Tag: Kirby Smart

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman enters transfer portal

One of Georgia’s top interior pass rushers is entering the transfer portal after having a strong spring

We are just over midway through the spring transfer portal window and the Georgia Bulldogs have now seen a fifth player enter the transfer portal. Christen Miller, who was  anticipated to be a key defensive contributor, is a former four-star recruit. Miller plays defensive tackle and played a rotational role a year ago for the Bulldogs. Miller announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal with an announcement on Instagram on Wednesday afternoon.

Miller is originally from Ellenwood, Georgia, and was a top 100 recruit in the class of 2022. He originally chose the Dawgs over Ohio State, Miami, and Oregon. He recorded 14 tackles and one sack a season ago, and gained a larger role as the season went on, giving strong performances against Georgia Tech and Alabama late in the year.

With Miller’s projected departure, the Bulldogs have a hole in the defensive line rotation. Younger players like Jordan Hall and Jamaal Jarrett may be relied on to help fill that void, as will offseason addition Xzavier McLeod. The Dawgs could also pursue another lineman in this portal window to try and add depth in response to Miller’s likely departure.

ESPN names Kirby Smart top coach of next decade

After the exits of Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh, ESPN’s Bill Connelly sees Kirby Smart as the clear favorite to be the top coach in defining the next decade of college football.

Following the retirement of Nick Saban and NFL departure from Jim Harbaugh, the coaching overhaul in college football has left questions as to who will step up and replace such prominent voices. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s résumé would make him a clear favorite, a sentiment echoed by ESPN’s Bill Connelly in his recent rankings of the “30 coaches who will define the next decade of college football” (ESPN+ subscription required to access).

Smart was placed atop the rankings, in the tier of “Successful head coaches with plenty of tread left on the tires”. Connelly cites Smart’s success in relation to other former Saban assistants, as well as the fact that he has not lost to a non-Saban coached team since 2020. His two national titles are tied for the lead among active coaches and Georgia’s relentless recruiting makes it all the more likely that Kirby Smart will stay ranked No. 1. “He’s the top dawg in this sport”, writes Connelly.

Smart’s coaching tree also has a presence on the list, with Oregon head coach and former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning ranking No. 7 overall and current defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann ranking at the top among assistant coaches.

Is Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer a top-5 head coach in college football?

Kalen DeBoer is tasked with taking over the Alabama football program with high expectations left behind by Nick Saban. Is he a top-5 coach in college football?

For the first time in nearly two decades, there will be a new coach roaming the sidelines of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Nick Saban, the legendary head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, announced his retirement at the beginning of the 2024 offseason. Moving swiftly, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne hired Kalen DeBoer, luring him away from the Washington Huskies fresh off of a national championship appearance.

The position DeBoer finds himself in is not one that many envy. Having to be the immediate successor of Saban means there are high expectations and nearly impossible shoes to fill. However, DeBoer is up for the task.

Heading into the 2024 season, which features a new-look SEC including the additions of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners and an expanded College Football Playoff field.

ESPN recently ranked the top 10 head coaches in all of college football for the upcoming season and DeBoer is up near the top, ranking No. 2 just behind Kirby Smart, the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs.

“After starting his career as an assistant at tiny Sioux Falls, his alma mater, DeBoer guided the NAIA Cougars to a 67-3 record with three national titles over a five-year stretch,” writes Kyle Bonagura. “From there, DeBoer embarked on a climb up the assistant-coaching ranks, during which each school he arrived at experienced near-unprecedented success, before being named the head coach at Fresno State. His modest two-year run there (12-6) led to the gig at Washington, where he transformed a team that won four games in 2021 to one that went 25-3 over the next two seasons, earning an appearance in the national title game this past season.”

Alabama made the College Football Playoffs in 2023, which just makes DeBoer’s situation that much harder. Saban, even in his final season, was capable of having the team in contention to win a national championship. It would be a different story if the Crimson Tide regressed in recent seasons. However, DeBoer instead inherits a program that is still a powerhouse, with the ability to win it all.

DeBoer will have his first opportunity to prove himself in Tuscaloosa when Alabama kicks off the 2024 season at home against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31, 2024.

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Georgia wideout could be in for breakout year

Four years into his UGA career, one speedy Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver has been generating a lot of buzz this spring

Four years into his Georgia Bulldogs career, one Georgia wide receiver has been garnering a lot of buzz regarding his development this spring. Arian Smith has reportedly developed his skillset to a new level this spring, and coupled with his experience, he could be one of the top weapons for quarterback Carson Beck in 2024.

Kirby Smart recently commented on Smith’s progress, saying, “I think we’ve made a concerted effort to spend more time on developing Arian…We’ve taken some of those times that he’s invested four years in special teams work, and we’ve allowed him to really grow as a wideout. I think it’s helped him do that.”

Smith has made his presence known this spring, hauling in a pair of explosive catches in both of Georgia’s scrimmages so far.

Smith has mostly been used as a vertical threat for the Bulldogs over his four years in Athens, averaging nearly 27 yards per catch. He started two games for the Dawgs a season ago, catching eight passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 20 targets. However, he came on strong with a catch in every game at the end of the year, including a 51-yard deep ball against Alabama and a touchdown in the Orange Bowl against Florida State.

Smith has also received praise from his teammates, including starting receiver Dominic Lovett, who referred to him as “the spark-plug” of the receiving room.  As the Dawgs seek to replace Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Smith’s emergence could prove to be a major difference in the offensive outlook for 2024.

Kirby Smart shares what he does not like about the new CFP format

Georgia’s Kirby Smart explains what he does not like about the new 12-team College Football Playoff format

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart does not like what will happen to the loser of the SEC championship game in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive byes under the current playoff format.

Kirby Smart thinks that whoever loses in the SEC championship will get screwed under the new format.

“The idea of the SEC championship loser, who just fought their ass off to be the second-place team in the best conference in the world, having to turn around and play maybe two weeks later with no bye,” said Smart.

For instance, Georgia went 12-1 last season and lost in the SEC championship game. In this hypothetical example, assume that Washington and Florida State were both two-loss conference champions. In this scenario, under the new rules, Georgia would have been ranked below Washington and/or Florida State despite having a much more impressive resume.

“If you go through our conference undefeated like we did last year and lose to a team in the SEC championship game, you’re going to lose your bye and go play as a 5 seed somewhere? That’s crazy,” noted Smart.

The new playoff format rewards conference champions, but does punish conference championship game losers. Whoever loses in the 2024 SEC championship could easily be ranked below the team that finishes No. 3 in the SEC’s final standings. The third-best team in the SEC would get the week of the SEC title game off.

Kirby Smart comments on quarterback Gunner Stockton’s progression

Kirby Smart gave his thoughts on the progression of presumed backup quarterback Gunner Stockton

Saturday was the first of three scrimmages for the Georgia Bulldogs in the spring, and Kirby Smart gave his thoughts and reactions to the media on Tuesday afternoon. Amongst the topics covered was the progression of presumed backup quarterback Gunner Stockton, who Smart praised for his performance thus far.

“Gunner has done a good job. I’ve seen growth in Gunner. I thought he had a couple of mistakes in the scrimmage, but he also played with much more consistency. I’ve seen this progression with Gunner like that, He’s getting better each and every practice,” said Smart. He also commended Stockton’s football IQ and said that the bowl practices “were great for him.”

Stockton passed for 148 yards and two touchdowns as the third-string QB for the Dawgs a season ago. A former four-star quarterback in the class of 2023, Stockton is among those contending for the role of heir apparent to Carson Beck after this season. Fans will be able to get a longer glimpse of Stockton during Georgia’s spring game on April 13, where he will presumably start for the second string offensive team.

Kirby Smart intends to give Carson Beck more freedom in 2024

Smart admits to holding Carson Beck back early in the 2024 season…

The Georgia Bulldogs will only go as far as Carson Beck takes them in 2024. At least that’s what Kirby Smart believes.

Beck’s return, after an outstanding first year as UGA’s starting quarterback, comes with a lot of expectations. He led the SEC in passing yards (3,941) on the way to a nearly perfect season as a junior.

Smart admitted to ESPN’s Chris Low that despite Beck’s solid play, Georgia held him back a bit at times, especially early in the season.

“Early in the year last season, we probably did try to protect him too much,” Smart said. “But then you see nothing ever really affects him and know you’ve just got to let the cat go play because we were either going to make it or not make it on his back. As the year went on, he got better and better, but we were probably a little too slow with him out of the gate.”

Under Smart, the Bulldogs have played it safe more often than not with their signal callers. Taking a “game manager” approach can work well when you have one of the best defenses in the country.

We learned in 2023 that Beck has the skill and mindset to go get points when the Bulldogs let him loose. He also has the support of his teammates to make plays off script.

“He’s ‘Mr. Mellow’ out there; the guys in the locker room love him because he’s confident, calm and very smart,” Smart said. Even though he’s got a little bit of arrogance to him, he’s not holier than thou like you see with some quarterbacks.”

Beck’s calm demeanor is perhaps the biggest reason for Georgia’s comeback wins early in the season against South Carolina and Auburn.

Things will look differently for the Bulldogs offense in the fall after losing three of the top four pass catchers to the NFL draft. That makes spring practice incredibly important for Beck and the wide receivers, aiming to build timing and continuity ahead of the season.

We’ll get our first look of the largely new group when UGA hosts its annual spring game on April 13 in Sanford Stadium. G-Day kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, televised on SEC Network+.

 

‘I don’t know that we’re going to be great this year,’ Kirby Smart on Georgia’s 2024 defense

Kirby Smart shares thoughts on Georgia’s defense in spring practice …

With just over two weeks of spring practice remaining, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart isn’t yet sure what to expect from the Bulldogs defense in 2024.

Despite the questions in the secondary due to the departure of starters Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith to the NFL, Smart’s concern falls on the defensive line.

“Either we’re maybe a little weaker on the defensive line or we’re really good on the offensive line,” Smart said. “The glaring thing I’ve seen at practices is that the offensive line has done a really good job. That’s not to say we were subpar on the defensive line last year. We just weren’t great. We didn’t have a dominant guy, but we’re always going to be good on defense. I don’t know that we’re going to be great this year, but I think we have a chance to be great on offense.”

UGA wasn’t as dominant in the trenches in 2023 as we’ve grown accustomed to for a Smart defense. After leading the country in run defense over back-to-back national title seasons, Georgia finished 16th in that category last season.

The loss of players such as Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith played a part in the regression. The good thing for UGA this year is the return of starters Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse. Those two have to become game wreckers if the Bulldogs want to get back shutting down the run game.

Georgia will end spring practice on Saturday, April 13 in Sanford Stadium. Kickoff for G-Day is set for 1 p.m. ET, televised on SEC Network+.

Georgia hosts 4-star WR, recent Ohio State decommit Jayvan Boggs

Recent Ohio State decommit Jayvan Boggs visits Georgia…

Georgia football is making a serious push for four-star wide receiver Jayvan Boggs, who decomitted from Ohio State on March 26. Boggs visited Georgia on Friday.

The Bulldogs made their first effort by extending a scholarship to Boggs shortly after adding new wide receivers coach James Coley, who has strong recruiting ties to the state of Florida.

Boggs (6-foot, 188 pounds), out of Cocoa, Florida., is rated as the No. 24 wide receiver, the No. 27 player in the state and the No. 189 recruit overall in his class, per 247Sports composite. The Cocoa High School star currently holds over 20 offers.

Boggs’ junior season earned him Mr. Football honors in the state of Florida in 2023. His 93 catches, 1,500 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns are single-season school records.

Boggs had been committed to the Buckeyes since October. Georgia’s recent offer seemingly made a real difference in his recruitment.

Georgia currently has the nation’s No. 15 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle.

‘Not even at Alabama’, Kirby Smart on Georgia’s consistency

Kirby Smart wants dominance not relevance…

Kirby Smart’s goal for the Georgia Bulldogs is dominance, not relevancy.

The ninth-year head coach has taken UGA to an entirely different level since taking the helm in 2016. Since going 8-5 in his first season — excluding the 9-2 shortened season due to the pandemic — Smart has led Georgia to six seasons of at least 11 wins, including back-to-back national championships.

“I was brought here to win championships, but the thing I’m proudest of has been the consistency,” Smart told ESPN’s Chris Low. “I look back on Year 1 (when Georgia went 8-5) as a failure and not the standard, but every year after that we’ve been right there.”

Smart went on to compare UGA’s dominance to that of Alabama and his former mentor Nick Saban.

“Nobody else over that span can say they’ve finished in the top seven at the very end for seven straight years. You can’t find it, not even at Alabama.”

Despite two national titles and two SEC Championships under his belt, Smart believes relevancy isn’t the standard in Athens.

“We missed the damn playoff three times by being No. 5 or No. 6, so those are missed at-bats we would have had in this 12-team playoff. We’ve been relevant every year but that first one. But I want more than relevance. I want dominance, and we’ve been more dominant in the last three years. What I don’t want are the ebbs and flows or the one-hit wonders you see out there. I don’t want any player to leave Georgia without a championship.”

Georgia arguably should have made last season’s final four. The expanded 12-team College Football Playoff will give Smart’s Bulldogs more opportunities to make a postseason run each year.