What Kirby Smart’s history tells us about Georgia’s recruiting change

As colleague Jeff Sentell pointed out, 3-star recruits make up a larger percentage of Georgia’s recruiting class than ever before.

It speaks to the recent change in Georgia’s recruiting philosophy as coach Kirby Smart and company navigate exploding roster costs.

Of the Bulldogs’ 17 commitments at the moment, 10 are 3-star recruits, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Individual recruit rankings will change between now and the conclusion of the 2027 recruiting cycle, but in the event Georgia finishes with that many 3-star recruits, it would be the most in a single recruiting class signed by Smart.

Georgia has grown accustomed to sitting atop the national recruiting rankings since Smart became the program’s head coach. The Bulldogs signed a top five class for nine consecutive cycles from 2017 through 2025. The 2016 and 2026 recruiting classes finished ranked No. 6 in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

The 2027 recruiting class sits 14th.

The Bulldogs also have grown accustomed to signing the best prospects under Smart. Recruiting high school talent at an elite level has always been a key tenet of Smart’s Georgia program.

That often means only a handful of 3-star prospects per class. From 2016 through 2026, the Bulldogs signed 49 non-specialist 3-star recruits. That’s an average of 4.5 per cycle.

The previous high-water mark for 3-star prospects in a class for Georgia came in 2016 and 2022, when the Bulldogs signed seven in each cycle. Both of those classes faced distinct challenges, with 2016 being cobbled together in just under two months after Smart was hired as Georgia’s football coach.

The 2022 class dealt with changes to the recruiting calendar stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, with visits limited.

Despite the struggles, both of those classes still produced productive players for the Bulldogs. The 2016 haul included instant contributors for Smart like running back Brian Herrien. Wide receiver Tyler Simmons and defensive lineman David Marshall were also 3-star prospects in Smart’s first signing class.

While 3-star prospects are not the flashiest or most-hyped additions, several have gone on to become vitally important pieces at Georgia.

Among those who arrived at Georgia as 3-star recruits are defensive tackle Jordan Davis, wide receiver Ladd McConkey and quarterback Stetson Bennett. Davis was the senior leader of the fabled 2021 Georgia defense, while Bennett was a Heisman Trophy finalist and two-time national champion.

After stellar college careers, all three became NFL draft picks. Smart has consistently been able to turn 3-star recruits into NFL draft picks, thus outperforming their recruiting rankings.

Eight of the 27 3-star recruits who have finished their collegiate careers have been drafted. Davis and Eric Stokes were first-round picks, while McConkey and Javon Bullard turned into second-round selections.

Every signing class from 2016 through 2021 features at least one 3-star prospect who became an NFL draft pick. Drew Bobo has a chance to extend that streak this coming year for Georgia. He’s expected to be one of the best offensive linemen in the country despite being the No. 664 overall player in his recruiting class.

Not every 3-star prospect, though, finishes their careers like Davis or Bennett. Of the 49 3-star prospects to sign with Georgia, 20 would finish their careers elsewhere. If you remove the signing classes from 2024 through 2026, it’s 20 out of 36 players, good for a 55% rate of attrition.

Georgia has made an increased effort to retain players in this current era of roster management. As more data becomes available, it’ll be interesting to see how the rate of 3-star transfer prospects compares to that of 5-star and 4-star prospects.

Of the 46 5-star prospects Georgia has signed since 2016, only 12 have finished their careers elsewhere so far. That’s an attrition rate of 26%. All 22 5-star prospects who finished their careers at Georgia have been drafted to this point.

For as much has been made of 3-star prospects and what it means for Georgia, much of it to this point has been limited to the 2027 recruiting class. Even with only two top 50-overall signees in the 2026 recruiting class, Georgia was tied with Notre Dame for the most blue-chip prospects signed last cycle.

During spring practice, offensive lineman Zykie Helton quickly established himself during practice. The 3-star prospect earned the start at right guard during the team’s spring game.

“We have 14 practices to decide who started every position,” Smart said following G-Day. “So, we put the guys out there that practice and play the best. I mean, he earned that.”

Helton already looks like the next great 3-star find for the Bulldogs.

The current recruiting class likely will have at least one of those diamonds in the rough, and possibly more. Others could end up ascending into being higher-ranked prospects, which Lincoln Keyes and Blake Stewart ended up doing last cycle.