The main reason for the success of UGA coach Kirby Smart on the recruiting trail is his tireless work ethic.
If there’s an opportunity to be somewhere in front of elite recruiting targets, you can almost always expect Smart to be there.
On Sunday, Smart was a featured guest at a summer camp for Florida Tech, a NCAA Div. II football program located about 75 miles southeast of Orlando, Fla.
Why the Sunshine state? The state of Florida has been crucial to Smart’s recruiting success at UGA. This past year, the Bulldogs signed five prospects out of Florida: 5-star defensive end Nolan Smith (originally from Savannah, Ga.) of Brandenton, 4-star defensive back Tyrique Stevenson of Miami, 4-star linebacker Rian Davis of Apopka, 4-star running back Kenny McIntosh of Ft. Lauderdale, and 3-star tight end Brett Seither from Clearwater.
This year’s recruiting class is ranked No. 5 overall in the nation so far and has 11 commits – with three of them being from Florida: 4-star defensive tackle Jalen Carter of Apopka, 4-star quarterback Carson Beck of Jacksonville, 4-star defensive tackle Warren Brinson of Bradenton.
The Bulldogs are also top contenders for other elite prospects such as 4-star receiver Marcus Rosemy of Ft. Lauderdale, and 4-star offensive lineman Joshua Braun of Live Oak.
Wherever Kirby shows up, top recruits seem to follow. On Sunday, Jalen Carter, who committed to Georgia a couple of weeks ago, was at Florida Tech to spend time with his future college coach. More importantly, Smart was also able to observe numerous underclassmen from the area.
Under NCAA rules, college coaches are permitted to attend off-campus camps or “satellite camps” as guest instructors. The benefit for the coaches is to evaluate prospects who they may not normally see on the summer circuit.
