What Changed for UGA Football Recruiting When Kirby Smart Took Over?
Real Georgia Fans Don’t Miss the Dawg Post Newsletter - Sign up now!
ATHENS - For Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart recruiting never stops.
Whether it's landing helicopters on high school campuses or bringing recruits to a national championship celebration, Smart is seemingly always one step ahead.
After taking over for Mark Richt, Smart has placed a high emphasis on the importance of recruiting. But, how do Smart and Richt compare when it comes to recruiting statistics?
Since becoming head coach in 2016, Smart has successfully recruited 23 players with a five-star ranking. Smart’s highest-rated recruits include Justin Fields, Nolan Smith, Kelee Ringo, Zamir White and, most recently, Dylan Raiola.
2023 Dawg Post Preview Included Free with Double Dawgs
Reserve Your Copy of DOUBLE DAWGS NOW!
In Richt’s time as head coach from 2001 to 2015, he recruited 25 five-star athletes, including his highest-rated recruits: Trenton Thompson, Brandon Miller, Jacob Eason, Matthew Stafford and A.J. Green.
Since the CFP Championship run in 2017, Smart and the Bulldogs have boasted a top-three recruiting class every year (247 Sports). Smart recruited the nation’s top class in 2018 and 2020.
Richt recruited a top-three class once in 2006.
Smart largely recruits within the state, with 63 out of the 118 current players on Georgia’s roster from the peach state. In previous years under Smart, an average 66% of roster spots were recruited within Georgia.
An even larger 72% of athletes during Richt’s time were recruited within the state.
Budget has been another key difference when it comes to recruiting. In 2014, the program’s recruiting budget was $717,091 and in 2022, that number increased to $4.5 million. That is a 527% budget increase between Richt and Smart.
However, with the introduction of the transfer portal in 2018, recruiting has been flipped on its head.
The portal has allowed Smart to recruit players like Arik Gilbert, Tykee Smith, Rara Thomas and Dominic Lovett over the last few seasons, with many of those players from the portal making key contributions for the Bulldogs.
For Smart, winning back-to-back national championships certainly gives him a leg up when recruiting future prospects. This advantage is already evident, as Georgia boasts the second-ranked recruiting class in 2023 and has recently become the top-ranked recruiting class for 2024.
EXCLUSIVE: Champion Retro P.E. Class Natty Sweatshirt
Check out This Exclusive Sweatshirt NOW!