UGA defensive back Otis Reese enters transfer portal

Media outlets around Athens reported Tuesday that former Lee County defensive standout Otis Reese has put his name in the NCAA transfer portal and is looking to transfer away from the University of Georgia football team. Reese, a 6-foot-3, 210 pound defensive back, played in all 14 games for the Bulldogs this season. He recorded three tackles.

“I don’t have any other information on it,” said Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio. “I know he has entered his name in the portal, and he doesn’t know where he is going to go. He just thinks this might not be the right fit for him.”

Reese was an integral part of the Lee County Trojan defense that took the Trojans to their first of two state championships in 2017. He signed with the Bulldogs during his senior season and has completed two years in Athens.

He is the second Bulldog scholarship player to enter the transfer portal since the Bulldogs ended their season with a Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor. Redshirt sophomore Robert Beal is the other. Walk-ons Prather Hudson (running back) and Willie Erdman (wide receiver) are also in the transfer portal.

According to Dawgs247, Reese was expected to challenge for a starting position at the beginning of spring practice, as he had already earned a reputation as one of the team’s hardest hitters. He was receiving quite a few first-team reps through the first few weeks of spring before coming down with mononucleosis. That knocked him out for the latter part of spring drills and forced him to miss the annual G-Day spring scrimmage.

Though Reese was back at full speed in time for summer practices, Richard LeCounte III had secured the starting role and started all 14 games this season. LeCounte had an excellent season for the Bulldog defense with 61 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, four interceptions, three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles. He announced last weekend that he would be returning for his senior season at UGA.

Reese was also available to start in the Sugar Bowl when senior safety J.R. Reed decided not to play in the Sugar Bowl. That start went to freshman Lewis Cine, who now seems to be the front-runner for that starting position in 2020.