Georgia
Rugby: Japan to play Italy, Georgia in July
Japan’s national rugby team will play home test matches in July against Italy and Georgia, the country’s governing body said Saturday.
The Brave Blossoms, who have brought back Eddie Jones as head coach after their pool-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup, will play Georgia on July 13 at Yurtec Stadium Sendai and Italy eight days later at Sapporo Dome.
Japan are currently ranked 12th in the world, while Italy are 11th and Georgia 14th.
Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima (L) scores a try during the second half of a rugby test match against Italy on Aug. 26, 2023, in Treviso, Italy. (Kyodo)
The Japan Rugby Football Union also said the Brave Blossoms’ June 22 test match against England will be played at Tokyo’s National Stadium and their Oct. 26 test against New Zealand at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.
The JRFU is also organizing two non-cap games against the Maori All Blacks in June and July, and announced that the July 6 contest will be held at Aichi Prefecture’s Toyota Stadium.
Related coverage:
Rugby: Jones welcomed back into fold to lead Brave Blossoms again
Georgia
Georgia football predicted to be dethroned in SEC championship
The Georgia Bulldogs are expected among the nation’s top teams and are looking to win a third consecutive SEC championship in 2026. CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford predicts that Georgia will go 11-1 and finish SEC play with a record of 8-1. The 2026 season marks the first time SEC teams will play nine conference games during the regular season.
Crawford has Georgia suffering a surprising loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, who he describes as an unpredictable team. South Carolina has plenty of talent and Georgia has to face the Gamecocks on the road, but it would be a bit of a shocker to see South Carolina upset Georgia especially after the Gamecocks went 4-8 in 2025 with only two wins over Power Four opponents.
Georgia last lost to South Carolina in 2019. The Gamecocks have the pieces to make some noise in the SEC and Crawford thinks South Carolina will do just that. He predicts South Carolina will go 7-5 (4-5 in SEC) and earn a trip to the Texas Bowl. Crawford predicts South Carolina will pick up notable wins over Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia.
Losing to South Carolina would not be the end of the world for Georgia, but it would be shocking to see Georgia start the season 10-0 before falling to South Carolina. The Bulldogs still advance to play the Texas Longhorns in the SEC championship in Crawford’s predictions.
Crawford has Georgia earning impressive wins over Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma, which would go a long way for Georgia’s College Football Playoff and SEC championship positioning. Speaking of the conference title game, Crawford has the Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning finally beating Georgia in the SEC championship to secure a bye as the No. 2 seed in the playoff. Georgia is predicted to receive the No. 5 seed in the playoff, which would result in Georgia likely playing the top-ranked Group of Five conference champion.
We think Georgia’s schedule sets up well for the Bulldogs to return to both the SEC championship and the playoff. However, playing in the SEC championship game may not be that beneficial for making a playoff run as Georgia learned in 2025.
Follow UGA Wire on Instagram, Facebook, X, or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!
Georgia
Georgia baseball has nation’s No. 1 transfer class
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team had a historic season in 2026. The Dawgs ended the year with an overall record of 53-14 (23-7 SEC). Georgia made the College World Series and won the SEC championship. This offseason, Georgia has reloaded in authoritative fashion through the transfer portal.
Georgia baseball currently holds the top-ranked transfer class in the nation, per 64Analytics. The Bulldogs have landed 12 total commitments over the first month of the offseason, and Georgia appears to be on track to dominate on the diamond once again in 2027. The Dawgs earned a commitment from former FSU star Hunter Carns, while WCC player of the year Mikey Bell has landed at Georgia.
Georgia most recently landed two major power hitters in Jake Hanley and Naulivou Lauaki Jr. Hanley was a star with the Indiana Hoosiers last season, while Lauaki flashed his power on numerous occasions during his time with the Oregon Ducks. Riley Goodman will look to bounce back on the mound in 2027 after transferring from South Carolina to UGA. Georgia has added an excellent mix of talent at a handful of different positions from the transfer portal.
Georgia may emerge as a top candidate for a couple more players who remain available in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs were widely regarded as the best team in college baseball throughout the majority of the 2026 season, and Georgia and manager Wes Johnson have dominated over the first month of the offseason.
College baseball transfer portal rankings
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Mississippi State
- LSU
Georgia baseball transfer portal additions as of July 4
- Naulivou Lauaki Jr. (DH, Oregon)
- Hunter Carns (C, Florida State)
- Mikey Bell (INF, Gonzaga)
- Jake Hanley (INF, Indiana)
- Casey McCoy (INF, Louisiana Tech)
- Matthew Cuccias (RHP, Wichita State)
- Luke Howe (RHP, Long Beach State)
- Cooper Walls (RHP, Florida)
- Cristofer Cespedes (RHP, Maryland)
- Mathew Farmer (INF, North Florida)
- Jet Gilliam (OF, Utah)
- Riley Goodman (RHP, South Carolina)
Georgia
Comparing Mark Richt’s NFL Georgia stars since 2006 to Kirby Smart’s
ATHENS — Georgia football has been churning out elite NFL players for decades, and the past 10 years have been no different under the direction of Coach Kirby Smart.
The Bulldogs have produced 84 NFL Draft picks under Smart, including an eye-popping 21 first-round selections.
Georgia was churning out NFL Draft picks before Smart took over following the 2015 season, too, with College Football Hall of Fame coach Mark Richt recruiting and developing some of the best players in the nation.
Richt’s tenure (2001-2015) is understandably more heavily represented than Smart’s in a recent Pro Football Focus (PFF) feature on each NFL franchise’s best players over the past 20 years.
Richt-coached players from Georgia have had more time to make an impact in the NFL than Smart’s, many of whom are just beginning to reach elite levels in the pro ranks.
One thing for certain, Smart’s NFL players are curreently drawing bigger paychecks than those who played for Richt, with the exception of all-time NFL earner Matthew Stafford.
Here’s a look at former Georgia players that PFF has selected from among the best with the years they played with each team:, including two former UGA stars who are regarded as the best at their position for two different teams in the past 20 years:
(players recruited by Richt in boldface type)
QB Matthew Stafford (2009-2020), Detroit
QB Matthew Stafford (2021-2025), L.A. Rams
SLB Leonard Floyd (2016-2019), Chicago
SLB Leonard Floyd (2020-2022), LA. Rams
LT Andrew Thomas (2020-2025), N.Y. Giants
DL Jalen Carter (2023-2025), Philadelphia
C David Andrews (2015-2024), New England
WR A.J. Green (2011-2020), Cincinnati
DL Gino Atkins (2010-2020), Cincinnati
RB Nick Chubb (2018-2024), Cleveland
CB Champ Bailey (2006-2013), Denver
DL Richard Seymour (2009-2012), Las Vegas
DE Justin Houston (2011-2018), Kansas City
DE Charles Johnson (2007-2017), Carolina
LB Thomas Davis Sr. (2006-2016), Carolina
There’s no doubt that in time many of Smart’s players will ascend to such heights, as their experiences and contributions in the NFL grow.
Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers, just two years into NFL play, serves as perhaps the best example of a Georgia player recruited and coached by Smart who might soon be considered the best tight end in his franchise’s history.
Jordan Davis, a former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, is another player who could become the best at his position with the franchise.
Buffalo’s James Cook led the NFL in rushing last season, and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker are now in Las Vegas and emerging.
Indeed, the majority of Smart’s NFL draft picks have come over the past six years, with 63 Bulldogs selected:
• 2021 -9 draft picks
First round: Eric Stokes (29th)
• 2022 -15 draft picks*
First Round: Travon Walker (1st); Jordan Davis (13th); Quay Walker (22nd); Devonte Wyatt (28th); Lewis Cine (32nd)
• 2023 – 10 draft picks
First Round: Jalen Carter (9th); Broderick Jones (14th); Nolan Smith (30th)
• 2024 – 8 draft picks
First Round: Brock Bowers (13th); Amarius Mims (18th)
• 2025 -13 draft picks
First Round: Mykel Williams (11th); Jalon Walker (15th); Malaki Starks (27th)
• 2026 – 8 draft picks
First Round: Monroe Freeling (19th)
*- NFL record number of picks from one collegiate team in a draft
-
Virginia5 minutes agoFormer Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa arrested by FBI; extradition to West Virginia planned
-
Washington12 minutes agoCDCR Seeking Incarcerated Person Who Walked Away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in Nevada County – News Releases
-
Wisconsin15 minutes ago
Wisconsin Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for July 4, 2026
-
West Virginia20 minutes agoPHOTOS: West Virginia celebrates America’s 250th birthday throughout Charleston
-
Wyoming27 minutes agoCasper residents get festive at Independence Day 250 celebration at Ford Wyoming Center
-
Crypto30 minutes agoHyperliquid Helps VALR Launch Over 200 Perpetual Markets as Decentralized Liquidity Gains Ground
-
Finance35 minutes agoLas Cruces finance director gets national honor for ‘exceptional contributions’
-
Fitness42 minutes ago10 minutes of swimming might not sound worth it – but I tried it for 2 weeks and found the benefits of a quick dip