The post-season is upon us. And boy, it’s getting chilly and intense at the same time! Recruitments are already underway. Offers will be made, transfers will happen, and coaches will leave no stone unturned to land those lucrative 5-star players. But, amidst all that noise, it seems that the Georgia Bulldogs head coach, Kirby Smart, has already got a trick up his sleeve.

Well, the Bulldogs and Kirby Smart are in a luxury position right now if their past financial reports are to be believed. For instance, the Athletic Department of the University of Georgia saw a significant increase in its total revenue, which stands at almost $203 million in 2022. This takes them to the fifth rank in revenue generation in the country. But, things look more clear when you consider their expenditure of 169 million dollars. Ranking them tenth nationally in expenses. This essentially leaves a huge chunk of $34 million left for Kirby to manage, and at a financial advantage compared to other teams like Bill Belichick‘s North Carolina Tar Heels. But, why the comparison between both the coaches? Well, we’re getting to that.

The most important aspect in both the coaches’ recruitment exploits is the prospect of signing one of the No. 1 linebackers in the country right now. Yes, it’s none other than the prized prodigy Tyler Atkinson. He is currently ranked 7th overall in 247Sports player rankings. Atkinson, if successfully signs up for the Bulldogs, will be able to join in the 2026 batch. And, in quest of Atkinson, Kirby Smart also isn’t leaving any opportunity to showcase those 200 million coffers. Let’s see what Kirby actually did.

Well, the Bulldogs coach visited Tyler’s high school in Loganville, Georgia, in order to assess him and potentially convince him to join his camp. But, the most astonishing part was his manner of arrival, when he flew in on a helicopter in the middle of Tyler’s high school ground. It’s safe to assume that this level of persuasion could actually go a long way in persuading Atkinson to join.

Well, Atkinson has got offers from virtually every major college football team including Bill Belichick’s UNC. But, right now, maybe Tyler has a soft corner for the Bulldogs. As he said to On3 when asked about his recruitment choices, “It’s all love for Georgia“. Love or not, one thing is clear Bill Belichick will need a lot more to convince him to join his team at this point. But, how are Belichick and Kirby Smart faring with their recruitment overall?

How the recruitment is fairing up

Well, the legendary coach Bill Belichick has also been actively pursuing his recruitment targets. He visited high schools in Bergen County and Passaic County. The Bergen Catholic coach commented on his visit and said, “We chopped it up for almost an hour. He talked to the kids about the standard (at UNC) and he really appreciates winning pedigree. He has a no-flinch mentality and we talked a lot about the IMG Academy (FL) game (from Week 0). I was surprised at how easy he was to talk to“. Belchick’s visits also carry a big influence as he himself is a legend in his own right and holds a tremendous persuasion pedigree.

As for Kirby Smart, he is leaving no strings unpulled and trying hard to land Tyler Atkinson. That is evident from the fact that the player has visited the Bulldogs almost 20 times since middle school. And with the offer Georgia officially made in 2022, it can well be an easy decision for Tyler Smart to eventually make.