Kirby Smart and the Georgia football program have gone into the transfer portal to add more help on the defensive side of the ball, landing a commitment from former Auburn defensive lineman Amaris Williams.
Williams arrives in Athens with SEC experience and two years of eligibility remaining.
Williams played in 11 games for Auburn this past season, finishing with 16 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks on the season.
By adding Williams, Georgia now has another powerful defensive end it can play on the defensive line.
The Bulldogs badly missed the presence of Gabe Harris in the season-ending defeat to Ole Miss. He missed the game with a turf toe injury. Harris had 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks this past season. He has another year of eligibility remaining.
Without Harris, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye saw an uptick in snaps. He had 2 tackles and a pass breakup in the loss. He is set to return to Georgia for his redshirt sophomore season, giving Georgia plenty of options on the defensive line.
Georgia finished the season fourth nationally in run defense but had just 20.0 sacks on the year. That is the fewest ever for a Smart team.
On the defensive line, Georgia did see Christen Miller declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Jordan Thomas transferred to South Carolina, while Xzavier McLeod announced that he would be returning to Georgia for the 2026 season.
The Bulldogs got major defensive line production this season from freshmen like Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, JJ Hanne and Elijah Griffin. Griffin earned Freshman All-SEC honors for his play this past season. The Bulldogs also signed five defensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting cycle, with 4-star prospect PJ Dean being the highest-rated addition per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Williams is not the first addition Georgia has made via the transfer portal, having already landed a commitment from Clemson safety Khalil Barnes, Georgia Tech receiver Isiah Canion and USC cornerback Braylon Conley.
Players have until Jan. 16 to enter the transfer portal.
Georgia football transfer portal moves
