Georgia football made the right decision in hiring head coach Kirby Smart. He took a talented team from Mark Richt and, with some changes, has turned them into one of the top teams in college football.
The Dawgs went from winning the SEC East every few years to being East winners four of Smart’s six seasons.
One of the biggest areas he changed has to be recruiting, and how he took Georgia from being a top-15 program each year to having the No.1 recruiting class twice in 2020 and 2018.
He builds up kids on and off the field and has gotten a staff with the same mindset. Smart loves this program, and that love rubs off on his players.
Now into his sixth season, the standards are higher than ever, and this team continues to meet them each week. These players understand what it means to sacrifice, work hard and fight for their goals.
After getting revenge against the Gators on Saturday, it was evident, something special is brewing in Athens, and it was because of Smart and his staff’s impact on the program.
Long gone are the days of having the longest five-hour drive home to Athens from Jacksonville because the Dawgs fell short once again.
Instead, Georgia stood up and bullied the Gators until the last whistle. The Dawgs are showing all the hard work they put in along with Smart and his staff. This group has no quit. There is no complacency because humility is a week away for anyone, including an undefeated Georgia team.
One of the most prominent leaders on this squad is junior linebacker Nolan Smith. After having a career day in Jacksonville, he followed up the next morning with quite the approval message.
To my highschool kids if you want to be apart of something special Come to Georgia
— Nolan Smith II (@SmithNoland2) October 31, 2021
To my momma’s that is like my mom @KirbySmartUGA My Coach has made me not only a better football player but a better man #GoDawgs https://t.co/5mXJV9eu5T
Talk about a recruiting pitch without even asking for one — Smith laid it out there that Smart is doing it right at Georgia.
The Dawgs already have the No.1 recruiting class for 2022, but this message right here will not go unnoticed by prospects. This senior class is setting the standard for Georgia football and leaving the blueprints of having a successful team.
Smart is the man behind that message. He learned from the best, and now he is implementing those tactics at Georgia. The Kirby Smart effect is what we will call it.
That effect isn’t about just developing football players on the field, but off it as well. Richt did an excellent job of this, but what makes Smart able to take Georgia to the next level is his genuine love for the program and ability to connect with every player on that team — on top of the much better on-the-field development.
Smith didn’t have to tweet out what he did because he already is probably the most vocal leader on Georgia’s team. However, he chose to because Smith wants the future to know Smart is the man who will change their lives.