Top 3 players who de-committed from Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs ft. Christian Garrett

The Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for another season under coach Kirby Smart, who has led the program since 2016 and guided them to two national championships. However, last season Smart missed out on a three-peat after losing the SEC championship game to Alabama, which eliminated them from the playoff race.

Apart from titles, Kirby Smart has also produced several talented players from Georgia over the years. But there have been instances when some players decided to de-commit from the program in pursuit of better opportunities elsewhere.

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Top 3 players who de-committed from Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs

#1. Christian Garrett

Four-star DL in the 2025 recruiting class, Christian Garrett, decided to back out of his commitment to play for Kirby Smart's team on Sunday. He had committed to the Georgia Bulldogs in June.

With this de-commitment, the Bulldogs dropped to No. 4 on the list of the best 2025 recruiting class in the country. Garrett was one of the highest-ranked defensive line commitments for the program.

Over the past few months, he also made official visits to Clemson, Georgia Tech and Tennessee, with the Yellow Jackets being at the forefront to land the player in the coming days.

#2. Derrek Cooper

Another top de-commitment for the Georgia Bulldogs came in June. Four-star running back Derrek Cooper, part of the 2026 recruiting class chose to join Smart's team over programs like Alabama, Florida State and Miami on June 6th. However, just four days after his pledge, Cooper decided to back out. Hailing from Chaminade-Madonna, Cooper played as both a safety and a running back. He is projected to be an RB in college.

Another top prospect in the Bulldogs 2026 recruiting class is 5-star QB Jared Curtis.

#3. Dylan Raiola

A top prospect of the 2024 recruiting class that Kirby Smart lost was five-star QB Dylan Raiola. Raiola had flipped his commitment from Ohio State to the Georgia Bulldogs in May last year.

However, when QB Carson Beck announced that he would return for another season with the Bulldogs, Raiola decided to de-commit from the program and chose to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers instead.

"I firmly believe that Nebraska is in my blood," Raiola said. "It's a great opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself. Nebraska is a special place." [H/T ESPN]

Raiola's father, Dominic, was a star offensive lineman during his college days at Nebraska. His No. 57 jersey was retired by the program. Thus, Dylan felt that playing for the Cornhuskers was a special opportunity.