When Houston Texas coach DeMeco Ryans stepped to the microphone a few weeks ago to answer a question about former Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter, he paid Kirby Smart’s program one of the biggest compliments possible.

If Smart’s recruiting staff sought a promotional video explaining why they should choose the Bulldogs, this was it.

"For Kamari, you can tell he's built for this," said Ryans. "Like when it comes to the mental toughness piece that plays a lot into being a good football player, you have to be mentally tough, you have to have that next play mentality and at Georgia, Kirby has done a great job you can tell of raising them the right way. Kirby has done a great job with all of his guys.”

Ryans' comments come as no surprise.

When NFL scouts come to Athens, they remark regularly to Smart how much differently his Bulldogs prepare than other programs.

Georgia’s focus on team defense, convincing players that quality reps can outweigh any individual numbers a player is apt to receive is another.

“We sell that. I mean, we sell the use of our personnel and the playing of our players. We sell it immensely. People try to sell against it, but all you got to do is talk to one NFL person. They'll tell you that they'd much rather have quality over quantity,” Smart said. “They'd much rather judge you on the plays you play. And they'd much rather you be training at Georgia than anywhere else. So, there's not a lot to argue in regard to that.”

Take the 2022 NFL Draft, for example.

Georgia set a draft record with an all-time high 15 players chosen in what’s now a seven-round draft.

Of that group, Travon Walker went No. 1 to the Jacksonville Jaguars, despite having modest statistics his junior year with 37 tackles and six sacks.

“I think the ‘22 draft was just an exceptional group of defensive players. who were all at one time here. And, yeah, we use that. It's a great sell,” Smart said. “But regardless of if ‘22 happened we would still have the same defensive philosophy. You need depth. You need players. You need a lot of guys who can play winning football. If you can prove to us you can play winning football, you'll be on the field. You'll get an opportunity to put on tape what you can do. It's not about stats. They (the NFL) could care less about stats.”

Sophomore linebacker Raylen Wilson took notice.

Wilson was committed to Michigan, before giving Georgia another look.

“I was committed to Michigan and it really made me open my eyes to what I really wanted in the long run,” Wilson said. “The developing part is different.”

Right tackle Xavier Truss will attest to that.

Although players have transferred out of Georgia’s program for different reasons, many over playing time, Truss said he stuck around because the development he was receiving was something he didn’t feel he would receive anywhere else.

“I’ve been here six years so if I wanted to transfer it would have been a while ago. I was here waiting my turn and there was no need for me to go,” said Truss. “This was the only place I wanted to come back and grow.”

For NFL coaches like Ryans, Georgia’s philosophy on development is why you annually see all 32 teams in Athens for Pro Day.

“Having them NFL ready to go is one thing you see from Georgia year after year since he has been there, like, those guys are plug and play type players, and it's a credit to him and his program and how they run things there,” Ryans said. “You get a Georgia guy you know you're getting an NFL player."