Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) runs the ball against Utah State Aggies linebacker Jon Ross Maye (1) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Branch brothers to transfer from USC to Georgia

Former Southern California standout wide receiver Zachariah Branch and safety Zion Branch are transferring to Georgia, the brothers announced on Sunday.

Also a star punt and kick returner, Zachariah Branch was USC’s second-leading receiver in 2024, gaining 503 yards and scoring just one touchdown on 47 receptions. He has 78 catches for 823 yards and four total touchdowns (three receiving, one rushing) over two college campaigns.

He was an All-American in 2023 and won the Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers Award as the country’s top return specialist. He led NCAA FBS in punt return average (20.8 yards) in 2023, also pacing the Pac-12 with 332 punt return yards. He averaged 5.7 yards on 13 returns in 2024.

Zachariah Branch has one career TD on a punt return and one on a kickoff return.

“I chose Georgia because I felt like the culture was something special,” he told ESPN. “They have a great coaching staff, the brotherhood within the program, their will to win, being prepared for the next level and being as successful as possible on and off the field was important to me.”

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he is the No. 4 player and No. 2 wide receiver in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

Zion Branch, who like his younger brother has two years of eligibility remaining, is the No. 269 overall player and No. 16 safety in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

He finished the season with 19 tackles, one sack and three pass breakups in 12 games. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has 41 career tackles in 21 games. He ended the 2022 and 2023 seasons early due to injuries.

“I chose the University of Georgia because of its great coaching staff, their pedigree and the history of the program,” Zion Branch told ESPN. “Georgia has consistently been one of the best programs in college football, and the culture of excellence they’ve built is something I want to be a part of. The coaches are not just about winning games; they’re about building character, fostering growth and pushing players to be their absolute best both on and off the field.”

The brothers, who are Las Vegas natives, join former USC assistant Donte Williams, a defensive backs coach at Georgia since December 2023.

–Field Level Media

Georgia coach Kirby Smart celebrates with his dad Sonny Smart after a NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Georgia won 27-13.

Syndication Online Athens

Father of Georgia coach Kirby Smart dies after Sugar Bowl fall

Sonny Smart, the father of Georgia coach Kirby Smart, died early Saturday morning due to complications from hip surgery necessitated after the 76-year-old fell in New Orleans before Thursday’s Sugar Bowl, the university announced.

“Sonny fell while walking during the day on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans and fractured his hip,” the statement said. “He was hospitalized and underwent hip surgery; unfortunately, complications arose. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome his injuries.”

Sonny Smart was a longtime high school coach in Alabama and Georgia, including coaching football at Holtville High School in Alabama while also leading the baseball team to the state title in 1982.

The University of Georgia said the elder Smart passed away surrounded by his wife, Sharon, and their three children, Karl, Kirby and Kendall.

Kirby Smart was able to visit his father in the hospital several times before and after Georgia’s 23-10 loss in the Sugar Bowl, which was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday following a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street early New Year’s Day that killed 14 people and injured dozens more.

The Smart family thanked the Ochsner Medical Center staff in New Orleans in the school’s statement.

“Additionally, they ask for your continued prayers for those affected by the tragic events that occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day,” the statement said. “The Smart family treasures everyone’s thoughts and prayers and now prays for God’s comfort, strength, and guidance.”

Sonny Smart played college football at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. He coached while Kirby played safety at Bainbridge High in Georgia and also coached at Rabun County High in north Georgia.

“He’s taught me so much just about the way you handle things, the right way, the wrong way,” Kirby Smart said of his father in January 2023, per ESPN. “Control the controllables. The moment’s never too big if you’re prepared. And I always watched the way he prepared our teams and our staff in high school.

“He was a very wise man, a man of few words. I tried to follow his mantra as a coach. I’ve certainly evolved from going to coach for other people, but a lot of my core beliefs came from the way he ran our programs in high school.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA;  Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart talks with quarterback Carson Beck (15) during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Georgia QB Carson Beck to try elbow treatment; P Brett Thorson out for season

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck seeks a rehabilitation and strengthening program for his throwing arm, but the Bulldogs’ outlook for the College Football Playoff at the position is unclear.

Beck had 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in the final month of the season to propel Georgia into the SEC Championship. He hurt his throwing arm on the final play of the first half and was replaced by sophomore Gunner Stockton. Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards with an interception to help the Bulldogs defeat Texas 22-19 in overtime.

Georgia did not confirm reports Beck suffered damage to the UCL in his right arm. But the Bulldogs did announce punter Brett Thorson, also injured Saturday in the SEC title game victory, is out for the season with a knee injury.

“Carson and Brett are both fierce competitors and extremely hard workers,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in a statement on Monday. “I’m confident they will attack their rehab with the same determination they exhibit in their daily habits. We will be here to support them every step of the way.”

Beck threw for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a senior in 2024, returning to school after considering jumping to the NFL last spring.

Thorson is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award given to the top punter in college football. He was carted to the locker room in the SEC Championship after attempting to corral Texas returner Silas Bolden in the third quarter.

A junior from Melbourne, Australia, Thorson averaged 47.6 yards per punt with only five touchbacks in 2024.

Smart said freshman Drew Miller, ranked as the top punter in last year’s class, would be ready to handle the punting chores in the Sugar Bowl.

–Field Level Media

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (2) scores a touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during overtime at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton enters portal, plans Georgia visit

Georgia Tech sophomore wide receiver Eric Singleton entered the transfer portal on Monday, eyeing a rival known for dealing the Yellow Jackets losses.

Singleton had a team-high 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 after delivering 48 receptions for 714 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman in 2023.

He also rushed for 131 yards and a TD on 21 carries in 2024.

Singleton had eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season finale at Georgia, and will reportedly visit the Bulldogs in Athens.

The news comes on the same day Georgia wide receiver Nitro Tuggle said he was entering the portal, which officially opened Monday and remains open until Dec. 28. And another Bulldogs wide receiver, Michael Jackson III, announced he would hit the portal again after recording only one catch this season. The former four-star recruit spent his first three seasons at USC before transferring to Georgia.

A product of Alexander High School in Douglasville (Ga.), Singleton was rated a three-star recruit in 2023 and had offers from Georgia Southern, Georgia State and Troy but not Georgia.

Players who enter the transfer portal are permitted to return to their original school.

Georgia Tech (7-5) was selected for the Birmingham Bowl and plays Vanderbilt on Dec. 27.

–Nebraska freshman DL Keona Davis to transfer

Nebraska freshman defensive lineman Keona Davis plans to transfer following the departure of Huskers defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.

“After thoughtful reflection and careful consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal with four years of eligibility remaining,” Davis said via X. “I want to thank Coach Rhule and his staff, my teammates, and everyone in Husker Nation who has supported me along the way. I am deeply grateful for the experiences, relationships, and opportunities I’ve had as a Cornhusker. Thank you, Husker Nation!”

Davis was a top 15 recruit from the state of Arizona in 2023. He had two tackles for loss and nine total tackles in 2024 as a true freshman.

Knighton, who accepted a post at Florida State last week, raised Davis’ profile in fall camp when he compared his upside to former Nebraska All-American and NFL All-Pro Ndamukong Suh.

“When he leaves here, he’s going to look like 93 that used to play here. That’s what I feel — he’s going to be a big guy,” Knighton said.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo XV runs onto the field ahead of the game against Colorado State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

No bull, just dogs: Texas mascot banned, UGA’s OK for SEC title game

Texas might have beef with the Southeastern Conference officials after denying the Longhorns’ request to bring live mascot Bevo XV inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Saturday’s championship game with Georgia in Atlanta.

A nearly one ton longhorn steer, Bevo XV is the Texas mascot and storms the home field of the Longhorns before and during games.

The animal is larger than the combined weight of the five-person offensive line for either team and was considered too excessively large to patrol the dome sideline safely.

The conference decided to make the preemptive decision after saying it “look at alternatives” after receiving the request from Texas.

“The reality is there is limited sideline space at the stadium. We can’t jeopardize the safety of Bevo or the game participants,” SEC spokesman Chuck Dunlap said.

Georgia is permitted to leash up its mascot, a recognizable English bulldog named Uga XI.

In response, Texas fans launched a The Change.org petition with thousands of signatures as of Friday.

But Bevo XV also has a reputation stemming from a near-incident in similar indoor surroundings.

At the Superdome in New Orleans before the 2019 Sugar Bowl, Bevo XV toppled a barricade enclosure and began to make a charge in the direction of Georgia’s bulldog mascot. At the time, the mascot was Uga X. The animals did not get close enough to have any direct interaction, but the longhorn was held by members of the Texas contingent and safely restrained.

During NFL games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, camera crews, boomlift camera machinery and cheerleaders crowd the sideline near the playing field and high-end box seats are closer to the action than many other, older stadiums.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Dominic Lovett (6) runs after a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 12 Georgia pulls away from No. 7 Tennessee

Carson Beck completed 25 of 40 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, as No. 12 Georgia kept its Southeastern Conference Championship Game and College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 31-17 win over No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday in Athens, Ga.

Beck also added a rushing score for the Bulldogs (8-2, 6-2), who bounced back from last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss. Nate Frazier ran for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Oscar Delp caught four passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns, as Georgia beat Tennessee for the eighth straight year.

Nico Iamaleava completed 20 of 33 passes for 167 yards for Tennessee (8-2, 5-2), which had its four-game winning streak snapped. Dylan Sampson led the Volunteers with 101 rushing yards and a score. Tennessee led 10-0 after the first quarter, but was held scoreless in the second half.

Tied at 17, Georgia pieced together a dominant opening drive of the second half, as Beck connected with Nitro Tuggle and Arian Smith for 16 yards each, before finding Dominic Lovett for 14 yards, advancing to Tennessee’s 23-yard line. Beck then ran in a 10-yard touchdown that put Georgia ahead 24-17 at the 5:32 mark of the third quarter.

Georgia’s defense then forced punts on consecutive Tennessee drives, before the Bulldogs iced the game with its longest scoring drive of the season, a 92-yard march down the field, capped with Frazier’s 2-yard touchdown run with 2:26 left in the fourth.

Tennessee took the game’s first lead with a 12-play, 78-yard scoring drive stamped with Miles Kitselman’s 1-yard rushing score to give the Volunteers a 7-0 lead at the 10:09 mark of the opening quarter.

Tennessee tacked on before the end of the first quarter, as it followed Georgia’s second punt with Max Gilbert’s 52-yard field goal with 43 seconds left, extending the Volunteers’ lead to 10-0.

Georgia’s first chunk gain of the game came on the final play of the first quarter, as Beck connected with Lovett for a 38-yard pass to Tennessee’s 35-yard line. Four plays later, Beck found Delp for a 19-yard touchdown with 13:30 left in the second quarter.

Another Tennessee punt was followed with a 10-play, 84-yard scoring drive that was stamped with Delp’s second touchdown, a 4-yard catch with 6:36 remaining in the first half. Tennessee then answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, resulting in Sampson’s 27-yard rushing touchdown, swinging the lead back to the Volunteers, 17-14 with 1:54 left in the first half.

Peyton Woodring’s 36-yard field goal with five seconds left knotted the score entering halftime.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Parker Brailsford (72) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images

No. 4 Alabama ends No. 2 Georgia’s 42-game win streak

Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more and Zabien Brown made a game-saving interception as No. 4 Alabama recorded a wild 41-34 victory over No. 2 Georgia on Saturday night in a Southeastern Conference showdown at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama blew a 28-point second-quarter lead and fell behind late before notching the winning points on Milroe’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams with 2:18 remaining. Brown’s interception of Carson Beck in the end zone with 43 seconds left secured the Crimson Tide’s ninth win in the past 10 meetings with the Bulldogs.

Milroe completed 27 of 33 passes for 374 yards and one interception and rushed for 117 yards on 16 attempts to fuel the Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0 SEC), who led 28-0 before the game was 18 minutes old.

Williams caught six passes for 177 yards, Germie Bernard rushed for a touchdown and Jamarion Miller caught one for Alabama.

Beck threw three second-half touchdown passes and finished 27-of-50 passing for 439 yards and three interceptions to go along with a lost fumble for Georgia (3-1, 1-1), which had its 42-game regular-season winning streak halted.

Dillon Bell caught five passes for 100 yards and one TD and rushed for another score for the Bulldogs. Arian Smith had six receptions for 132 yards and a score, Trevor Etienne rushed for a touchdown and Lawson Luckie caught one for Georgia.

The matchup was the first between the two national powers since Alabama’s Nick Saban retired after last season. New coach Kalen DeBoer kept the Crimson Tide’s success going, but it wasn’t easy, as the Bulldogs rallied from 18 down in the fourth quarter.

Beck threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Luckie — a two-point conversion pass failed — as Georgia moved within 33-21 with 9:46 left in the game.

The Bulldogs narrowed their deficit to five on Bell’s 3-yard scoring run with 5:39 remaining.

When Georgia next had the ball, Bell got behind the Alabama defense on the first play of the drive. He caught a pass from Beck and meandered around some defenders to finish off a 67-yard touchdown play that gave the Bulldogs a 34-33 edge with 2:31 left. Beck’s two-point keeper run was short.

Alabama matched the wildness on its next offensive play, as Williams got behind the Bulldogs’ defense and caught Milroe’s throw. He eluded attempts to stop him to complete a 75-yard play that gave the Crimson Tide a 41-34 lead (counting Milroe’s two-point conversion throw to Bernard).

Georgia’s rally from a 30-7 halftime deficit began with Beck’s 12-yard scoring pass to Smith. A two-point conversion throw to Luckie cut the deficit to 15 with 5:06 left in the third quarter.

At the outset, Milroe scored on a 7-yard run and tossed a 16-yard scoring pass to Miller. Bernard scored from the Bulldogs 7 to make it 21-0 with 2:21 left in the first quarter. Milroe tacked on a 36-yard scoring scamper with 12:24 left in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Dec 4, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart greets Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama, Georgia fix on fight for SEC, CFP spot

Championship preparation is the theme of the week for Georgia and Alabama.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, once the boss of Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, has Alabama positioned to play for the SEC title after an emotional comeback win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday.

The reward for Alabama is a rematch with Georgia in Atlanta with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.

“I don’t think people realize how hard it is to win 29 games in a row, or even go 12-0 in a season,” Saban said Monday. “They’ve got good players. Well coached. This is a team that doesn’t have a whole lot of weaknesses. That’s why they are who they are, what they are.”

Georgia defeated Georgia Tech 31-23 on Saturday to set the record for consecutive wins by an SEC program.

Neither team lost a conference game heading into the SEC title matchup in a league each has dominated in recent years.

Saban and Alabama won 26 consecutive games (2015-16). The Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 202 and 2021. Georgia won last year and lost to national champion LSU in 2019.

“It’s phenomenal what he’s accomplished,” said Saban, who promoted Smart to defensive coordinator at Alabama in 2008. He remained in that role until he accepted the Georgia job in 2016.

But if the Bulldogs lose for the first time in 30 games this weekend, there’s no guarantee a CFP spot will be available. Florida State and Texas could make cases to join Michigan and Alabama in that hypothetical scenario.

Alabama is the last team to beat Georgia, 41-24 in the 2021 SEC Championship. Georgia then defeated Michigan in the CFP semifinals and won the first of back-to-back championships by avenging that defeat to the Crimson Tide.

This version of Alabama had Smart doing double-takes in film preparation. As usual, it starts with Alabama’s versatile and dynamic defense.

“Size, speed, toughness, aggressiveness, players that play multiple positions,” Smart said Monday of the Crimson Tide defense.

Saban downplayed the similarity between approaching this game and the Alabama victory on Dec. 4, 2021, but plans to call on his upperclassmen to show his team how to prepare for Georgia.

“I have a great appreciation for this game. I grew up in the SEC, an SEC footprint kid, grew up coaching in the SEC. I have an appreciation for this game, how hard it is to win,” Smart said. “In some ways, Alabama and us, have been spoiled. I don’t think some kids appreciate, they think it’s a rite of passage. It’s not, it’s earned.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Detailed view of a Georgia Bulldogs helmet during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia fires staffer who survived fatal crash, filed lawsuit

Victoria “Tory” Bowles, the former Georgia staffer who was injured but survived the fatal car accident that took the lives of two others in January, has reportedly been fired in what her attorney claims is “direct retaliation” for the lawsuit she filed last month against Georgia athletics and several others.

Bowles was reportedly sent a termination notice Friday by UGA for refusing to be interrogated by the school and refusing to allow the school to access her personal phone, according to her attorney, Rob Buck.

The termination letter written by Georgia’s associate athletic director of human resources, Amy Thomas, stated, “You are also required to cooperate in any investigation of potential NCAA rules violations,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Buck accused the school of engaging in a “campaign of intimidation” against Bowles. Following the crash, Bowles was on paid medical leave — for her job that paid less than $12,000 a year — until March when the athletic association placed her on unpaid leave, per the Journal-Constitution.

“Tory, like all other perceived liabilities to the football program, became expendable to UGA, and despite her loyalty and meager salary, has been steamrolled,” Buck said.

The school issued a statement Monday saying in part, “Applicable policies require university employees to cooperate with internal investigations.

“Over the course of several months, Ms. Bowles was asked — on numerous occasions — to speak with our investigators and provide information, and through her attorney, she repeatedly refused to cooperate. As a result, we were ultimately left with no choice but to terminate her employment.”

According to her lawsuit, filed in Gwinnett County (Ga.) in July, Bowles likely suffered “permanent disability” in the Jan. 15 wreck that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy, who was also named in her lawsuit.

Police say LeCroy, the driver, had a blood alcohol concentration of .197, nearly 2 1/2 times the Georgia limit, and the SUV was traveling 104 mph when it veered off the road and hit two power poles and several trees.

Bowles has incurred more than $170,000 in medical expenses since the wreck, per her attorneys.

“Tory is deeply saddened by the loss of Devin and Chandler,” Buck said at the time of the lawsuit filing. “She greatly appreciates the continued prayers, love and support she is receiving during her difficult recovery. … Tory is disappointed that the Association and its insurers have forced her to resort to litigation to address her life altering injuries.”

Bowles was a recruiting analyst who was in the car driven by LeCroy and also occupied by Willock and then OL Warren McClendon hours after the victory parade celebrating Georgia’s second straight national championship,

Bowles sued the UGA Athletic Association for negligence for allowing LeCroy to drive the car despite knowing she had incurred “at least four speeding tickets, which included two ‘super speeder’ violations under Georgia law.”

The Georgia Athletic Association released a statement after Bowles’ lawsuit was filed.

“Based on our preliminary review, we dispute its claims and will defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court.”

The suit accuses Jalen Carter, who police said was racing LeCroy in another vehicle, of illegally leaving the scene and failing to render aid.

Carter pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in March. Carter was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service. He also will attend a state-approved defensive driving course.

Carter signed a four-year deal worth $21.8 million with the Philadelphia Eagles after being selected No. 9 overall in the April draft.

Willock’s father, Dave Willock, filed a $40 million lawsuit in May against UGA, LeCroy’s estate and Carter, among others.

–Field Level Media

Jan 10, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Georgia Bulldogs mascot Uga on the sideline during the first half in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia mascot Uga won’t make trip to national title game

Georgia touched down in Los Angeles on Friday ahead of Monday’s national championship game, but university officials said that Uga X, its live bulldog mascot, will not be joining the program out west.

No. 1 Georgia faces No. 3 TCU on Monday at SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.

Uga’s owners, the Seiler family, told WTOC in Savannah, Ga., that a cross-country trek to California wouldn’t be feasible for the 9-year-old bulldog, whose real name is Que.

Uga X, a grandson of Uga IX, has held down the mascot gig since 2015. He attended to last year’s national championship game in Indianapolis and once traveled to the Los Angeles area when Georgia played a CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

The Bulldogs (14-0) will shoot for their second consecutive national title on Monday.

–Field Level Media