Georgia isn't stacking up the elite recruits the way it used to. Will the program still have an elite roster in 2028?
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Pointless article has everyone is aware college football has not even kicked off the 26 campaign yet...
Quite a thorough and long account, Jeff. I plan to finish it after I get through the last thousand pages of War and Peace but most assuredly by 2028!
Great in-depth analysis Jeff, but 2028 is just too far off to think about right now.
However, the following we know is true today and going forward:
I do think Kirby will keep the Dawgs relevant ENOUGH to still be an overall Top 10-15 recruiting force no matter what happens. How tough is your regular season schedule? Did you luck out and get an easier path to the playoffs than another team in your conference? How good are your backups? How good is your coaching staff? How healthy are your players?
These are the kind of questions that will determine whether any team stays relevant in the NC run. Maybe the portal becomes more important for Kirby to fill gaps if the Dawgs slip too much in HS recruiting. Who knows.
I do think Kirby will go to the portal for a transfer starting QB for next season. In fact, I'll be shocked if he doesn't. Nothing against any of the other QBs that have waited their turn to start for the Dawgs, but they know how it works these days. Kirby can develop talent as well as anyone, so any QB in the Dawg's program will have a great foundation going forward wherever they end up playing.
I do think with the talent we have on this team now, if we don't make a deep run in the playoffs then something truly is amiss. This season is the first time in several years where I think we have the good combination of talent & experience to make it to the National Championship game or semi-finals. We must take advantage of this opportunity of a very manageable schedule and a great roster.
Great write up, you definitely put in some work!! The recruiting losses started a couple years ago with elite talent flipping to big spenders, Kirby wants to retain his roster with his NIL money that's his call but he's not bringing in 5 star talent like he used to and that is going to hurt! I'm sure the people will say believe in Kirby, just like the Dabo fans are still saying. Kirby is going to have to evolve, Georgia cannot and I repeat Georgia cannot maintain being an elite top 5 program with the 2025-2026 recruiting classes being the norm!!
Sadly, CKS is a great recruiter for a pre NIL system. Had he come to UGA in 2012, there might be two or three more NC trophies. Now, it is a different world.
I’ve mentioned this before, but if Bryson Beaver had committed to UGA a few weeks earlier our class would have been ranked around 4th and the #3 Oregon class would have dropped behind us. Oregon had 303 points and we had 292. Beavers would have kicked us to over 300 and Oregon would have dropped to the mid 290’s. So we kinda sorta weren’t really #9 in recruiting last year. Matters not if we develop the young men we recruited in ‘26. Go Dawgs!!!
Great detailed article Jeff. Muchas gracias and Go Dawgs!!!
Still not sure how a team with 5 year 3 stars is going to compete with a 3 year team loaded with 5 stars. I guess like the article reads, we will see in two years down the road.
I think Kirby knows exactly what he’s doing. Spend NIL money on known entities he’s developed out of the Numbers 2, 1 and 2 classes and don’t spend the money on the high schoolers chasing the biggest BIL offers. In two years, he can go get the 5 stars he missed out of the portal to fill the gaps. Time will tell if this strategy will work.
Great work Jeff. To address the question everyone seems to have, “can Kirby recruit 5 stars we’ll enoung in the NIL era,” I know he can. A **** with a bag of cash can recruit them at the better football schools. The question for me is “can he build a championship roster by emphasizing development and longevity in the program?” Kirby seems to have made the choice to build that way, rather than spen money on u proven high school kids who may not work out. He doesn’t pay big money to locker room cancers and selfish kids. Kirby has a proven track record of development. With that coaching skill, I’m optimistic Kirby will build a championship roster that can compete year after year.
Nice article Jefff. I actually read and spent some time looking at it. IMHO if you take the article as presented it becomes quite troubling. The talent is just not there with the high school recruits. In essence it states that we have become an A- or b+ school in recruiting talent, down from an A or A+. Perhaps the portal will help our cause in the future.
