Georgia and Ole Miss put on a memorable show in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day night, with the Rebels coming out on top and earning a ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
But while Georgia is done for the 2025 season and Ole Miss plays on, the 2 SEC rivals aren’t done tangling with each other, as it turns out. The Bulldogs and Rebels are fighting for something valuable again, this time in the transfer portal, which officially opened on Friday. Clemson transfer safety Khalil Barnes has scheduled visits to Georgia and Ole Miss, Barnes’ agent told On3 on Friday afternoon.
According to the On3 report, Barnes will visit Georgia on Saturday before heading to Ole Miss on Sunday and Monday.
There is a twist to Barnes’ situation and where he’ll ultimately end up playing in 2026. The junior was born in Athens, but whether that gives Georgia a leg up on Ole Miss in the battle for Barnes remains to be seen.
Barnes finished with 40 total tackles this past season for Clemson, with 24 of them solo. He also had 2 pass deflections.
But his production for the Tigers stretches back over the past 3 seasons. Barnes started 30 games during that time, finishing his stint at Clemson with 139 tackles, 7 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles.
It’s that kind of value in the secondary that has Georgia and Ole Miss once again competing with each other, just not on the field this time.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
