Amarius Mims Georgia football Bulldogs

ATHENS — Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims was on the verge of competing for a starting position this spring before placing his name in the transfer portal on Sunday afternoon.

There has been speculation the 6-foot-7, 330-pound Mims might transfer for weeks, even before the start of spring drills.

This is not a move that caught anyone in Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall off guard, to say the least.

Junior offensive lineman Clay Webb is another former 5-star recruit who placed his name in the portal on Sunday. Unlike Mims, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Webb was buried deep on the depth chart, appearing in five career games and not playing in a game last season.

The Mims’ transfer is already attracting national attention.

Florida State, Miami and Florida are among schools believed to have had an interest in Mims, who was the top-rated prospect from the state of Georgia in the 2021 signing class.

Mims would need a waiver or a release to transfer within the conference and be eligible to play at the start of fall, per SEC rules on intraconference transfers.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation said a starting spot on the Georgia offensive line wasn’t at the root of Mims’ desire to put himself on what amounts to the free-agent market.

Mims, in fact, had a pathway to breaking into the Bulldogs’ starting lineup before the team’s opening game against Oregon on Sept. 3 with offseason conditioning and fall drills still ahead.

Georgia team leader Sedrick Van Pran did what he could to encourage Mims, even before the spring drills were moving full speed, saying he just needed time.

“We’re looking forward to him taking the next step,” Van Pran said last month.

Mims had missed several practices at the start of spring drills with an undisclosed injury, so the competition for a starting job was just getting underway for him in the UGA spring drills.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said last Tuesday he was impressed with Mims’ progress.

“We look at the offensive line, and I’m like, ‘Man! Look how far Amarius Mims has come,” Smart said. “Man! Look how far this guy’s grown and gotten better.”

The Georgia offensive linemen had a fresh slate with new offensive line coach Stacy Searels replacing Matt Luke earlier this spring.

Mims and Webb are the second and third offensive linemen to transfer this spring.

Offensive tackle Owen Condon, an opening day starter in 2020, transferred earlier this spring and is at SMU.

In addition to being the top-rated player from Georgia, Mims left Bleckley County High School. As the No. 8 player in the nation, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

The Bulldogs will conclude spring drills at 1 p.m. next Saturday with the annual G-Day Game at Sanford Stadium.