On Friday night a judge ruled that college athletes from the 2022 high school recruiting class can return to college for a fifth year of eligibility. It was expected that athletes would gain a fifth year of eligibility, but no one thought it would include the graduating senior class.
This ruling was made for athletes in every college sport. Georgia will benefit from this ruling across all of their sports, but there are three Bulldogs who just went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft who could return to Georgia and fill an obvious need in the Bulldogs’ roster if they don't make their team's final 53-man roster.
1. RB Cash Jones
Cash Jones is one of five Bulldogs who went undrafted at the 2026 NFL Draft this year. He was then picked up by the Atlanta Falcons, but it isn't clear if he will make their final roster or not.
The Falcons are trying to turn him into a wide receiver likely because his is too small to play running back in the NFL. He however isn't too small to play running back at Georgia.
Georgia might be set at the top of their running back depth chart with Nate Frazier and Cauncey Bowens, but an offseaon ATV injury significantly hurt their depth below them. That injury occurred to transfer Dante Dowdell and it's expected to be season-ending.
That is where Jones could come into play. He was Georgia's third down back last season and that was the role Dowdell expected to fill this year. So who better to replace him than the guy who played that role just last year?
2. WR Noah Thomas
Potentially the biggest question mark Georgia has this season is at wide receiver. They lost most of their top pass catchers from last season which includes Zachariah Branch who had one of the best seasons at wide receiver in program history.
Georgia will be challenged this year at wide receiver because of their youth and inexperience. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but adding a veteran presence wouldn't hurt. Noah Thomas could be that player.
After going undrafted Thomas was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals. He however hasn't made much of a name for himself yet, so he might struggle to make their final roster.
Thomas had his moments last year as he hauled in four touchdowns, but he only totaled 16 receptions and 254 yards. Another year under his belt at Georgia could change everything for him, and as the veteran guy in the room he could demand more touches than he got last year.
3. WR Dillon Bell
Fellow wide receiver Dillon Bell was arguably the most shocking Bulldog to not get drafted this year. He totaled over 1,000 receiving yards throughout his career while also showing he can play running back if needed too.
That versatility could help him land on the Minnesota Vikings final roster who signed him after he went undrafted.
Jones would fill an obvious hole at running back while Thomas would add a veteran presence to a wide receiver room that could use some leadership, Bell however would help both positions.
Bell is the most likely of these three players to make an NFL roster, so that means the chances of him returning to Georgia are very slim. But even if he didn't make an NFL roster how likely is it for Kirby Smart to want any of these players back?
Kirby Smart might be reluctant to want help from former Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL
It's too early to know if Smart would be interested in having these players return to Georgia, but other actions from him would lead fans to think he won't want them back. He obviously knows how helpful they would be to the team, but he might not want to disrespect the current players on his team like that.
How is it fair for anyone to go through spring ball, summer workouts and fall camp just for someone else to come in at the last second and take their spot on the depth chart? Those players had their time and made the decision to go to the NFL, so why should someone else suffer because they couldn't fulfill their dreams?
Smart also has spoken in great length about how well he treats his players in the NIL and Transfer Portal era. He refuses to buy any recruit or player and he also doesn't force anyone out to make room for a new player. While bringing a former Bulldog back isn't exactly the same as either of these things, it is similar and could show how Smart might feel on this topic.
Georgia was also disgusted with Texas Tech when quarterback Brendan Sorsby was trying to get his eligibility back after being caught gambling on games. This again isn't the same thing, but reveals how Smart might think about NFL players coming back to school.
Smart has a decision to make. Fans may want these players to come back because they would help Georgia win, but Smart has made it clear that he wants to win the right way. And he probably thinks that bringing back NFL players isn't the right way to win.
Add us as a preferred source on Google