As much as Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart found himself in a soup, he knows how to get out of it. While he still struggles with the “problematic culture” tag, the Coach comes up with a new way to claim the spotlight. He is rising to fame by gaining the attention of five-star recruits like Jackson Cantwell. And what’s the flex? It’s the “no dollar flex” for Smart when all his rival teams have to offer the players are NIL deals. But that didn’t stop the five-star recruit Cantwell from obsessing over Georgia. More than the money, what allured him was the Bulldogs’ dynasty, as confirmed by an insider. 

The offensive tackle out of Missouri, Cantwell is all that every program wants. He boasts the nickname “Mr. Olympics,” being the son of former USA Olympian Christian and Teri (Steer) Cantwellsince. Thus, he has the DNA every coach dreams of. And guess what, this time, it’s both ways. As much as Smart is interested in landing Cantwell, the player has gone all head over heels since he visited Athens in March this year. But what stood out for the player? As confirmed by the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast host, “He [Cantwell] said Coach Smart is a proven winner who has built a college football dynasty and the number four player in the country for the 2026 class believes that Kirby Smart has a dynasty developing in Athens.”

Smart gained the player’s trust by standing out of the crowd. The host was in no denial that the Bulldogs’ rivals Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Missouri all are doing well in their ways. But they follow the same strategy of a paycheck or NIL-powered perks. 

Here’s where Smart makes a grand entrance. He adheres to a “no dollar flex” blueprint. His only focus is on crafting champions, not just cashing in. “He knows Georgia well and I said what’s their pitch to you how are they trying to get you on board? He said, “Their general pitch is that they develop players at all their positions, especially on the offensive line and I fit their blueprint perfectly of someone who could come play tackle for them”,” confirmed the host. Here’s what strategy Smart whips up for the Bulldogs hood this season.

Smart stays on track by prioritizing detail and a demanding camp

The Dawgs spent the offseason ranked No. 1 on most early lists and will likely strongly impact the preseason Top 25. Is there anything different that Smart would like to focus on this year? Probably not. “Just like we do every year. Attention to detail. Not letting anything slack. We are going to go attack our camp the same way we always have. We are going to be really physical,” confirmed Smart.

However, the HC is very well aware of how the expanded College Football Playoff brings an added wrinkle with two additional match-ups on the road to a national championship. And how is Smart going to cope with it? The HC’s plan is, “We are going to create some adversity in camp and make it hard on them so we have a resilient team.”

Now that Smart and Company are in a hot tub for an alleged problematic culture and one after the other players get arrested, all the HC wants his players to do is do their best and not let external factors break their morale. Smart has already won the players’ hearts without winning by playing it big and not buying their attention.