Kirby Smart doesn’t sugarcoat things. He never has, and he certainly wasn’t about to start when he met with the media to peek into the practice sessions of Georgia Bulldogs for the 2025 season. “Long way from good,” he said, stretching out the “o” in a way that made it clear exactly how he felt about what he was seeing. His tone? Agitated. His expression? That of a man who just watched his defense miss six tackles in a row. And yet, oddly enough, for all his frustration, there was an undercurrent of something else: “Optimism.”
If there was any doubt that Kirby Smart was displeased with his team’s early efforts, his blunt honesty erased it. Georgia coming off a tad successful season, Smart’s mind, they’re nowhere close to being ready to play the level of football that’s expected in Athens. That optimism had analysts scratching their heads, particularly Dawg Post’s Dean Legge and his guest, Ryan, who tried to make sense of it all. “I think part of that is just combating the negativity he brought to that press conference,” Ryan explained, acknowledging that Smart wasn’t just tired or annoyed—he was flat-out “ticked off.”
This wasn’t just a case of a coach having a bad day. Kirby Smart was sending a message. The energy in the room shifted when he started talking about what was missing, about how far this team had to go. But here’s the thing—he also knows exactly what he has. “He knows the players that he brought in. He went and sat in their living rooms when they were 16, 15, 17 years old.” And that confidence in his roster, despite the early struggles, is why he remains strangely upbeat.
Ryan went on to break down Smart’s mentality further, pointing out that this isn’t an unusual pattern for Georgia in the spring. “I think the optimism comes from, look, this is how it usually is at the beginning of the spring. It’s not a refined product quite yet. We’re not in Fall Camp, we’re not at the beginning of the season yet.” Translation? This is normal. The Bulldogs aren’t supposed to look sharp four practices in. Spring is about installation, development, and frankly, a whole lot of mistakes. Smart knows that. He knows what it takes to “write the ship” and “get these guys going.” And most importantly, he knows that the talent in the room is legitimate. “He wouldn’t have brought them in if he didn’t feel that way about them.”
That belief is crucial because these young Dawgs are in transition. The Stetson Bennett era saw the Bulldogs dominate college football, going 37-3 with two national championships. Then came Carson Beck, who kept the train rolling with a 24-4 record and an SEC title. But Beck is now in Miami, and what’s left behind is, well… unfinished. Smart’s assessment of his roster put it into perspective: “I asked the guys to stand up at least three spring practices, so this would be their fourth, there was basically nobody standing.” That wasn’t just a dramatic way of making a point—it was the reality. The Bulldogs are breaking in a staggering number of new faces.
Georgia’s 2025 recruiting class is massive, with 27 commits, many of whom are already on campus and battling for spots. Add in a wave of transfer portal additions, and suddenly, Smart is looking at a roster where roughly half the team is experiencing their first spring in Athens. That’s an unusual level of turnover for a program that has been a model of consistency under his leadership. But it also explains why he’s so blunt about their current state.
And that, at its core, is why Smart’s optimism isn’t misplaced. He’s been here before. He’s seen talented but inexperienced teams struggle in March, only to find their footing by September. He knows his coaching staff is among the best in the country, and he believes in their ability to develop this roster. After all, they have a 6’1″ potential Heisman candidate brewing up – Gunner Stockton.
“You heard him last week talk about how he has no doubt he is the best coaching staff in the country. I mean, he’s a confident person,” said Ryan. That confidence, while sometimes jarring when paired with his harsh critiques, is what makes Smart one of the best in the business. He demands perfection but understands the process.
Kirby Smart kept it real
Four practices in, and Kirby Smart didn’t hold a thing. The Georgia head coach had some blunt words about his team’s early progress—or lack thereof. Are they good kids? Absolutely. Are they talented? It’s Georgia, of course, they are. But according to Smart, the Bulldogs’ newcomers just aren’t ready to match the legendary intensity that defines Georgia’s practices.
“The older players might have 25 reps in a practice, they might have 20. But they can’t sustain their 20 reps throughout practice. They get really tired,” Smart explained. “There’s no lack of effort, and they’re talented, but they have a long way to go in terms of learning what to do.”
He didn’t stop there. While no specific names were mentioned, Smart hinted that some players aren’t just struggling physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. And when it comes to breakout performances? Not yet. “There’s not a guy out there just flourishing.”
Translation? It might be time for Kirby Smart’s Georgia to toughen up.
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