Georgia baseball’s season may be over, but with the transfer portal open until June 30, coach Wes Johnson hasn’t gotten a break just yet (during the postseason run, he mentioned looking forward to a July 4 weekend off).
But he found a little time to hang out with “DawgNation” and speak with my co-worker Mike Griffith about some big changes that might be coming for college baseball — from an MLB proposal that could prevent high school players from entering the draft and shrink the event from 20 rounds to 12, to the NCAA Division l Cabinet on Tuesday approving a “5-in-5″ proposal that will grant athletes five seasons of competition in a five-year window.
This will actually be a football-heavy newsletter, but let’s kick it off with some baseball:
Johnson explained why he doesn’t expect either proposal to have drastic effects on how he builds his teams.
“I think you’ve still got to be old in this league to make a push a win, and then you can sprinkle in or mix in freshmen and win,” he said.
Johnson said it’s typically the “top 20 high school players” who can make a significant impact on a championship-level team, and in the past, getting commitments from that level player hasn’t meant much because they would probably be selected in the MLB draft and not attend college.
“You know the likelihood of (a top 20 player) attending college is probably less than 15% and probably closer to 10%,” Johnson said.
“What you’ll see (if the MLB proposal passes) is a real big dogfight for those top 20 players, because those guys can come in and be very impactful in your program.”
That said, Johnson explained it would still take the right kind of player to sign at Georgia.
Georgia hopes former 5-star linebackers can replicate what 2021 group accomplished
The Georgia Bulldogs have 12 former 5-star prospects on their 2026 team.
A third of them play the same position. When considering that, it’s of little surprise Georgia’s linebacker room is viewed as one of the best in the country for the upcoming season.
Raylen Wilson, Chris Cole, Justin Williams and Zayden Walker were all former 5-star prospects. All four have spent at least one season in Athens and have emerged as contributors.
Georgia’s best defenses have always been powered by its inside linebackers. The 2021 group had two seniors, Quay Walker and Channing Tindall, and a junior, Nakobe Dean, make play after play for the Bulldogs. There was so much talent on that team that former 5-star prospect Smael Mondon was limited to special teams duties.
But it is rare that the Bulldogs have this level of talent with this combined level of experience.
In all honesty, we have so many fantastic photos of that linebacking corps, it took me forever to finalize this selection. But here are a few of our best shots.
I want to give a shoutout to our amazing sports photographers, Jason Getz and Hyosub Shin, who always come back with stellar stuff.
Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams (center) is tackled by Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson (left) and defensive back Daylen Everette during their SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Georgia linebacker Chris Cole shouts during the second half against Mississippi at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Athens. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Kentucky running back Dante Dowdell (center) is tackled for a short gain by Georgia defensive back Joenel Aguero (left), linebacker Justin Williams (bottom) and defensive back Ellis Robinson IV at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Athens. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (center) is hit by Georgia linebacker Zayden Walker (left), causing a fumble, at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Athens. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
OK, back to our linebacker story:
Wilson is entering his fourth season at Georgia. The best Georgia linebackers have usually left after three seasons in Athens. CJ Allen, who signed in the same 2023 recruiting class as Wilson, followed that path as he enters his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts.
As a junior, Wilson ranked third on the team in tackles and tackles for loss. With so much experience, he’ll undoubtedly be one of the key faces on Georgia’s defense this fall.
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism in the linebacker room comes in the form of Cole and Williams. Both are entering their third seasons. They’re aware of how Dean, Roquan Smith and Jalon Walker blossomed into Butkus Award winners during their third seasons in Athens.
“Man, they’re gonna be good, just based off the fact that they love to work,” Wilson said of Williams and Cole this spring. “Like, you come in here and you like to work, and you can run and hit, and you can play in this defense, and they can do both of those, and they’re intelligent at the same time, so that’s a good combination.”
This year at Georgia, Walker is the biggest enigma in the linebacker room. Part of that is because of his athleticism, which was on display in wins over Alabama and Texas last season.
But Walker missed most of spring practice after having surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Walker’s athleticism is a big reason he ended the 2025 recruiting cycle as a 5-star prospect. But he’s still learning the finer points of playing off-ball linebacker. He’s not the first to need time to make that transition, as his development arc doesn’t seem to be dissimilar from that of Jalon Walker.
Georgia does need Walker to make significant contributions this coming season at inside linebacker. They might be the only school in the country that can realistically preach patience for a former 5-star linebacker.
What Georgia gets from the sophomore may be equivalent to the amount of whipped cream on top of an ice cream sundae.
Georgia hopes the trio of Wilson, Cole and Williams rivals that 2021 crew. With Walker waiting in the wings, the Bulldogs have plenty of options on what should be an elite defensive unit.
Robinson can put an end to one of Georgia’s stranger development quirks
Let’s just keep the rest of the newsletter focused on Georgia’s defense, shall we?
Georgia has had a lot of success developing cornerbacks. It has landed a number of elite, 5-star cornerbacks during coach Kirby Smart’s tenure.
Yet the Bulldogs have not yet been able to a turn a 5-star cornerback into a first-round draft pick. Of the five they’ve signed, Tyson Campbell was a second-round selection, Daylen Everette went in the third round, Kelee Ringo was a fourth-round pick and Jaheim Singletary is at Iowa State after transferring out of Georgia and Arkansas.
The fifth of the five 5-star cornerbacks Georgia signed is still on the roster in Ellis Robinson IV. He’s entering his third season in Athens, making him draft-eligible.
Robinson didn’t get a chance to show much as a true freshman. He appeared in just four games for the Bulldogs.
His 2025 season went much better, as he came down with four interceptions. He added seven pass breakups to go along with 20 tackles. He played in all 14 games for Georgia, but he was still splitting snaps with Daniel Harris at the beginning of the season.
Harris is now at Cal and Everette is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That makes Robinson the clear alpha in Georgia’s cornerback room entering the pivotal 2026 season.
Robinson was the top defensive recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle. That ranking saddled Robinson with massive expectations.
His play in 2025 lived up to those lofty rankings. His interception against Georgia Tech was one of the standout moments of the season.
Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman (top) is unable to make a catch against Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson IV during the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Auburn, Ala. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams (right) misses an intended touchdown pass under pressure from Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson IV during the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (left) blocks an attempted pass to Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Deuce Alexander during the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New Orleans. (Jason Getz/AJC)
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While he didn’t come down with an interception the following week against Alabama, his physicality stood out in his matchup against Ryan Coleman-Williams. The former 5-star wide receiver had just two receptions in the Georgia win.
Robinson will be tasked with making things difficult for opposing offenses on a weekly basis this coming fall. Georgia rarely lets cornerbacks travel all over the field to lock up a single receiver, but Robinson has the ability to excel in coverage, man or zone.
“He’s played a lot of football, and he’s playing well right now,” Smart said this spring. “He has to play within the system all the time, and that’s important, that he understands the technique we’re asking him to play with. And when he does that, he’s a really good football player.”
Pair that with his improved physicality, and it’s not a surprise to see Robinson among the most praised defenders this offseason. Most lists of the top defensive players in the sport have Robinson on it.
If Robinson continues to build on what he’s already done at Georgia, he shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called during the 2027 NFL draft.
Doing so would give the Bulldogs another first-round cornerback, as he would join Eric Stokes and Deandre Baker. Both were 3-star prospects when they signed with Georgia.
