Tight end Goede set to leave Bulldogs
Former Kennesaw Mountain standout Ryland Goede went to Georgia with a plan to win national championships and was part of each of the Bulldogs’ titles the last two seasons.
Now, he is ready for a change.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end entered the transfer portal and will look for a place to play with his final two years of eligibility. Goede made the announcement Wednesday night on social media.
“Those hedges, the family, that G,” Goede wrote in a statement on Twitter. “What started out as a childhood dream slowly turned into a reality of playing for my hometown team and winning back-to-back national championships. It was something our class said we’d do once we got here and we did it.
“I am blessed to have been a part of the best tight end room to ever play the game and have loved getting to learn from those in front of me. To all of my teammates and coaches thank you for the family y’all have been to me and the life-long friendships that we have formed. Thank you especially to Coach Smart for blessing me with this opportunity to play for and graduate from the university in May.
“The culture at UGA is so special and because of that it was important to me to finish this the right way. This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but with two years of eligibility remaining I’ll be putting my name in the portal as a graduate transfer.
Goede originally headed to Athens with the hopes of playing on both the football and baseball teams. He was a four-star tight end who also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee and others.
However, a shoulder injury derailed his career.
After seeing action in two games in 2019, Goede missed the entire 2020 season and did not see a return to the field until the second week of the 2021 campaign. He played in six games that season and 13 this year, including seeing time in the national championship game against TCU.
Goede did not record a reception during his Georgia career.
Injury issues also prevented Goede from playing for the Bulldogs’ baseball team, though he was on the roster as a first baseman in 2020 and ‘21.
The junior, who is expected to graduate with a degree in journalism, became the third Georgia tight end to leave the program. Darnell Washington announced his intention to go to the NFL draft, while former Marietta standout Arik Gilbert entered the transfer portal prior to the College Football Playoff.