NEW ORLEANS – Kirby Smart knew it would be the last time several members of the Georgia program would wear red and black.

Seniors like Dan Jackson, Smael Mondon and Chaz Chambliss, who had poured their heart and soul into the program, ended their college careers on Thursday with a 23-10 loss to Notre Dame.

“We have a lot of people moving on. “A lot of guys get hurt in the locker room because we didn’t get the result we wanted, but that’s part of life,” Smart said.

The outgoing seniors won’t be the only ones leaving the program. It’s very likely that Georgia will see some players declare early for the upcoming NFL Draft. Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams and Malaki Starks are all considered potential first-round picks.

Walker was a team captain and tied for the team lead in sacks this season. Smart spoke about how much Walker and fellow team captain Tate Ratledge meant to the program after the loss.

“So what they did with this team in the toughest year of at least my tenure, by far the toughest year, they dominated the room. They controlled the room,” Smart said of Walker and Ratledge, who joined him at the podium. “They led the room through difficult games and situations. There were some tough games and situations.”

The deadline to enter the 2025 NFL Draft is January 15th. So far, only Carson Beck has officially declared for the NFL Draft, and he did so before the team’s game against Notre Dame.

For those returning, quarterback Gunner Stockton delivered a different message after the game.

“Yeah, I mean, at the beginning, I think Coach Smart said we were starting school on Monday,” Stockton said. “So just start over, do it better and learn from it.”

Georgia expects several more players to leave the program via the transfer portal. The Bulldogs have already had seven players leave before the game against Notre Dame, five of whom have already found new homes.

Last year, Georgia had 21 players leave the program through the transfer portal. Some of them, like outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr., have already re-entered the transfer portal.

Georgia players have until Tuesday to decide whether to enter the transfer portal. The portal closed on December 28, but teams that had not yet completed their season received a five-day extension after the season ended.

So far, Georgia hasn’t added anyone through the transfer portal, but it has hosted more than its fair share of targets. When it comes to positions of interest, wide receiver and safety should be Georgia’s top priorities. The two biggest names right now are USC transfers Zachariah and Zion Branch.

The Bulldogs acquired eleven players through the transfer portal last offseason.

Finally, Georgia signed 28 members in its 2025 signing class. Many of them were at the game on Thursday, albeit in street clothes. 25 of the 28 signees will enroll early with Georgia, the only three who won’t are 4-star receiver Thomas Blackshear, 4-star safety Resean Dinkins and 3-star safety Daniel Okonkwo. Georgia signed the No. 4 overall class in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Georgia’s next game isn’t until August 30th when it takes on Marshall.

Georgia Football 2025 players in the transfer portal

Georgia Football 2025 NFL Draft picks

*This section will be updated as players announce their decision to stay or leave. The deadline for the 2025 NFL Draft is January 15th unless you participate in the national championship game. There is a special deadline of January 24th for those participating in this game. Georgia had two players taken in the first round of the NFL draft last year. No program has taken more players in the last five NFL drafts than Georgia.

Kirby Smart on the future of football in Georgia