Nobody’s more driven to prove their hecklers wrong than Georgia Bulldogs’ head coach Kirby Smart. And now he’s got another one for his bulletin board. Those 14 Dawgs in Indy for the 2025 NFL Combine yesterday? That’s his proof. The tide’s turning, and guess who’s leading the charge? The Atlanta Falcons, a franchise that has long overlooked Bulldogs in the draft! The Falcons seem to be taking notice, as their GM Terry Fontenot was on hand at the Combine, and he confirmed that his staff had been meeting with several Dawgs prospects. For most programs, that wouldn’t be headline-worthy. But when it comes to Georgia and the Falcons, this shift signals something bigger than just pre-draft scouting.

Historically, the Falcons have been hesitant to draft Bulldogs early, even with elite talent sitting right in their backyard, a mile from their facility in Flowery Branch, GA. On UGA Football on Dawg Post, insiders pointed out the glaring trend, stating, “The thing is, the Falcons don’t typically take Georgia players towards the top of the draft, even though we know some of them, namely Jalen Carter, players like that, could have been really helpful for the Falcons program. Hour and a half away, maybe not even that far when you’re talking about the practice facility. It’s easy to access these players, yet they don’t really take them, and it’d be really helpful for them.” The irony is hard to ignore—Georgia has been an NFL factory under Kirby Smart, producing some of the league’s best young talent, yet the Falcons have often looked elsewhere. But if Fontenot’s presence at the Combine is any indication, that may be changing.

So what’s driving this sudden shift? It’s not just Georgia’s ability to recruit top-tier athletes. It’s the way the program shapes them once they step on campus. The Bulldogs don’t just produce great players—they develop professionals. As one of the insiders said, “Georgia is one of these places where the attention to detail, the wanting to be a part of something bigger than yourself, the brotherhood, the connection, all of those little things matter on top of just recruiting,” and honestly, that’s the vibe that makes them the Parthenon of college football. Georgia’s culture is built on the little things that separate good teams from championship programs.

As Dawg Post insiders put it, “They are an incredibly detailed program. For me, in my view, that’s what separates Georgia from everybody else—that’s what it is.” That sentiment isn’t just coming from media analysts, either. Last year, after the Houston Texans drafted Kamari Lassiter, both head coach DeMeco Ryans and the front office took note of what made him different. “I can’t remember if it was DeMeco Ryans or the GM, but they were both complimenting Georgia, and one of them said that no one develops these guys better than Kirby Smart does.”

That level of praise doesn’t happen by accident. The Bulldogs’ program is designed to churn out not just elite athletes but complete football players—students of the game who understand the mental and physical grind of the next level. Former Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks echoed that sentiment at the Combine, reinforcing what NFL teams are starting to recognize. Smart’s emphasis on accountability, technique, and player development ensures that when his guys arrive at the next level, they’re ready to contribute immediately.

That’s what we all saw: the Dawgs loading up and winning the Super Bowl 59 for the Philadelphia Eagles. For Kirby Smart, this moment is just another validation of the program he’s built. He thrives on proving people wrong and on using every doubter as fuel for his team. The fact that NFL executives, including those who once passed on Georgia talent, are now vocal about the program’s excellence speaks volumes.

So, while the Combine is about individual prospects, this week in Indy represented something transformative for Georgia football.

Kirby Smart’s players vouch for him

When Kirby Smart’s players are his biggest hype-men, you know he’s doing something right. And with 14 Dawgs at the Combine, one of them definitely spoke up. Malaki Starks had plenty to say when asked about his collegiate experience, particularly when it came to the elite coaching staff that shaped his development. And for Starks, it wasn’t just about the physical grind or learning the X’s and O’s—it was about mastering the mental game.

“They just teach you so much,” Starks explained. “It’s not just about being physical or the X’s and O’s. They really teach you part of the mental game as well. I think that’s the biggest thing, because you can’t get on the field until they trust you.”

At Georgia, talent alone doesn’t guarantee playing time—trust and football IQ do. Starks emphasized how sitting in those meetings and absorbing knowledge from an all-star coaching staff helped elevate his game. “Just being able to learn and sit in those meetings, they have so many great coaches—Will Muschamp, T-Rob, Coach Smart. There’s so many guys that really, really teach football,” he added.

For Starks, Georgia wasn’t just a program—it was a football masterclass led by some of the best minds in the game. And that’s just a nod to what we spoke earlier that makes Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs more than a powerhouse year after year.