Two years after Bryan McClendon’s return to the Georgia football coaching staff, the former Bulldog wide receiver is jumping to the NFL to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff.

Georgia paid nearly $845,000 in a buyout from Miami to land McClendon weeks after winning its first national championship in 41 years.

The Bulldogs won another in McClendon’s first season back.

More: Here are the 11 Georgia football players invited to this year's NFL combine

More: Georgia football recruiting spending zooms past previous record figure in fiscal year 2023

Now coach Kirby Smart will be hiring his replacement.

Here are five things about McClendon’s move, his two seasons as wide receivers coach and who may be in the mix for the opening:

Bryan McClendon has inside skinny on Georgia NFL prospects

McClendon, 40, will be able to offer Tampa Bay deep dive info on Georgia's 11 NFL combine invitees and in particular two prospects in wide receivers Ladd McConkey, a possible first-round draft pick, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, a Day 3 prospect.

Both developed under McClendon.

McConkey had a breakout 2022 season with 58 catches for 762 yards and seven touchdowns before injuries hampered his final Bulldog season in 2023. Rosemy-Jacksaint had 63 catches for 839 yards and six touchdowns the last two seasons in an offense which featured tight end Brock Bowers.

Three-star Dillon Bell developed into a versatile playmaker with 29 catches for 355 yards last season and five touchdown catches in two seasons.

Georgia’s 305.3 passing yards per game last season was its most since 2013.

A look at Georgia football wide receiver recruiting

In his previous stint with Georgia, McClendon was named national recruiter of the year for landing Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Lorenzo Carter.

Georgia did not sign a five-star wide receiver with McClendon as wide receivers coach the last two years.

The Bulldogs highest-ranked wide receiver signee was Tyler Williams from Lakeland, Florida, in the 2023 class. He was the No. 93 overall prospect and No. 17 wide receiver by the 247Sports Composite.

The other wide receivers signed in that class were Zeed Haynes (No. 199) who transferred to Syracuse and Anthony Evans (No. 208) who made a touchdown catch in the Orange Bowl and shows promise as a returner.

Georgia signed two wide receivers in the 2024 class: NiTareon Tuggle (No. 102 overall) and Sacovie White (No. 440). The Bulldogs missed out on Parkview’s Mike Matthews, ranked 40^th,who signed with Tennessee and one-time commitment Ny Carr from Colquitt County who signed with Miami.

None of Georgia’s five 2025 commitments are wide receivers.

Transfer portal giveth and taketh away for Georiga Bulldogs

Georgia has loaded up on transfer wide receivers out of the portal the last two years with five on its current roster, but has seen its share transferring out as well.

The three that signed this cycle — Vanderbilt’s London Humphreys, Miami’s Colbie Young and Southern Cal’s Michael Jackson — didn’t make it to spring practice with McClendon.

Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett was the top wide receiver in catches last season with 54 for 613 yards and four touchdowns. Mississippi State transfer Rara Thomas had 23 catches for 383 yards and a touchdown before sustaining a foot injury.

Four scholarship wide receivers transferred out after last season: Haynes and Jackson Meeks (Syracuse) and CJ Smith and DeNylon Morrissette (Purdue).

In 2023, Georgia lost transfers AD Mitchell (Texas) and Dominick Blaylock (Georgia Tech)

Mitchell was a clutch playoff performer, but was limited to just six games in 2022. Blaylock got more snaps at Georgia Tech last year than he likely would have at Georgia.

Names that could be in mix for Georgia football WR coach

Given the timing of the opening, Smart should move quickly to fill the opening on staff.

Recruiting chops are always important.

Holmon Wiggins, Texas A&M’s wide receivers coach who coached most recently at Alabama, was the No. 1 rated SEC recruiter in the 2024 cycle.

Smart could turn to someone with Georgia ties like Brandon Streeter, the former Clemson offensive coordinator who spent last season as a Bulldog offensive analyst.

Joe Cox, Ole Miss tight ends coach after serving in same position last year at Alabama, is a former Georgia quarterback who coached wide receivers under UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo at Colorado State and South Carolina.

Two former UGA wide receivers could be considered.

Former NFL star Hines Ward was an XFL head coach and coached wide receivers at Florida Atlantic and was an offensive assistant with the New York Jets. Bulldog career receptions leaders Terrence Edwards has trained receivers in the Atlanta area and was recently hired as head coach at the Mount Vernon School in Atlanta.

Miami wide receivers coach Kevin Beard was a quality control coach at Georgia in 2016.

Smart surprised by hiring Donte’ Williams from Southern Cal as defensive backs coach.

Could he go off the beaten path for Arizona State’s Ra’Shaad Samples who coached with the Rams or Kenny Guiton from Wisconsin who previously worked at Arkansas? DawgsHQ’s Rusty Mansell floated the name Jimmy Smith, the former Cedar Grove coach who is Arkansas running backs coach.

There’s been some wild card hires lately so how about Brian Hartline, now co-offensive coordinator, from Ohio State. Or former Houston and West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen who has praised Georgia’s resources.

What Tampa Bay likes about Georgia football offense

Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles tapped another SEC offensive staff for an assistant coach after landing Kentucky’s Liam Coen as offensive coordinator.

Bowles is familiar with the Georgia program. His son Troy is a Bulldogs sophomore inside linebacker.

He interviewed Todd Monken last winter about his offensive coordinator job before he went to Baltimore to run its offense.

“They did a good job down at Georgia doing a variety of different schemes and changing personnel and involving the tight ends and everybody with the offense,” Bowles told the Athens Banner-Herald last year.

McClendon has been a part of that offensive staff the last two seasons.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: 5 things on Bryan McClendon's Georgia football departure and next hire