Kirby Smart turned a 3-star recruit into the highest paid NT in NFL history

Jordan Davis is a player that everyone came to love at Georgia. He didn't arrive in Athens with a lot of expectations as a freshman, but he quickly turned into one of Georgia's most reliable defenders. He was even one of Georgia's best defenders on their first National Championship team in 2021.

After a great career at Georgia he moved on to the NFL where he immediately made his name known with the Philadelphia Eagles. Fast forward to today and after four great years with the Eagles Davis signed the largest contract for a nose tackle in NFL history.

Jordan Davis just became the highest paid nose tackle in NFL history

Kirby Smart's dominance on the recruiting trail is a big reason why Georgia has been so good for the last 10 years. Not only is he a great recruiter though, but he also is an elite developer of talent as well. There is no greater example of that than Davis who came to Georgia as a three-star recruit.

Davis immediately had an impact his freshman season as he recorded 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His total tackles decreased slightly over the next two years due to injury, but a healthy senior season in 2021 led to 32 tackles, two sacks and a national title.

This past season with the Eagles was the best year that Davis has had so far in the NFL. He tallied a staggering 72 tackles and career high 4.5 sacks along with a whopping six pass deflections. All of this production is what led the Eagles to sign him to a three year extension worth $78 million which is the largest contract in NFL history for a nose tackle.

So after entering college as a three-star recruit, Smart and his staff turned him into an unstoppable force. That dominance continued into the NFL where he is now one of the best nose tackles in the league whose pockets got a lot deeper this offseason.