It is no secret how Kirby Smart feels about the Transfer Portal. He has come to terms with using it, but he refuses to let it be his main source of talent acquisition for Georgia.
That once again was seen this offseason when he added much fewer players out of the portal than most other programs. He still made sure to add elite talent, but it was only at positions that were 100 percent necessary.
The decision to operate his program in this way is calculated, and Smart made sure to make that know during his first press conference of spring ball on Tuesday
"Most teams that are a bunch of independent contractors don’t play as well together. And we sold ourselves on keeping the guys we got and building on that culture."
"Most teams that are a bunch of independent contractors don’t play as well together. And we sold ourselves on keeping the guys we got and building on that culture."
— DawgNation (@DawgNation) March 17, 2026
Kirby Smart made it clear what type of team he thinks he has:https://t.co/bAMvftYhNr
Kirby Smart is willing to challenge the Transfer Portal status quo
There are a few programs who rely on the Transfer Portal far more than the average school. Schools like Miami and wherever Lane Kiffin is coaching seem to top that list every year. And while they are finding success in the short term with this method, Smart does not think it will work out in the long run.
Smart views these other schools like Miami as programs full of "independent contractors." Instead of being fully bought into the program, those players may be more interested in their own personal goals. That is not how Smart will ever build Georgia's program.
Instead Smart made sure to keep as many players from last year's roster at Georgia. The Bulldogs were one of the youngest teams in the country last year and they still won the SEC, so it would've been silly for him to move on from those players. But keeping the roster in tact helps keep Georgia's culture in tact, so when players do transfer in they can follow everyone's lead and learn how things work at UGA much faster.
Can this strategy lead to a National Championship? That hasn't happened yet since the Transfer Portal really exploded in popularity, but Smart will put that to the test for as long as he is a head coach.