Georgia adds WR Noah Thomas, 2 safeties in the portal: There’s a change happening within the Bulldogs

ATHENS, Ga. – Two days after adding a receiver and a safety from the transfer portal, Georgia added another receiver and two more safeties on Tuesday.

Noah Thomas, who was Texas A&M’s leading receiver this season, and safeties Jaden Harris, a starter for Miami, and Adrian Maddox, a starter for UAB, all announced commitments to Georgia.

Previously, Georgia added brothers Zachariah Branch and Zion Branch from USC. These are the only portal additions, but both at positions of need, particularly receiver.

Thomas is a 6-foot-6 target who can play the “X” outside receiver position, where Georgia had a void this season following the summer firing of Rara Thomas and the five-game suspension of Colbie Young. Young could return to the team for one final season if his situation is resolved in court. But the team can’t necessarily rely on that.

As a junior this season, Harris led the Aggies in catches (39), receiving yards (574) and touchdown catches (eight). As a sophomore, he had 29 catches for 359 yards and five touchdowns after playing sparingly in his first season.

This potentially gives Georgia two of its starters as receivers or at least two key members of the rotation. Branch, a five-star prospect two years ago, is expected to be in the mix at that position. Dillon Bell, who has played a lot of the X spot this year, could slide to his more natural spot. The team returns rising juniors London Humphreys and rising sophomores Nitro Tuggle and Sacovie White and signed a solid class of high school recruits, including five-star prospect Talyn Taylor.

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Georgia brings in highly touted transfer duo Zachariah and Zion Branch from USC

Meanwhile, Harris and Maddox provide options at safety, with the team losing starters Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson. The Bulldogs return KJ Bolden, a former five-star recruit who played very well as a freshman, and have added Zion Branch.

Harris started every game for the Hurricanes this year, but struggled at times and performed better as a run stopper than in pass coverage. So he could start as a backup or the team could see if he can be developed into another player. One of the safeties could get a look back at nickel, or the team could use a three-safety rotation like it has done most of this season.

Maddox played two seasons at Alabama State before playing at UAB this season. He finished the game with 44 tackles and one interception for the Blazers.

Other comings and goings

Guard Dylan Fairchild announced he was turning pro. That means the offensive line, which was surprisingly weak in 2024 and the Sugar Bowl, loses both starting guards, and Tate Ratledge also heads to the NFL. Center Jared Wilson, who had his first year as a starter and missed two games, was announced as a Senior Bowl invitee and is headed to the NFL.

The other pending offensive decisions concern Trevor Etienne and Oscar Delp, who had not made any announcements as of Tuesday afternoon.

On defense, the three likely first-round picks made everything official on Monday. Defensive tackle Christen Miller announced he was staying, leaving cornerback Daylen Everette and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins to make the big remaining draft decisions.

There was one big loss: Damon Wilson, a rising junior who had a chance to replace Mykel Williams or Chaz Chambliss at fullback. The team returns rising sophomore Quintavius ​​Johnson and signed five-star Isaiah Gibson as well as two other top-50 freshmen in Darren Ikkanagbon and Chase Linton. Assuming Wilson does indeed leave, the Bulldogs could look in the portal for a veteran edge player and consider moving rising junior Gabe Harris from defensive end, where he has played most of this year.

(Photo by Noah Thomas: David Becker / Getty Images)