Yesterday, after practice, Kirby Smart went off of the state of college football when asked about the upcoming House settlement and all the uncertainty around it.
While a lot of programs are preparing for major roster cuts at the end of spring ball, Smart shares that the staff's current understanding is that they won't have to cut their roster to 105 by the start of summer. Instead, they'll have to get to that roster limit by the first game, allowing them to go through fall camp practicing like they want to at UGA before making those major roster decisions.
He followed that up by encouraging everyone to take a deep breath and press pause because there's a lot of rumors about what could come as a results of the final House settlement set for final approval hearing to begin April 7th.
"Everyone is on pins and needles because we don't know exactly what is going to come out of this. What I do know is that we are going to continue to recruit people that love football, who are passionate about football, and who don't put money as the number one answer."
"I have never met a really good player, that that's all they care about."
Smart goes on add that there are folks out there manipulating the current system for financial gain, going as far as to set up Zoom calls with coaches regarding all the players they represent that are currently on teams, including Georgia, inviting people to watch who is going in the portal and who is shopping in the portal before well before the spring portal opens.
Smart later mentions the very real possibility of schools having to cut sports to keep this current model going, threatening to end college athletics as we've known it for decades adding that kids should absolutely be able to make money, but that shouldn't come at all costs, and right now there seems to be a real possibility that other sports get cut at places to ensure sports like football and basketball are able to pay players.
When asked about how he handles a kid who brings NIL offers from other schools to the table to try and negotiate for more, Smart says that nobody has done that, but he has a clear idea on how he'd manage that situation.
"I don't have kids coming in and doing that. If they come in and say that then I'll listen to them and talk to them, but I'm going to scratch them off the list. I'm over that because if that's all that matters, then you need to send out a bid like they do for jobs and say, submit your bid, take your visits, and go to the highest bidder."
"I really believe the relationship does still matter, and if the relationship doesn't matter then I'm probably not going to have a kid that wants to play hard for Georgia, right? So the relationship matters, work ethic matters, and do you want to be great? Do you have fire, passion and energy? I'll pay for that. I'll pay a premium for fire, passion and energy because in the market that we're in, there's a lack of that."
Smart believes that kids are going to struggle the next ten years when we look back and ask what happened to the kids that we allowed to go to two, three, and four schools.
"I will assure you we will not be happy with where those kids that jumped for greener grass, and I think the portal is great for kids that are third, fourth, or fifth year, but it also gives a way out that I don't think is good for kids right now."
Hear more from Georgia's head coach in the clip.