The 2026 NFL draft will begin Thursday night, an exciting event for both players and fans.
For the athletes, dreams will come true. They will reach the pinnacle of their sport, seeing all of their hard work pay off.
For the fans, the future of their organizations will become clear. They will watch their teams add star-studded players, many of whom could be the organization’s next top player.
Multiple Bulldogs are expected to hear their names called this year.
So enjoy the draft, and check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
How many Bulldogs were selected in the 2025 NFL draft?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Hezekiah Millender earns Stetson Bennett comparison after turning heads on G-Day
Georgia fans could be forgiven if they weren’t entirely sure who quarterback Hezekiah Millender was before Saturday’s spring game.
For starters, head coach Kirby Smart often refers to him as Buddha during news conferences. The redshirt freshman didn’t throw a pass in his first season in Athens, nor was he some big-time recruit. Millender, who played for local Clarke Central High School, was initially committed to Boise State before flipping late in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
Coming out of G-Day though, it’s clear Millender is a name to know at the quarterback position moving forward — one that Smart said does not have a clear backup.
“I mean, Buddha had some days that you were like, ’Man, Buddha’s playing good,’” Smart said. “Then the two Ryans (Puglisi and Montgomery) had days that they really played well. I don’t know that any of the three of them were so consistent to be able to say, ‘Well, he’s the clear two, or he’s the clear this.’ It just wasn’t that way.”
Saturday would be classified as a good day for Millender. He completed 9 of his 15 passing attempts for 103 yards. Unlike Montgomery, Colter Ginn and Bryson Beaver, Millender didn’t have an interception.
He did, however, score a touchdown, scoring on an option keeper from 1 yard out. Of Georgia’s quarterbacks, Millender is the most dangerous with his legs.
ESPN calls out Georgia football strengths and weaknesses
Spring practice has come to a close for the Georgia football program, as the Bulldogs concluded their 15 spring practices with G-Day.
Smart came away pleased with what his team showed on Saturday.
With 15 practices in the books, Smart has a better idea of where his team sits.
Smart had some strong words for the wide receiver position, which ESPN’s Mark Schlabach circled as Georgia’s weakness coming out of spring practice.
“If we want to be explosive and do what we want to do next year, we got to play well at that position,” Smart said. “And I’m very pleased with the progress of that group. But they got to grow up with mental toughness and physical toughness. And then they got to actually go show it. Because it’s different doing it and talking about it.”
Georgia’s tight ends and running backs both had strong days Saturday, easing some of the worry about the wide receiver room. London Humphreys is the only returning wide receiver who caught more than 15 passes for Georgia last season. He did not play in the spring game because of an unspecified injury.
“No one will be missed more than Zachariah Branch, who had 81 catches for 811 yards with six scores,” Schlabach said. “Returning players London Humphreys and Sacovie White-Helton are going to have to step up, along with young receivers Talyn Taylor, Thomas Blackshear and CJ Wiley. Georgia did add Isiah Canion, a big target who caught 33 passes for 480 yards with four scores at rival Georgia Tech last season.”
People rehearse ahead of the NFL football draft on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
Quote of the day
Miller on the potential of getting drafted by the Falcons:
“Man, it’d be a blessing. I think the city would go crazy. Man, if I was to come to Atlanta, it’d be a show every weekend. I know everybody popping up, everybody, everybody. And it’s just, I want championships. I won at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood. I won a championship here. And to bring a championship to the city, that’d be so special. I think my grandma would fall out. She’d lose her mind.”
Reis Russell has huge endorsement for UGA football after official visit
Reis Russell took his first visit to check out Georgia football over the weekend. It was also an official visit. The 3-star IOL has future OVs planned to Miami, Washington and USC to come this spring.
It is always daunting for that first OV to win out. Especially when Russell won’t make his college decision until the end of June. That first OV has to hold serve for an extended period to earn a young player’s college commitment.
For that to happen, UGA better have had a telling moment that sticks for the potential future center. While we don’t yet know whether the Dawgs will eventually win out, we do know the program stacked up several signature moments for Russell over the weekend.
What was the biggest one of those?
“I definitely will say it was when I put that Georgia helmet on,” he said. “I was looking at it in the mirror. I was there with my Dad and I put that Georgia helmet on and I kind of looked at him and said, ‘Well, we’re getting somewhere now. The plan is coming together,’ and honestly, well, we’re far from there. There’s a lot more work to be done. We’re just getting started, but putting that Georgia helmet on, well, it was definitely a special moment.”
It stood out because his father had his own glory in the game. Matt Russell played LB for Colorado. He won the Butkus Award for being the most outstanding linebacker in college football in 1996.
Reis Russell is set to be wooed by Washington, Miami and USC. If it does eventually come back to a “special” UGA visit, he would be able to clearly state why he would eventually be a Dawg.
