In the dawn of NIL and looser transfer portal restrictions than ever, players like Jordan Thomas would have been blocked from going to a particular school previously. After having spent the last two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, he opted to turn heel and play for one of the Dawgs' three annual SEC opponents in the South Carolina Gamecocks. He has three more years of eligibility to be used.
On3's Hayes Fawcett shared the graphic of Thomas in new SEC digs now that he is at South Carolina.
BREAKING: Georgia transfer DL Jordan Thomas has Committed to South Carolina, he tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 6, 2026
In his time with the Bulldogs he totaled 6 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 PD
He’ll have 3 years of eligibility left
Repped by @lvrgfootball https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/C9PRvg8bJE
Thomas hails from New Jersey. He probably wanted playing time more than anything, as he only had six tackles, one sack, and one pass defended last year for Georgia. While he does not have to go far to suit up for Shane Beamer's Gamecocks, keep in mind that he is going to a situation where South Carolina massively underachieved this past season. This playoff hopeful was not even a bowl team...
However, if Thomas rides out his college career at South Carolina, he will play Georgia three times.
Jordan Thomas has a chance to make Georgia pay for not playing much
According to 247Sports, Thomas was the No. 13 defensive lineman who entered the transfer portal in this cycle. He ranks No. 218 as an overall prospect. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, he will now be taking his big frame across the Savannah River to Columbia from Athens. While there is a chance Thomas never amounts to much as a college player, perhaps he becomes a later bloomer for USC?
What is important to understand is for as bad of a season as South Carolina had this past campaign, Beamer always has an eye for talent. When South Carolina is even halfway decent, the Gamecocks are usually strong in the trenches. More importantly, the Gamecocks have retained their fantastic defensive coordinator Clayton White for another season. He has to be excited about landing Thomas.
Overall, Georgia will learn soon enough if it should have done a better job of holding onto Thomas. Again, he will have three cracks at the Dawgs over the next three seasons if he so chooses. Auburn and Florida were the two obvious annual opponents for UGA, with South Carolina edging out Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee for that last spot. It has been three years since they have played...
Until Georgia starts to land more than Khalil Barnes in the portal, every departure will sting quite a bit.