Illinois coach Bret Bielema is puzzled after losing his top returning rusher, Josh McCray, to the transfer portal. McCray signed with Georgia, which was in need of immediate assistance in the backfield following Branson Robinson’s transfer in April. Bielema wondered this week how McCray was on the Bulldogs’ radar and made such a quick decision to transfer to the SEC program. Without saying it, Bielema implied Georgia tampered to sign one of his best players.
“We did lose a guy to Georgia,” Bielema said on The Triple Option podcast, published Wednesday. “Somehow, he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal, he was on a flight to Georgia. I don’t know how that happened, but it’s crazy.”
One of 10 transfers Georgia added, McCray signed with the Bulldogs in April at the end of spring practice. He will have one year of eligibility in Athens and Georgia was the only school he visited after his portal entry.
At the time, Bielema seemingly knew McCray sought to leave Illinois for his final season.
“It’s been a four-year conversation,” Bielema told 247Sports. “Josh is a kid we’re incredibly proud of. He should finish up this spring with a degree. He’s going to walk out of here as a four-year player who has done a lot of really good things. He was the bowl game MVP. …Josh came in and expressed his interest in getting in the portal yesterday. Obviously, I talked to him about what I thought we could do and where we’re at, but his intentions are to get in the portal, and I totally understand that.
“The great thing with me as a head coach is he’s walking out of here with a degree and accomplished a lot of really good things. I know a lot of people have opinions on it, but I wasn’t shocked at what yesterday was. We’ve prepared for that moment.”
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/bret-bielema-wonders-if-georgia-kirby-smart-tampered-with-illinois-rb-josh-mccray-after-transfer-signing/
Author : Brad Crawford
Publish date : 2025-06-25 20:34:00
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