![Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart yells during the first half against the Florida Gators at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_168,w_5472,h_3078/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/153/01kxec77k74qt9c7y1vx.jpg "Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart yells during the first half against the Florida Gators at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, October 28, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
Kirby Smart has brought more success to Georgia than anyone could've dreamed of when he was hired 10 years ago. A big reason for all of this success is because of the elite recruiting classes he brings to Georgia year in and year out.
Even with all of that recruiting success there have been some losses that still sting to this day, and these five recruits in particular will really make Georgia fans wonder how different things could've been throughout Smart's tenure if they came to UGA instead.
The 5 biggest recruiting what-ifs of the Kirby Smart Era
1. What if Trevor Lawrence committed to Georgia instead of Clemson?
One of the best quarterbacks in the past decade in all of college football is Trevor Lawrence. He led Clemson to a National Championship in 2018 as a true freshman and followed that up with two great seasons after that as well.
But what if he went to Georgia instead?
At one point in his recruitment Georgia thought he was leaning towards them. That ultimately ended up not being the case, but they came close to bringing him to Athens.
Georgia didn’t win a National Championship under Kirby Smart until 2021, but they would’ve had a good chance at winning at least one title if not two with him under center. And if that happened Georgia would be viewed as a much better program than they already are.
2. What if Damon Wilson never transferred to Missouri?
Damon Wilson played EDGE at Georgia for two seasons. He was in line to become a starter in 2025, but he unfortunately made the shocking decision to transfer to Missouri instead.
Wilson went on to have nine sacks at Missouri this past season, and Georgia could’ve really used that level of production this year.
Georgia’s defense really struggled generating sacks this year. Their lack of pressure is eventually what caught up to them as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss torched them in the College Football Playoff. But how different could it have been if Wilson was on the team?
Who knows if Georgia would’ve won it all if Wilson stuck with them. It’s hard to imagine one player changing things that much, but he would’ve solved one of their biggest problems so it was definitely possible that he could’ve helped lead them to a deep playoff run.
3. What if Cam Akers chose Georgia instead of Florida State?
Running back Cam Akers was the No. 3 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class. He was the biggest fish Smart went after during his first full year of recruiting, and he came just short of convincing him to ditch Florida State and come play for him at Georgia.
Akers was electric for the Seminoles as he racked up 27 rushing touchdowns and neary 3,000 yards on the ground in his three seasons in college. Georgia's run game was very dominant in Smart's early years at UGA, but that is a level of production they still could've used.
Akers was someone who could've completely changed the trajectory of Georgia's entire offense. He also could've been the difference between Georgia falling just short in their first playoff appearance and winning it all.
Fans will never know how different things could've been, but there will always be a part of the fanbase that wonders what it would've been like to watch him play at Georgia.
4. What if Jordan Seaton didn't fall for the Deion Sanders hype at Colorado?
Jordan Seaton was one of the best offensive tackles in the 2024 class. Georgia thought they were going to land him, but he fell for the Deion Sanders hype and chose Colorado instead.
Colorado hasn't turned into anything as a program since he committed to them, and that has left Georgia fans upset that he didn't just come to Athens instead.
Georgia is known for having an elite offensive line every year, and that has been the case the last few years. But imagine how much better they would've been if he was on the team and how much better they'd be this season if he was in Athens too.
Seaton has since moved on from Colorado and will play for LSU this fall. This shows that he regrets going to Colorado too, so maybe there's a part of him that wonders how different his career would've been if he had chosen Georgia.
5. What if Jared Curtis never flipped to Vanderbilt?
Jared Curtis is yet to play a down in his college career, but Georgia fans might already be wondering how different things could be if he stuck with UGA.
Curtis was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. He was a long time commit for Georgia, but towards the end of last year he flipped to Vanderbilt and signed with the Commodores.
Curtis wouldn't have played this year at Georgia which is one of the reasons why he flipped. He would've however been in the middle of the competition next year to be the starter after Gunner Stockton leaves, and he would've had a great chance to win that battle.
It's hard to be too upset about losing him right now because no one knows what kind of player he will be in college, but there is a chance he turns into someone that Georgia regrets losing for a long time.
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