Dawgs making noise on recruiting trail, too
ATLANTA — Kirby Smart has exceeded expectations on the field, leading Georgia to within one win of its first national championship since 1980, winning the big games the program previously always lost.
And it’s just as impressive as his success off the field, where Georgia is recruiting at such an elite level, it’s Alabamaesque. At the moment, Smart has landed the top recruiting class in the country, after producing the third-ranked class in the country last year, according to 247Sports.com’s composite team rankings.
“The biggest difference is the ability to close, and how Georgia has trended up [at the close of a recruiting cycle], instead of trending down,” 247Sports.com Georgia-based recruiting analyst Rusty Mansell said in a phone interview. “[Previous coach] Mark Richt was able to get Georgia consistent top 10, 12 classes, and I guess the problem Georgia fans always had was they seemed to fade off as signing day got here. They would lose some kids or not close on signing day.
“Kirby Smart this year started out like 70th in June in the recruiting rankings, and he closed on [the early] national signing [period] as fast and as good as they could have possibly dreamed of.”
It included going head-tohead with Alabama and mentor Nick Saban, and prevailing. Smart beat out Saban for fivestar prospects Adam Anderson (nation’s top-ranked outside linebacker), Zamir White (top-ranked running back), and defensive end Brenton Cox (second-ranked defensive end), along with four-star running back James Cook of Miami. He landed the top player in South Carolina, four-star linebacker Channing Tindall, and got five-star offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer over Clemson. He secured the top dual-threat quarterback in the country, Justin Fields from Georgia.
“They definitely closed like an Alabama class,” Mansell said.
The 42-year-old Smart’s mission immediately after taking the job was simple: He wanted the best players in the talent-rich state of Georgia to stay home. As a Georgia native, alum of the school and now its head coach, he got kids and their families listening. And he won them over with his genuine personality, and winning pedigree coming from Alabama, where he was a defensive coordinator on four national championship teams.
Smart landed 13 of the top 21-rated recruits from the state in last year’s class, led by freshman quarterback Jake Fromm, who flipped his commitment from Alabama to Georgia. This year he already has secured pledges from five of the top six-ranked prospects in the state.
“What convinced me was the approach he took with myself and my family, the enthusiasm he had, how he was going to change the culture at Georgia,” said Cecil Blount, the father of freshman wide receiver Trey Blount, a Georgia native. “You see it in the games, he’s running on the field high-fiving fans, he’s giving fist pumps.”
Chris Slade, the coach of Georgia powerhouse Pace Academy, was impressed by how personable Smart is, his ability to communicate with adults and kids alike. Most powerhouse programs allow their assistant coaches to do the heavy lifting. And while Smart relies upon his assistants, top-notch recruiters like offensive line coach Sam Pittman and running backs coach Dell McGee, he makes a point of establishing a relationship himself with players and their families.
“He’s the cool guy the kids like to talk to,” Slade said.
Slade recalled him attending a game this year. When the offense was on the field, Smart moved under the goal post in the direction Pace Academy was going, to make sure Salyer could see him.
“Jamaree couldn’t miss him,” Slade said with a laugh. “That was pretty good.”
Smart has walked the walk, following through on his recruiting pitch that nothing is guaranteed. He didn’t make any promises about playing time, but he guaranteed if freshmen are good enough, they would see the field. And in this run to the national championship game, freshmen have been given big roles, players such as Fromm, running back D’Andre Swift and offensive lineman Andrew Thomas, and have produced.
“The fact that he was a man of his word meant so much to me,” Cecil Blount said.
Blount obviously isn’t alone. Smart has won over families across the fertile state. He has head-to-head victories over Alabama to prove it.