I don’t know about you, but sometimes it almost feels like I take the level to which Kirby Smart’s has upgraded Georgia’s recruiting for granted. Then, I get smacked in the face with a sentence or two like this:
It is his fourth straight top-six class, and third straight among the top three. This class features five five-star recruits, more than any other team…
Good Lawd. There will almost certainly be bumps along the way, but this program has too much talent to suffer through a truly down year anymore, especially when no other program in the division is recruiting as well. It’s a Jimmies and Joes world, and Kirby’s not just living in it. He’s thriving in it.
Get The Picture 
Yep, and we have a Natty coming soon…probably this year, with multiple ones on the horizon.
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USC went 2, 10, 4, & 4 in recruiting from 2015-2018 and finished 5-7 this past year. Jim and Joe is step 1, S&C and coaching up step 2, x’s & o’s step 3. Nothing can be taken for granted.
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USC went 2, 10, 4, & 4 in recruiting from 2015-2018 and finished 5-7 this past year. Jim and Joe is step 1, S&C and coaching up step 2, x’s & o’s step 3. Nothing can be taken for granted.
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There is absolutely no doubt the James and Joseph side of a championship equation has been solved by Kirby. He is still trying to solve for putting Bama away when he has a foot on their throat (and winning on the road vs the West).
Don’t take my comment for an “if.” It’s now “when.”
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They should have Kirby’s picture in wikipedia next to the term ‘roster management’. If being the best recruiter isn’t enough, he’s arguably tops at filling holes via transfers too.
My only peeve might be that we’re letting players leave early for the nfl who either aren’t prepared or aren’t nfl material. Another year for Trent Thompson might have been huge – for both him and UGA. And we might’ve put up a better fight to keep Holyfield, Nauta, Hardman and/or Ridley in school. I guess we’ll know come draft day. I’d feel much differently if they left with degrees in-hand. Losing out on both your degree and nfl dreams has to be a giant setback for a 21 year old kid, particularly after putting 3 years of hard work toward both goals.
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I worry about Holyfield. Sure, running backs only have so much tread on the tires. He’s the one who I hope has a fallback plan if being a back with 4.8 speed doesn’t work out.
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I don’t think you should be worried about Holyfield. Unlike others that declare early when they would benefit from another year, he does not have family financial issues to worry about. Obviously there is no way to quantify it, but that’s the driving factor in a significant number of early departure decisions. Ridley has a wealthy brother. I have no idea about Hardman or nauta (though nauta did attend img- I’ve got no idea how that works). Word was it was certainly a factor in Trenton Thomspon’s Decision
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His dad is only worth about $500k the last time I looked. He may not have the financial issues to deal with, but he also likely doesn’t have a trust fund to call upon if the NFL thing doesn’t work out.
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Errrmmmm – I’m thinking he might not be in as great a financial situation as you think.
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I agree with your premise Westy, but go up and read what Coach K has to say about the NCAA amateur model. The current system is driving kids out.
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Trent Thompson wasn’t going to be on the team whether he turned pro or not. Evidently Trent has some serious behavioral issues and was told he wasn’t going to be on the team the following year.
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It’s time to win something. One SEC title in 4 years isn’t that impressive, considering the talent level we’ve had. There should be no excuses this season.
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Wait a minute. 2016 was a transition year when the Dawgs went from being a finesse team to a smash mouth team. 2017 won the East and the SEC, went to the playoff, beat OU in the Rose Bowl and almost won the NCG. Last year we won the East and lost in the SECCG. That isn’t chopped liver. I like our chances but the bugaboo is Bama. A lot of other people have had problems getting past Bama, too.
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The sleeping giant is woke.
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To me, the final piece of the equation that really keeps the Dawgs from hitting that Bama/Clemson level is reeling in a super disruptive interior DL. It seems every season they have someone like that (or two) and while we have talent there, it’s just not that game-changer requiring double teams and getting into the backfield on a regular basis. The fact that that’s the only sub-super-elite spot on the field is mind-blowing!
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Clemson and Bama have been putting interior DL into the NFL in the first 3 rounds for a while. This year Clemson should have 2 minimum and Bama 1 in the 1st round. I think we have one taken period since Gene Atkins. Thompson going undrafted really hurt. I can assure you it is used against UGA on the recruiting trail. Until we start putting out interior DL in the first three rounds we are going to struggle getting the difference makers in recruiting. Pittman has a track record of putting out NFL lineman and has run with it on the recruiting trail at UGA with crazy results. Once Scott gets some guys into the league the recruits should follow. It looks like Clemson is absolutely cleaning up on interior DL this recruiting cycle…I wonder why? If kids that want to go to the NFL and see a team pumping out recruits at that position who would you choose?
Interior DL is the last position group that needs to turn over for Kirby. If Jordan Davis has a full year like he had last year and a couple of the other guys step up the story will change and the recruits will come. Kirby needs to let those guys get the havoc numbers this year it will pay off long term.
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UGA needs to win Kirbys FIRST natty before you start talking multiples so far he has pretty much fallen on his face in his first two attempts!
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“There will almost certainly be bumps along the way, but this program has too much talent to suffer through a truly down year anymore…”
This program has too much talent for any reasonable person to argue the problem is talent if we don’t win championships. If we have a down year, it’s not talent. Could be injuries, could be leadership, could be coaching, but not talent.
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We haven’t beaten Bama with Nick Saban, other than his first year with an OT win. More talent, better facilities, etc. doesn’t seem to be the only elements in the formula. Not having to go through the SEC grind seems a better path (see Clemson, Dabo). This season is a tough schedule, but will likely define whether “mediocrity” is a function of coaching or playing in the SEC with the GOAT at Bama.
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