A former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket is jumping to the other side of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate for the first time in the Kirby Smart era. Georgia football’s receiving corps for 2026 started to take shape Thursday afternoon when it was announced that former Georgia Tech wideout Isiah Canion would be transferring to Georgia with two years of eligibility remaining.
Canion is coming off a solid year where he caught 33 passes for 480 yards and four touchdowns last year as the Yellow Jackets went 9-4 and lost to BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Latest WR transfer is the perfect fit for Georgia
Canion be a welcome addition to a Georgia receiver room in desperate need of bodies after losing six of its top seven receivers to the NFL Draft this offseason as Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Noah Thomas and Dillon Bell are all off to the next level. He is a big target at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and profiles as an X receiver, the receiver that lines up directly on the line of scrimmage and frequently deals with the most physical coverage from opposing cornerbacks.
That’s the role that Young occupied in Georgia’s offense last year, though he was lost for the rest of the regular season after Georgia’s Oct. 18 win over Mississippi with a fractured leg and did not return until the Bulldogs’ season ending loss to the same team in the Sugar Bowl.
Georgia hasn’t had a true X receiver for the better part of two years, with Young being suspended for the rest of the season in mid-October of 2024 for legal issues. Georgia’s other X that year, Rara Thomas, was dismissed before the season. This year, Noah Thomas was expected to fill Young’s shoes, but his time in Athens was underwhelming and he profiled more as a yards-after-catch threat than a true boundary playmaker.
The Bulldogs need a true big-bodied outside receiver they can trust to win one-on-ones, produce in the red zone and block on the perimeter. The only other name currently on the roster whose physical profile suggests he could do some of that next season is rising sophomore CJ Wiley, a former four-star recruit who could make a leap in year two.
Canion was a four-star recruit out of Warner Robins High School where he won two state titles. Bulldogs edge rusher Isaiah Gibson and defensive back Rasean Dinkins are also Warner Robins alums.
Canion brings a unique skillset to Georgia
Canion’s frame and contested catch ability give him a chance to contribute to Georgia’s wide receiver room right away. He caught four passes for 54 yards against the Bulldogs in Tech’s 16-9 loss last season and his most productive game of the year was a four-catch, 70 yard outing against Wake Forest in the Jackets’ 30-29 overtime win.
Georgia may not be done adding receivers from the portal as they reportedly hosted former UCLA receiver Kwazi Gilmer earlier this week.
Georgia currently also has commitments from former Clemson safety Khali Barnes, former USC cornerback Braylon Conley and former Auburn edge Amaris Williams. The main Transfer Portal window closes Jan. 16 with an extra five-day period for the two teams playing in the national title game.