Georgia baseball has brought in 16 transfers in preparation for the 2025 season, the most in the SEC.
The Bulldogs are looking to replace key players who left last year, including Fernando Gonzalez, Corey Collins and Charlie Condon, who won SEC Player of the Year in 2024 and was the third overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.
The importance of bringing in fresh talent is highlighted by the Bulldogs, who have added the most transfers for the second consecutive season.
“It’s where your program’s at, right?” coach Wes Johnson said. “I mean, we were real active. You got to understand it’s a domino effect. And so last year, we had the most in the SEC again. And we actually tied for the most this year.”
Among the incoming players is UNC Asheville outfielder Robbie Burnett, who had a .339 batting average, a .450 on-base percentage and 31 home runs in three seasons.
Also joining the roster is infielder Ryan Black from UT-Arlington, who has a .308 career batting average and 12 home runs.
Additional key transfers include Ryland Zaborowski (Miami of Ohio), Daniel Jackson (Wofford), Nolan McCarthy (Kentucky), JT Quinn (Ole Miss), Devin Obee (Duke), Alton Davis II (Alabama) and Brian Curley (VCU), among others.
As a result of these additions, the roster must be reduced from 46 to 40 players by Feb. 10, per NCAA regulations.
To be competitive in the SEC, Johnson emphasized the importance of adding new players, bringing in transfers, and maturing existing ones.
“Our league has shown statistically that old players in your league win. It’s an old league. And so you’re looking for experience as opposed to constantly bringing in a big freshman class and hoping that that goes,” he said. “There really wasn’t some older players left in our program to help move those along.”
While they added significant transfers, the Bulldogs also returned a number of key players from the previous season.
Sophomore infielder Tre Phelps will be a crucial piece of Georgia’s lineup after hitting .353 with 12 home runs last season.
MLB.com currently ranks Phelps as the No. 19 overall prospect for the 2025 MLB draft.
As part of Johnson’s coaching philosophy, new and transfer players are integrated into the team culture from the beginning.
“Culture is, you know, (the) definition of culture, it’s just the way the majority of your players think, work, and act the majority of the time,” Johnson said. “And that’s the way we deal with it, so we teach them how to work, teach them how to think, teach them how to act. It doesn’t matter if they’re here one year.”
Junior infielder Kolby Branch highlighted one transfer he believes will stand out to Georgia fans.
“I think you’re going to like Nolan McCarthy,” Branch said. “He brings the energy, he brings a little fun to the game… he’s going to be on the field, he’s going to be loud, he’s going to be cocky, and he’s going to be, you know, a little on that. And he’s our guy.”
With transfer portal talent and experienced returning players, Georgia will compete at a high level across the SEC this season.
