Colbie Young cleared to return to Georgia football team for 2025 season

Wide receiver Colbie Young will be eligible to suit up for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025, according to head coach Kirby Smart, after missing the final nine games of the 2024 year due to suspension.

“Colbie is with us. He’s practicing with us, he’s cleared,” Smart said.

Young’s suspension stemmed from an arrest in October of last year. In January, he pled no contest to a disorderly conduct charge, while a related charge of assault on an unborn child was dismissed. Although Young was permitted to practice during the latter part of the 2024 season, his legal status kept him from appearing in a game.

The receiver’s return coincides with a key eligibility ruling. In December, Young was granted an extra year of eligibility following the Diego Paiva decision, which extended opportunities for JUCO players. Young began his collegiate career at Lackawanna College before spending two seasons at Miami. In the five games he played last season, he caught 11 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Young fills a significant need for the Bulldogs by providing a big-bodied presence in the X-position. His readdition is particularly meaningful following the dismissal of Rara Thomas from the team after a family violence arrest in August and both Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett heading to the NFL draft, respectively.

Young’s return is part of a broader effort to bolster the receiving corps. Along with him, Georgia added Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas, who led the Aggies in every major receiving category last year and stands at 6-foot-5. USC transfer Zachariah Branch also joins the group, contributing to a total of six new wide receivers expected to compete this spring. Of the Bulldogs’ four 2025 wideout signees participating in drills, only Thomas Blackshear will enroll over the summer.

Off the field, the quarterback situation is undergoing a change as well. With Carson Beck now with the Miami Hurricanes, the starting job is expected to be a battle between Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi as the season approaches.

Georgia’s spring practice schedule kicks off Tuesday, culminating in G-Day on April 12 — although a start time for the event has not yet been announced. With Young’s return, the Bulldogs are looking to build momentum heading into the 2025 season and reinvigorate a program ready to dominate on the national stage