How important is it for the University of Georgia football program to recruit and sign some of the top in-state talent found in the borders of the Peach State? Head coach Kirby Smart says Georgia is the number one recruiting state in the SEC and number two in the ACC at supplying those teams’ rosters with players.
 
 

“I think the opportunity that the young men in this state have to come to the University of Georgia, play for the state university, I think Thomas Davis has said it best, many times – why go anywhere else? You’ve got a chance to play for your state university, get a great education, one of the best educations in the country, and come here and do it at a special place that the people in your town root for most of the time. We provide that opportunity.

Not every kid will stay. We recognize that. It’s not really about that to me, as much as it is getting the right guys in the state, not just getting the top guys in the state. We’ve got to get the right guys that we need. We’ve got to be able to go outside the state when we need guys that the state doesn’t provide.

But this state is very fertile. It’s number one in supplying roster spots for the SEC teams. When it comes to the two-deep in the SEC, more kids are from the state of Georgia than anywhere. When you go to the ACC, two-deep rosters in the ACC, it’s second. This state is an extremely fertile state. We all know that. It’s more about the selection process for us and making sure we get the right kids and the right kind of kids.”