It is not everything, but it is something... Give Jeff Sentell of DawgNation all the credit in the world for bringing this incredibly interesting fact to light as a part of Sentell's Intel. When looking at the roster makeup for the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs, Sentell noticed a very important trend. He discovered that nearly a third of the roster was a high school teammate with somebody else on this football team.
So what is the significance of that? Well, besides the Luckie brothers (Lawson and Carter) and the Ogboko brothers (Nnamdi and Ekene), there are 10 other high schools in the country where two or more Georgia players had played with each other previously. This would include the IMG Academy, North Oconee, Buford, Warner Robins, Camden County, Carrollton, Clarke Central, and many more.
As stated above, yes, the Luckie and Ogboko brothers played together at Norcross and South Garner, respectively, but did you know Elyiss Williams and Ja'Marley Riddle played together at Camden County? How about Isiah Canion, Rasean Dinkins and Isaiah Gibson at Warner Robins? Khalil Barnes headlines the North Oconee quartet, while Ellis Robinson IV headlines the IMG Academy five.
In total, we are talking about 31 players on the 105-man roster who played with a teammate before.
Togetherness and brotherhood could drive Kirby Smart's next UGA team
Admittedly, this is so hard to quantify. That being said, it does seem somewhat palpable. You can feel it when you come across a stat like this... So what does this really mean for Kirby Smart's team moving forward? It suggests that many of these great bonds that are being built at Georgia were already in the process of being forged a long time ago. There is something even deeper to be had.
In a non-football sense, look at this like the rest of the student population already having friends from when they grew up going to school with them. They could join any number of organizations together and whatnot. The point is that while it could create some level of clique dynamic, it may also truly represent one's brother's keeper. This could manifest in a great way for Georgia when it hits the fan...
We know the college football season is a grind, even more so now within the context of the 12-team College Football Playoff. Last year's team was talented, but green. It was also incredibly receptive to coaching and playing for each other. It is why the 2025-26 Bulldogs were easily one of the best UGA teams to root for in recent memory. If the 2026-27 team is up for it, they might have what it takes, too.
For now, let's see how the rest of the roster shakes out after these last departures and portal arrivals.