fan will claim that their fanbase and stadium creates the best envorinment in the country. But that can only be true for a handful of programs. So the best way to figure out which stadiums actually make life the most difficult for visiting teams is by asking those players who have played in many of these environments. And that is exactly what Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was asked during the Senior Bowl this week.

 

Dart obviously has a lot of options that he could name because there are a lot of great environments in the SEC, but his answer will make every Georgia fan very happy.

 

“2023 in Athens, Georgia for Brock Bowers’ return. That place was electric.”

 

Georgia named the best environment by Jaxson Dart

Not only did Dart mention that Georgia had the most difficult environment he ever played in during his college career, but he even remembers that game very clearly. The game he is referencing took place in 2023 when No. 11 Ole Miss came to Athens in one of the biggest games of the week in college football. However, the Rebels did not live up to the hype as Georgia dominated Ole Miss, winning 52-17.

 

Dart even remembers that this game was Brock Bowers return, which definitely played into why this atmosphere was so great. Bowers finished the game with three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, so it may not have been the best game of his career, but he still was able to get in the end zone.

 

So next time you find yourself in a debate surrounding which SEC atmosphere is the best, be sure to point out this comment from Dart who clearly knows what he is talking about.

 

The entire college football world seems ready to agree on one thing about Georgia football. After the Bulldogs won back-to-back National Championships, Georgia has failed to snif a third title in the last two years. So the average college football fan is quick to say that Georgia is a “has been” program and that they are no longer at the top of the sport.

 

That however couldn’t be further from the truth. These claims tend to be centered around fans who might be afraid to admit that Georgia is here to stay rather than claims being centered around logic. This is at least what Georgia fans think about these claims, but it’s easy to write off these claims as a UGA fan because we are biased. But Fox Sports’ analyst Joel Klatt had the following to say on the subject.

 

“I think Georgia had a down year… if we think Georgia is going anywhere, I think we would all be sorely mistaken.”

 

Georgia’s down year is better than most team’s best years

Klatt also agrees that this past season was a down year for Georiga, and most Georgia fans would likely agree with that as well. But it’s worth pointing out that UGA’s down year is much better than the best years for most teams.

 

Let’s look at what’s happened the last two years for Georgia. Two seasons ago saw Georgia go undefeated in the regular season again before losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Georgia unfortunately got left out of the playoff, but they went on to win their bowl game and finish the year 13-1. Then this past season saw Georgia go 10-2 in the regular season, win the SEC Championship game but fall short in the College Football Playoff.

 

No one can deny that these were down years for Georgia, but 99 percent of programs would be ecstatic with these two seasons. So it’s important to add that perspective when someone says Georgia has had a few down years.

 

But Klatt’s final point is that he doesn’t think Georgia is going anywhere in the future. Sure the Bulldogs have some questions that need to be answered next season, but Georgia has been a dominant force for nearly a decade now, so that likely will not change anytime soon. Georgia fans can confidently say this because recruiting has remained very strong in Athens as Georgia has signed a top two class in the country three years in a row.

 

So until Georgia starts to struggle on the recruiting trail or they have a season where they actually lose a lot of games, no one can say that Georgia is no longer at the top of the college football world.

 

•

Scott Cochran, former staff member for the Georgia Bulldogs, has been appointed as the head coach of a collegiate football team.

Scott Cochran, the former head strength and conditioning coach for Alabama, during a practice session at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, on December 26, 2018. Alabama was set to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.

Scott Cochran, former strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, is returning to the coaching scene as the new head coach of the West Alabama Tigers, a Division II program based in Livingston, Alabama. Cochran previously worked alongside coaching legends like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, and served as Georgia’s strength and conditioning coach from 2020-2023. He played a key role in Georgia’s back-to-back national championships, with his energetic coaching style becoming a hallmark in the locker room. After the 2023 season, Cochran stepped away from the program for personal reasons and later became the president of the American Addiction Recovery Association.

Cochran’s appointment further expands Kirby Smart’s extensive coaching tree, though the significant difference in divisions between the two schools means that a meeting between Cochran and Smart is unlikely anytime soon.

 

Five Bulldogs Shine at the Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl, one of the most anticipated events of the NFL offseason, took place on Saturday, featuring top college football talent from across the country competing for one last chance to showcase their skills before the NFL Draft. The intensity of the competition builds throughout the week during practice, but Saturday was the day to suit up and play one final game in their Georgia helmets.

While no one from Georgia had an exceptional game, the Senior Bowl is designed for all players to receive equal playing time, making standout performances rarer. Despite this, five Bulldogs took part in the event and managed to make their presence felt with some notable stats. Let’s break down how each Georgia player fared on Saturday.

Senior Bowl Stats

WR Arian Smith – Two catches for 37 yards.

Safety Dan Jackson – Three tackles and one pass break-up.

LB Smael Mondon – Two tackles and one pass break-up.

DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins – Two tackles.

RB Trevor Etienne – Five carries for 12 yards.

Georgia’s Top Play

Although all five Bulldogs performed well in their limited roles, the highlight of the day came from wide receiver Arian Smith. Although his final line read two catches for 37 yards, one reception stood out—a jaw-dropping 32-yard grab, despite a defender closely covering him.

Smith, who had an up-and-down season, still has a lot to prove in the NFL Draft process. If he keeps making plays like this, there’s no doubt he’ll be a high draft pick come this summer.

Georgia’s NFL-bound players will have multiple opportunities to impress scouts in the coming months, including Pro Day in Athens and the NFL Draft Combine from February 27 to March 2. The NFL Draft will take place in late April.

 

 

A pair of Georgia Bulldogs will miss the Reese’s Senior Bowl after pulling out of the event on Monday.

 

The NFL draft showcase, made up of some of the top prospects in the class, takes place annually in Mobile, Alabama. Players participate in interviews and on-field practices before a game between the National Team and American Team takes place at the end of the week.

 

According to Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL scout Jim Nagy, Georgia offensive linemen Tate Ratledge and Jared Wilson have pulled out of the event. Additional details were not shared by Nagy, but both players were missing from the official rosters on Monday.

 

 

Ratledge served as an anchor on the Bulldogs’ offensive line for the last three seasons, including the national championship season in 2022. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound guard earned AFCA First-Team All-America honors as a senior in 2024.

 

Ratledge suffered an ankle injury in September that caused him to miss four games while recovering from surgery. He returned, albeit limited, for the Bulldogs’ SEC championship run and College Football Playoff appearance.

 

Wilson started at center for Georgia for one season after waiting behind future draft pick Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (Buffalo Bills). The 6-foot-3, 310-pound bruiser missed two regular season games due to a foot injury.

 

According to ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, the Coaches Second-Team All-SEC selection is “dealing with the effects of a long season and will prep for the combine.”

 

Both Bulldogs are among the highest-rated players at their positions, with Ratledge coming in as ESPN’s No. 4 ranked guard and Wilson ranked as the No. 2 center.

 

 

 

 

The Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will meet again on Black Friday for the second year in a row, as announced during the ACC football schedule release show on Monday evening.

Georgia will travel to face Georgia Tech on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. The game will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., instead of Tech’s home venue, Bobby Dodd Stadium, as announced last fall.

“We’re thankful to our partners at AMB Sports and Entertainment for the chance to bring Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2025,” said Georgia Tech athletics director J Batt in October. “This opportunity to adjust our contract with AMBSE not only offers our fans a new experience in one of the world’s top stadiums, but also provides our department with significant revenue as we enter a new era of college athletics.”

In last season’s Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 44-42 in a thrilling eight-overtime game at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. The kickoff time and TV broadcast details will be released later this Spring, with the possibility of a primetime broadcast, as in 2024.

The Georgia Bulldogs have won seven straight games against their in-state rival and now lead the all-time series 72-39-5.

Georgia, ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s Way Too Early Top 25, is slated to begin the 2025 season against the Marshall Thundering Herd in Athens on Saturday, Aug. 30. Georgia Tech will open its season the same day on the road against Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes.

 

 

 

Former Bulldog Champ Bailey reflects on Georgia’s 2024-2025 season

 

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Gabe Harris has recently undergone surgery according to UGASports. Harris posted a picture via social media with his left arm in a sling.

 

Harris is Georgia’s returning leader in sack production, which is a bit shocking because he recorded just two sacks in 2024. However, seven of Georgia’s eight leader sack producers from 2024 have left via the NFL draft or transfer portal.

 

Harris, who recorded 14 tackles in 2024, is expected to be one of Georgia’s top defensive linemen/outside linebackers in 2025. Harris played with a brace around his left shoulder for the later part of the 2024 college football season.

 

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defender will likely miss time this spring. The Bulldogs need some young players to step up in their defensive line room considering all the experience and production that UGA is losing. Georgia returns just 21.6% of its sack production (eight of 37 sacks) from 2024. The Bulldogs are counting on Harris in 2025, so his recovery is one to keep an eye on.

 

Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling and tight end Colton Heinrich also underwent surgery. It is typical for numerous UGA players to have surgery following the end of the season.

 

 

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