I got to participate in one of my favorite traditions on Monday as I cast my ballot for the 2026 class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame. I’ve been privileged to be on the board for the Hall of Fame since its inaugural year in 2021, and it’s an honor that I take very seriously.
The full list of this year’s class will be announced later this summer and the induction ceremony will take place at the College Football Hall of Fame on Oct. 24.
Check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
Georgia’s first dog mascot appeared in 1894. What kind of dog was it?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
State champion WR breaks down his Georgia visit
When Namajay Thompson left Athens on Sunday morning, he was already doing some thinking about his potential future. What was going through his mind?
“Possibly I could be changing my commitment,” Thompson said. “Or just stuff like that. It was good. There was a lot of stuff going through my mind. I know I’m going to have some tough decisions to make going forward. I had a good time up there for sure.”
He was specifically thinking about moving up the finish line of his process.
“I may have an earlier commitment date,” he said. “Instead of July. Maybe earlier.”
Georgia helped itself in a lot of ways, trying to reel in the state-champion WR at Crest High School in North Carolina’s Charlotte metro area. What stood out?
“The talks I had with the coaches,” he said. “They were showing me how they could develop me as a receiver to get to where I want to go. Not only for the league, but also academics, with what my future could be beyond football. They showed me the resources I would have there and showed me where I would fit in on the depth chart.”
Softball at Tennessee in the NCAA Super Regionals: 7 p.m.
Friday, May 22
Softball at Tennessee in the NCAA Super Regionals: 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 23
Softball at Tennessee in the NCAA Super Regionals: 11 a.m. (if needed)
Georgia places 2 on ‘most-feared’ defenders list
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Georgia has one of the most talented defenses in the country yet again in 2026.
While the Bulldogs have to replace a few key pieces from last year’s unit, Georgia does bring back a number of players with All-American potential.
Two have been highlighted as the “most-feared defensive players” entering the 2026 season by Brad Crawford of CBS Sports. Crawford had safety KJ Bolden as the No. 12 defensive player in the sport, while cornerback Ellis Robinson comes in at No. 9.
“Technically sound with top-end speed, Robinson fits into any scheme, but especially Smart’s plan that revolves around heavy trust in his corners,” Crawford wrote. “He is also comfortable playing in high-pressure man coverage situations. Robinson naturally matches route tempo without grabbing or guessing and was rarely beaten last season, his first as an every-down starter for the Bulldogs. If Robinson’s trajectory holds, the former five-star could be one of Smart’s most complete cover corners in Athens. That’s saying something given the handful of first-round picks at the position before him.”
Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (left) lines up against Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams during the 2025 SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Conor Dillon/UGAAA)
“Ballplayer. Better version of last year. His game is gonna speak for itself this year, and it did a lot last year. He’s been working. You’re gonna see the work that he put in, for sure.”
Georgia confident transfer Isiah Canion can quiet wide receiver concerns
Georgia does not take many transfers. It wants to build through high school recruiting and only use the transfer portal to fill needs.
With Isiah Canion, Smart would’ve preferred to land the wide receiver as a high school recruit. He was a 4-star prospect from Warner Robins in the 2024 recruiting class.
Canion was briefly committed to Notre Dame before ultimately signing with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
“We got a receiver (Canion) that we probably should have gotten out of high school,” Smart said of Canion in an interview with Glory Glory. “We didn’t. He went to a rival school and he got better. He got developed. We think he’s really talented. We’re excited as hell about Canion, and he’s going to be a good player.”
Smart acknowledged in the same interview that Georgia doesn’t go after the biggest names in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs were not a serious contender for wide receiver Cam Coleman, who ended up at Texas.
Georgia brought in only one wide receiver this offseason via the transfer portal. It marked the first time since the 2022 offseason, when Georgia did not take any transfers, that the Bulldogs did not bring in multiple wide receivers via the transfer portal.
