What is the one knock on Kirby Smart and Georgia Football?

Georgia Football has been on the mountaintop for the past three years. The Dawgs have only lost two games in that three-year window, and it has been to only one team. If we are being honest here, Georgia fan to Georgia fan, the Dawgs have only lost to Bama once. But that is neither here nor there; the Dawgs are the best program in CFB. 

With Nick Saban in the old folks' home (College Gameday) with Coach Corso and not on the sidelines for Alabama, Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football. Again, in all honesty, Georgia fan to Georgia fan Kirby Smart passed Nick Saban in 2021. But again, this blog is not about that. In a way, this blog is negative on Kirby Smart. 

Now, wait before you click out of the blog; I promise it is worth your time. I know some people get all up in arms over any Georgia fan being negative, but there is a silver lining in the negativity. Just finish the blog, and you will understand. 

The boys in the coffee shop invited me out for a few drinks on a beautiful spring-like Saturday this weekend. As we always do, we got to talking about Georgia Football. One of the boys asked, “What is one of the knocks on Kirby Smart and Georgia Football.” 

What a great question! But I knew the answer immediately. Was it that good? Sadly, I hang out with guys I am much more intelligent than. However, it makes me feel better when they compliment me on my intelligence. Feeds the ego. Anyway, without hesitation, I said, “Wideouts.” 

Under Kirby Smart, the Dawgs have only landed one 5-star recruit, George Pickens. Georgia last got the big-name wideouts quite some time ago. Kirby Smart has yet to recruit receivers like Ohio State or Alabama has done in the past. Outside of the receiver position, the Dawgs have landed multiple 5-stars at every position. Why on earth can the Dawgs not land multiple 5-stars at receivers? It boggles my mind! 

The first answer is lazy, but it does make sense. N.I.L. Kirby Smart does not promise the big bucks and believes you earn your N.I.L. money with how you play on the field. I do not want to paint with a broad brush here, but receivers, as we all know, are big money, especially in the new age of college football. 

The second answer is just a fan observation and something that Kirby Smart has repeatedly said on the record. “If you are a wide receiver at Georgia, the expectation is for you to block.” That is something that might turn off several highly ranked wideout recruits. As a talented 17-year-old, I think you would rather hear: “You are going to get the ball 15 times, and we are going to throw it on every down.” 

Here is another thing: Georgia plays receiver by committee. No wideout at Georgia is going to dominate the stat sheet. I am trying to remember the last time a wideout went for over 150 yards. Georgia's offense spreads the ball around, and no single guy gets fed the ball. 

So, what was that silver lining I was talking about earlier? Georgia lands talented wideouts via the transfer portal. Kirby Smart would rather have a known commodity at wide receiver than an unknown but highly talented prospect. The Dawgs take prospects at the wideout spot, but they get guys who are lightly recruited and have the potential to become great players. Look at AD Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Dillion Bell. They were all “passed over,” but all could be great wideouts, which they did. 

So is it a knock on Kirby Smart and the Georgia Football program that they cannot land the big-name wideouts? Not really. Kirby Smart has won two national titles and will compete for more in the coming years. At the end of the day, Kirby Smart wants his quarterback to have weapons, and he will if there is a way for him to get them.