Morning, y’all! And happy Monday.

It’s Sarah again (shout to my co-worker Connor Riley for doing a fantastic job filling in last week).

But I’m so happy to be back with you! I’m feeling recharged after a little time off and excited that we’re officially in August. Later this month, we’ll be watching Week Zero college football games. Let that sink in.

We have a few stories to sift through, including two newsy items that broke Friday.

Let’s dive in:

Why new eligibility changes won’t help Georgia the way some hope

As for the first of those two items, it deals with the SEC and Big Ten backing the Protect College Sports Act. While the bill is not yet official, it was a major hurdle to clear regarding the future governance of the sport.

As for the present, the second item will have a much more immediate impact on the coming season.

A Colorado judge granted a classwide preliminary injunction on Friday night that requires the NCAA to declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted four seasons of eligibility this spring. That includes football players as well.

The NCAA announced in June that moving forward, players will have five years to play five seasons of college football.

Naturally, Georgia and college football fans alike began to wonder which former players could possibly be added back to rosters now. Sure, many of the top players from the 2022 recruiting cycle were drafted, but not all who left college will find a home at the next level. With the changes we’ve seen across the sport, it’s fair to wonder if teams could possibly add players who either haven’t or fail to make an NFL roster.

Yet for a program like Georgia, it’s not that simple or all that likely.

For starters, the judge’s ruling only impacts 2022 recruits. That strikes off players like Cash Jones and Josh McCray, as both were 2021 prospects. Given the injury to Dante Dowdell, it’s understandable why some would want to see an addition at running back at this stage in the game. Jones is currently a member of the Atlanta Falcons as he signed as an undrafted free agent.

Once you pull only from players who started their college careers in 2022 and remove those who have either transferred out of the program or have been drafted, the pool of possible players shrinks to just five.

Two of those are Dillon Bell and Brett Thorson. While neither was drafted, both signed with the Minnesota Vikings as undrafted free agents. It’s worth noting that Minnesota had two former Bulldogs make the opening day roster last season as undrafted free agents, as linebacker Chaz Chambliss and tight end Benjamin Yurosek both did so.

Wide receiver Noah Thomas signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent just one season in Athens after transferring in from Texas A&M.

The other two players are wide receiver Cole Speer and safety JaCorey Thomas. Both played key roles for Georgia last season. Speer blocked a punt in the SEC championship game, while Thomas started in place of an injured Kyron Jones at safety.

Georgia did add two safeties already via the transfer portal this offseason in the former Clemson transfer Khalil Barnes and ECU product Ja’Marley Riddle. As for wide receiver, Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion has generated significant buzz this offseason. Georgia also wants to see many of its young wide receivers step into larger roles.

Thomas, through his agency, has indicated that he would be interested in playing another season of college football. He received an invite to the Carolina Panthers’ minicamp, but did not make a training camp roster.

But even if Georgia wanted to bring Thomas back, it may not be able to.

Because of new roster limits following the House settlement last season, the maximum number of players a team can have on its roster is 105. Walk-ons who were already with the program were grandfathered, so they don’t count against that number.

Per DawgNation’s internal roster count, Georgia already has 105 players on its roster. Perhaps the Bulldogs could perform some creative accounting to open up space, but as it stands, there is no vacancy on Georgia’s roster.

Read Connor’s full story here.

As his team aims to repeat as champions, Jones leans on lessons from Smart

Jarvis Jones is on the shortlist of best Georgia players of the 21st century.

After a stellar playing career at Georgia, Jones was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jones has long since hung up the cleats and is now entering his second season at Carver-Columbus, the very same high school he attended.

Carver-Columbus won a state title last season, Jones’ first running the program. Now he’ll look to do what the 2022 Georgia football team did: repeat as champions.

Jones worked on that 2022 Georgia staff, serving as an off-field analyst. He first came back to Athens prior to the 2019 season.

In speaking with Jack Leo of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jones spoke about his coaching journey and specifically the impact of Kirby Smart.

“I think I piggyback off a lot of coaches, man. I spent more time with (UGA coach Kirby Smart), though, at Georgia,” Jones said. “I think I spent six and a half, going on seven years there sitting in the defensive meetings with some of the best coaches in America. I’d have to say Coach Smart, man. Just the way he loves the game, how he approaches it from a mentoring and physical standpoint, how he holds his players, coaches and the people that have a role in the program around football accountable. Just the expectation every day.”

Carver-Columbus went 15-0 last season. It opens the upcoming season against Douglass High School on Aug. 21.

Read Jack Leo’s full story here.

Carver-Columbus head coach Jarvis Jones hoists the trophy as the high school celebrates their 24-7 win against Hapeville Charter in the Class 2A GHSA football championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Carver-Columbus head coach Jarvis Jones celebrates with the trophy after their 24-7 win against Hapeville Charter. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Carver-Columbus head coach Jarvis Jones celebrates with players after their 24-7 win against Hapeville Charter. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Georgia defenders Shawn Williams (left) and Jarvis Jones (right) smother Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee on a fourth down attempt in Athens. (Curtis Compton/AJC 2012)

All-American linebacker Jarvis Jones is one of several team leaders hoping to build chemistry on a squad hit hard during an offseason that saw players arrested, dismissed or suspended. (AP File)

Jarvis Jones is now entering his second season at Carver-Columbus, the very same high school he attended. (Jason Getz/AJC File)

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Trivia time

You may already know that OT Earnest Greene III, center Drew Bobo, safety KJ Bolden and defensive back Ellis Robinson IV were named to the preseason All-Conference first team after SEC media days.

But can you name the Bulldogs named to the second team?

(Hint: read our story if not!)

4-star DB commits to Georgia

It was ironic what Seth Williams was wearing when he told DawgNation where he was going to go play college ball.

The 4-star DB, who was the highest-rated undecided 2027 prospect in Georgia, was wearing a white Clemson skullcap and a pair of Clemson wristbands.

Right before an interview, he pointed to the red-and-black mic flag that read “DawgNation” and gave a big smile and a nod of approval.

The former Clemson commitment then launched into why he chose Georgia to become the 20th verbal commitment of the 2027 cycle. Williams just revealed that decision publicly from a streaming ceremony hosted by Rivals from his aunt’s home in Lithonia.

Why did he choose the Dawgs? His many reasons started with safeties coach Travaris Robinson. Robinson, known to everyone as “T-Rob,” did some ace recruiting with Williams.

“He had Caleb Downs at Alabama,” Williams said. “He had Jaycee Horn at South Carolina and he now has KJ Bolden at Georgia.”

T-Rob’s recruiter highlight reel here started off most days before sunrise. That’s when he was often reaching out to the 6-foot-3, 185-pound future Bulldog free safety.

“T-Rob is as level-headed as can be,” Williams said. “Like, you meet Coach T-Rob and think of all the guys he’s produced and you’re like, ‘Man, I feel like he is going to be Hollywood, but Coach T-Rob is as level-headed as can be. Once you meet him, he’s probably lower to the ground than you would ever think.”

“He warms up to you before you warm up to him. That should really mean something because he’s like calling you at six in the morning. Telling you to get up and work out. He’s not even coaching me yet. But he’s like sending me workout videos with him drenched in sweat.”

“He’s like, ‘Hey Dawg. Get up. Work. You ain’t working; You can’t be a Dawg if you’re not working,’ so it’s just, you know, simple stuff like that. It just makes you feel, you know, it just makes you feel needed. Like it’s a difference between feeling wanted and needed. Even if you aren’t needed, they make you feel like you’re needed.”

That’s why Williams told “T-Rob” about his decision first. Then it was Nickels’ coach Andrew Thacker. Thacker also played a vital role in this recruiting race. Williams told Kirby Smart next and then defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.

“Going into this situation, it was more like with Clemson I could go there, and I could get what I need to do to get out of there,” Williams said. “But Georgia, they are going to pull everything out of me. They are going to take everything out of me. They are going to make me the best player and person. So it was really like ‘Where can I go and thrive the hardest?’ when it came down to it.”

Read Jeff Sentell’s full story here.

4-star Lakeside High School DB Seth Williams has committed to Georgia. He chose the Dawgs over strong interest in Clemson. (Cayce Dunn/DawgNation)

4-star Lakeside High School safety prospect Seth Williams made his college decision on July 31, 2026, between Clemson and Georgia. (Jeff Sentell/DawgNation)

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Trivia answer

Running back Nate Frazier, tight end Lawson Luckie, offensive lineman Dontrell Glover, defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, linebacker Raylen Wilson