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, yet, he’s somehow been just as successful off the field, recruiting at such an elite level, it reminds some of Alabama. At the moment, Smart has landed the top recruiting class in the country, after producing the third-ranked class 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. “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-to-head with Alabama and mentor Nick Saban, and prevailing. Smart beat out Saban for five-star prospects Adam Anderson (nation’s top-ranked outside linebacker), Zamir White (top-ranked wide receiver), and defensive end Brenton Cox (second-ranked defensive end). 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.
“Georgia hasn’t done that,” Mansell said, referring to beating Alabama head-to-head. “They’re not afraid to go toe-to-toe with them, and right now they’re getting good results.”
Smart’s pitch was simple: He wanted the best players in the talent-rich state of Georgia to stay home. As an alum of the school and now its head coach, he got players listening. And he won them over with his genuine personality, and winning pedigree coming from Alabama.
“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. “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, coaches like Sam Pittman, 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.
He can be quirky, too. Slade recalled him attending a game this year. When the offense was on the field, Smart moved under the goal post of the direction Pace Academy was going in, 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 were 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 running back D’Andre Swift, offensive lineman Andrew Thomas and Blount, and have produced.
“The fact that he was a man of his word meant so much to me,” Cecil Blount said.
It is uncertain Georgia will finish with the No. 1 recruiting class. There is still a second National Signing Day in February. But if the early signing period was a preview of Monday night, Smart will become royalty in Athens, Ga.