Kirby Smart talks about his craziest demand from recruits in modern NIL era: "Tickets, that's the one that gets me"
The Georgia Bulldogs under coach Kirby Smart have become a recruitment juggernaut, snagging three No. 1 recruiting classes in his tenure as coach. In 2024, Smart once again recruited the nation's top class, according to 247Sports.
On the "Five-Star Flex" last week, the charismatic Bulldogs coach talked about the difficulties of recruiting in the NIL era and some of the most mind-blowing demands by prospects he has faced.
"Whether it's cars or tickets, that's the one that gets me. ... When somebody comes in talking about, 'Well, I need 50-yard line seats,' that's not within my control. That's not within our power. Nobody is gonna do that. ... When you go to the NFL, they make you pay for your tickets."
Kirby Smart was not downbeat about the motivations of student-athletes being only about getting NIL money and outlined that some recruits simply wanted to play for the right program.
“I think it’s a mistake to assume that all players lead with that (NIL money), or that’s the primary objective," Smith said. "I think that would be an insult to high school football players and really an insult to all people being recruited."
Kirby Smart reveals recruitment strategy
Kirby Smart has mastered the art of both recruiting from high school snagging the No. 1 class in the nation this year and the transfer portal. During the SEC media days earlier this month, he cheekily suggested he could do with some more NIL resources like those provided to Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning.
Smart said that he depended on homegrown players from the state of Georgia to ensure passion for the Bulldogs. He learned this recruitment method during his tenure as an assistant coach under retired Alabama coach Nick Saban.
"The home base that I get to recruit from, we always talked about it when I worked for him (Saban) for nine years," Smart said. "We had great starters when I was at Alabama from Georgia, and vice versa. We have had a few players from Alabama start for us who were really good players from the state.
"So, the geographical footprint lends itself to, kids want to stay home. You have to find the right fit, but the kids who want to stay home and play at Georgia? They take a lot of pride in that."
Kirby Smart is widely expected to take his former mentor's place as college football's dominant coach, which will do wonders for Georgia's recruitment.