For the second time in three years, Kirby Smart and Georgia football have landed the top ranked recruiting class in the country.
And that’s if you go by 247Sports team rankings. If you look at Rivals’ rankings, the Bulldogs have actually finished with the No. 1 ranked class three years in a row now.
That’s simply incredible. What Kirby has built in his short time in Athens is something that Georgia fans should never take for granted.
Before Kirby came, Mark Richt was doing a fine job in recruiting – consistently finishing anywhere between that No. 5 and No. 12 spot. But it just was not good enough, especially at Georgia, where even if you don’t want to leave your state to recruit you can still finish with a top-five class.
So Kirby came and he elevated recruiting to where we expect it to be. And look at Florida?
“We’re closing the gap! We’re closing the gap!”
Actually, no Gators, you’re not. Georgia is consistently finishing with the top ranked class in the country while in Gainesville they are celebrating the No. 8 ranked class. No. 8 is something to be excited about, sure. But think about the difference in talent between a No. 1 and a No. 8. The gap is not closing.
Recruiting is one of those things that get people so fired up that it’s actually hard to scroll through Twitter on big recruiting days. 50 year old men and women arguing with each other about where a 17 year old kid wants to go to college is…weird. But it’s college football. But man is it weird, too.
If you’re a Georgi fan, you’re loving every minute of Kirby on the recruiting trail. If you’re a rival, say Auburn or Florida, you despise Kirby for tasking your top recruits. Everybody will claim Georgia cheats, or whatever they’ll say to make themselves feel better.
But the reality of it is that Kirby and the Bulldogs spend the most money nationwide on recruiting expenses, they put in the most time and they build the best and quickest relationships with these prospects.
Following another day in which Georgia wrapped a ribbon on its No. 1 ranked class, elating DawgNation and pissing off the rest of America, I went through Twitter to take a look at the good tweets and the not-so-nice tweets.
4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
15 ★ ★ ★ ★
6 ★ ★ ★Nation’s #1 CB
Nation’s #1 OC
Nation’s #2 OT
Nation’s #2 TE
Nation’s #2 LB
Nation’s #3 OT
Nation’s #4 DT
Nation’s #5 PK
Nation’s #7 RB
Nation’s #8 WR
Nation’s #8 CB
Nation’s #9 WR
Nation’s #9 QBNation’s #1 class! #UGA is lit!
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) February 5, 2020
“Congratulations to the Georgia Bulldogs who won the recruiting national championship for a second time in three years. Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are the #1 class in the entire nation.”—@ClayTravis pic.twitter.com/WcHsDO0npP
— Outkick the Coverage (@Outkick) February 6, 2020
UGA rivals: "UGA's a sinking ship."
UGA:
*hires recent SEC HC as OL coach*
*finishes in top 4*
*lands top transfer QB*
*hires proven NFL OC*
*signs #1 recruiting class… again* pic.twitter.com/ts0YXaf1cD— The Savage Pads Podcast (@savagepads) February 5, 2020
How Georgia's last five recruiting classes have ranked nationally.
2016: 6
2017: 3
2018: 1
2019: 2
2020: 1 pic.twitter.com/an1XaMPxUx— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) February 5, 2020
“I feel very strongly that they are recruiting at a level that allows them to compete for a national title.”@bartonsimmons gives a break down of Georgia’s No.1 ranked recruiting class. pic.twitter.com/rYtUu7JdMg
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) February 5, 2020
Nation’s No. 1 class. 25 signees.
Five 5★, fourteen 4★, six 3★ (per Rivals).
This year's class broken down by state:
Georgia: 8⁰Florida: 5⁰Texas: 3⁰Louisiana: 3⁰California: 2⁰Nevada: 1⁰Arizona: 1
D.C: 1⁰New Jersey: 1 pic.twitter.com/6dMewpWnRi— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) February 6, 2020
With the reaffirmations of Broderick Jones and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger today, and other dominoes not falling in Alabama’s favor, the University of Georgia will finish the 2020 recruiting cycle with THE NUMBER ONE class in the nation.
Show us how you feel with a .gif
pic.twitter.com/tfhU1LNjQA
— 960 The Ref (@960theref) February 5, 2020
Georgia recruiting hums right along under Kirby Smart, is a championship soon to follow? pic.twitter.com/ie0AfGcipi
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) February 5, 2020
Top 2019 Recruiting Budgets
(where they finished ranked in parenthesis)Georgia: $3.7 million (1)
Clemson: $2.2 million (3)
Oklahoma $1.28 million (11)— Chad Wilson (@GridironStuds) February 6, 2020
Florida fans in December: “We’re stealing ALL of Kirby’s commits.”
Florida fans now: “Ehh.. Recruiting doesn’t even matter. WaY tO gO gEoRgIa. Sike. Y’all only go to Atlanta and compete for a playoff spot every year. Lame. 1980. Dan Mullen develops.”
— Garrett Alexander (@cornbread_20) February 6, 2020
Simple statement: Georgia Football has the NUMBER 1 recruiting class. *Retweet* and flood Twitter . Let the world know
—
LEE Ringo
(@HBTFD1) February 5, 2020
As of today, #UGA has the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and the highest star average.
If that holds through signing day, it would give #Georgia back-to-back-to-back No. 1 classes.
And the #Dawgs aren't done yet. pic.twitter.com/fB7WrFa2hQ
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) January 30, 2020
The bad…
Georgia signs the #1 recruiting class every year just to go 10-2 and play in the Sugar Bowl. You hate to see it
—
T-Time
(@Ayo_TTime9) February 5, 2020
"National champs of recruiting" I'd rather have the number one class with sec champs and no national title than to constantly whiff on recruits and underperform like florida
— Keez (@KeezTheFlex) February 6, 2020
*except for UGA. They'll keep maybe 1/2 this class, the rest will transfer when they realize the mistake they've made. Incoming UGA recruits should have mandatory portal transfer training. Just to be safe.
— Definitely Not A Narcissist (@onthecatibbean) February 6, 2020
UGA got all these players and still can't get the job done. Bout to have 20 5 star recruits on the damn roster
— Mr. Free Food ™ (@DeathB4Hunger) February 5, 2020
Georgia recruits good every year, an still loses to S. Carolina @971BLS
— Miggity Miiike (@YoDisMike) February 6, 2020