Georgia Football: Kirby Smart and Staff Recruiting at the Next Level

Coach Kirby Smart has taken Georgia Football into uncharted territory from a recruiting standpoint.  As for now, Kirby Smart and his staff have landed an incredible 19 five-star players on the recruiting trail.

When Smart first arrived in Athens, his Bulldogs were ranked sixth in the NCAA, in a short recruiting cycle for the new staff. The 2016 UGA recruiting class was headlined by quarterback Jacob Eason, wide receiver Mecole Hardman and tight end Issac Nauta.

2017 was the first full recruiting cycle for Kirby Smart and staff. They took full advantage, finishing third in the country. UGA pulled in more stellar five-star recruits who are now big contributors, such as quarterback Jake Fromm, running back D’Andre Swift, safety Richard LeCounte, and right tackle Isaiah Wilson.

The 2018 recruiting class saw Georgia rise to number one. The class had a whopping seven five-star players. Many saw action as true freshmen this season, such as guard Cade Mays, cornerback Tyson Campbell, edge defender Brenton Cox, linebacker Adam Anderson, and quarterback Justin Fields.

That 2018 UGA recruiting class is considered by most analysts, to be a top three recruiting class of all time. Should the Dawgs stay at second this year, that would give Kirby Smart an average recruiting ranking of third in four cycles. That includes the year he first got the job and UGA finished sixth.

That down ranking of sixth for Kirby Smart, is higher that Mark Richt‘s average ranking of 7.9. It will be very difficult to top that 2018 class, but the Dawgs continue to recruit at an elite level. It is a level unmatched by any school in the SEC and the nation, besides Alabama.

Logan Booker a radio host on 960 the Ref in Athens, provided this tweet. It shows how much dominance Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have exerted over their main two SEC East Rivals:

The Alabama Crimson Tide are that main obstacle that stand in the way of the Dawgs and a National Championship. If Georgia continues to recruit at the level that they have these last three years under Kirby Smart, a championship won’t be a matter of if, it will be a matter of when.

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