georgia football kirby smart recruiting oregon

Kirby Smart didn’t get to spend much time relaxing in the sun this past week. Between attending SEC spring meetings in Destin Fla., completing various interviews across a host of networks, hosting critical recruiting camps in Athens and prepping for a massive recruiting weekend, Smart has covered more ground than an All-SEC defensive back.

He’s shared his thoughts on everything from Georgia’s future SEC schedule to being asked to rehash the Jimbo Fisher-Nick Saban beef.

All the chatter that came with this week also shed some light on what matters most to Smart.

His strongest answers this week were not on potential policies or hypotheticals, but rather on tangible things that lay on the horizon.

Consider when talking about Saban and Fisher, he made sure to slip in the importance of recruiting, rather than anything of substance on the two coaches.

“To be honest with you, my phone started blowing up right when Jimbo had his press conference, and I haven’t thought about it a day since,” Smart said. “In the world that we operate in, you’re worried about what’s in front of you right now, which is the 15 recruits I’m trying to get on the phone, the conversations I’m trying to have. I’m not really worried about a feud between two guys that used to sit in the same staff meeting and have similar conversations.”

Georgia has a massive recruiting weekend on tap this weekend. Arch Manning is the headliner of those visiting this weekend, yet he’s not the only prospect of importance taking a visiting Athens this weekend. Five-star safety Caleb Downs, 4-star running back Justice Haynes and 4-star wide receiver Jalen Hale are also some of the marquee names in town this weekend.

To date, this is the biggest weekend on tap for the 2023 recruiting cycle for Georgia. How it goes will shape not just Georgia’s 2023 recruiting class but the future of the Georgia program.

For all the talk about Georgia’s future scheduling, Smart also shared some strong thoughts on what things look like down the line for Georgia.

Not so much on permeant rivals or how many games will be played but rather the importance of the next game. Which happens to be the marquee opener against Oregon.

“I want that every year. I mean, I’d love to have an opener of that caliber,” Smart said. “That’s the goal, is that your offseason’s geared around your conference play, but who do you open with? What kind of excitement can you generate for the offseason, and Oregon gives us that opportunity.”

Smart is never once to spend too much time commenting on hypotheticals. As his busy week demonstrates, he just doesn’t have the time to ponder when Georgia and Texas might meet as conference foes. Or what the future of NIL looks like for the league.

Recruiting is always going to matter to Smart. He eats, sleeps and breathes it. As for the on-field Georgia product, the Oregon game happens to be the next game. And that is the most important game for Georgia every year.

It’s players and practice that matter most to Smart rather than projections and policy.

Busy week shows what is most important for Georgia football coach Kirby Smart

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