Three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Georgia Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year for 2017—yes, Kirby Smart’s house must be brimming with prestigious awards. He led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship, a Rose Bowl victory, and a national championship appearance, all within his second season. These feats are etched in history. But, you know what? Maybe it’s all because the Bulldogs’ head coach is remarkably forward-thinking.

When it comes to taking precautionary measures, Smart is unparalleled. It turns out he’s made a genius move, safeguarding the Bulldogs from the biggest problem currently plaguing the college football landscape.  

How Kirby Smart’s recruiting plan makes perfect sense

The Georgia Bulldogs have become one of the best college football programs in the nation at churning out NFL-ready offensive linemen. Smart’s program has produced eight offensive linemen over the past four years to be selected in the NFL Draft. This season there will be four empty seats as four offensive linemen are making their way to the pro league. Over the past years, Smart has signed a ton of offensive linemen. On March 14, on the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast, the host read out Smart’s plan of action for the upcoming days. 

Matt DeBary read out the Georgia HC’s quote, “We’ve got a lot of young offensive linemen who haven’t played who need to grow up and play.” Post which, Smart addressed the elephant in the room. That’s the shortage of high-quality offensive linemen in college football, which has a domino effect in the NFL as well. “To be honest with you, it’s a problem across the NFL where they just don’t have enough offensive linemen. I know nobody in the country right now in college football is saying, ‘well, we’ve got enough offensive linemen. we’re good.’” Now for the ones who criticized Smart for over-recruiting the position, you know the deal.

Last season the Bulldogs had seven offensive linemen signees, including Daniel Calhoun, Michael Uini, and Marcus Harrison, among others. The analyst gave kudos to Smart for his bold move. “There’s a reason why George is trying to sign six, sometimes seven, offensive linemen in each class. Not only do you have to find those guys who were good enough to play and start make an impact, but you have to have depth, and we saw that last year, right?”

Last year, Georgia’s offensive line was plagued by injuries. Earnest Greene III, Xavier Truss, and Tate Ratledge, among others, all faced setbacks. However, Smart capitalized on the situation, “mixing and matching some of the offensive linemen throughout the season” due to their depth. Despite this, the Bulldogs averaged 124.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 102nd nationally—a new low for the Kirby Smart era. Georgia also surrendered 25.0 sacks, the most in a single season under Smart, though the 2016 and 2020 offensive lines had higher per-game averages.

Now, the Bulldogs must replace four starters from that beleaguered offensive line. Truss exhausted his eligibility, while Tate Ratledge, Jared Wilson, and Dylan Fairchild all declared for the NFL draft. That’s a significant loss of experience for a position group that could be Georgia’s biggest concern heading into 2025. To address these voids, DeBary noted, “obviously through recruiting at the high school level. It’s not really a position where you wanna go out and hit the portal and Kirby Smart alluded to that as well.” Fortunately, there’s some good news for Georgia fans regarding their offensive line.

Smart and Co. take the plunge as the 2026 recruiting cycle heats up 

The 2026 recruiting cycle is in full swing, and Smart and Co. may be just two weeks away from their next commitment. Their last commitment came on January 30th, when top 100 safety Zech Fort officially joined Georgia, but there has been relative quiet since then. Now, who will break that silence? Zyon Guiles, a rising four-star interior offensive line recruit from South Carolina.

The athlete has been a long-time target for Smart and his team. It seems the head coach may finally find some resolution. Guiles has announced his commitment date for March 20th. Notably, the Bulldogs have made his top seven list, from which the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class will choose his next home.

The race is shaping up to be tight. Kirby Smart will compete against Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Clemson, and South Carolina. However, the real battle is likely between the Big Three: Georgia, South Carolina, and Clemson. This is because Guiles has visited these three schools significantly more than any others. Even if he commits elsewhere, Georgia still has an official visit scheduled with him this summer. Will the Bulldogs’ offensive line get a boost, or will Kirby Smart face a significant miss?