When a recruit decides where he wants to play football, a lot goes into the decision. However, there always seems to be one thing in common with that decision. They all want to play in the NFL eventually, and the sooner, the better. That is the ultimate goal for a recruit, and he must choose the best path to get there. The success of a program has a lot to do with what caliber of an athlete decides to go there. But young teams like Georgia also have an advantage when it comes to recruiting.

What Georgia has to offer is the ability for athletes to come in and play early. The Dawgs are a growing team with different areas in need of some depth and young talent. The topic of whether the team’s struggles would hinder landing recruits came up during Coach Kirby Smarts Monday press conference. Smart was confident  as he thinks it’s more about the opportunities for the players rather the school’s record.

“I don’t think there is any question. It’s an opportunity because I talk with kids constantly and that’s what they see it as. I think that it’s important you know to use that and they believe in that,” Smart said.

The decision isn’t always about the records, but about how the player can contribute the most. The most successful teams had to start somewhere because they were not always on top. They used the opportunity card to convince players they can be successful there. A great example is sophomore Deandre Baker and his journey to choose Georgia.

Baker, a Miami native, was sough out by many Division 1 schools through out his high school career.  In an interview on Tuesday, Baker gave some insight as to why he chose Georgia.

“I got a lot of attention from local schools, but they already had a lot of DB’s and everything, so it was best that I came to Georgia,” Baker said.

He chose the better opportunity for himself rather than just choosing a local school. Choosing opportunity over other aspects is what Smart was talking about, taking the opportunity when it presents itself. And Georgia certainly has opportunities for those prospects wanting to come in and compete.