Kirby Smart’s mind was still on practice when he addressed the media about Wednesday’s first day of the early signing period.

But the 18 signees Georgia reeled in today brought his thoughts back around to recruiting.

“It’s been an interesting day, to say the least,” Smart said of his class, currently ranked No. 1 nationally by Rivals. “We’re excited about the guys who decided to join us and overall we’re excited about the class. There’s still some areas we need to address and hopefully we’ll be able to do that in the next few days or in January.”

Topping the list for the Bulldogs was a sextet of five-stars, led by quarterback Justin Fields, the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat quarterback. Five-star running backs Zamir White and James Cook will join Fields in the backfield.

A pair of five-star offensive linemen and one high-four at the same position will be opening the holes.

Shortly after four-star Trey Hill signed, five-star Jamaree Salyer made it official by picking Georgia over Clemson, setting the stage for another five-star lineman – Cade Mays of Knoxville - to do likewise.

Georgia also signed four-star Warren Ericson and three-star Owen Condon, signifying one of the Bulldogs' most impressive offensive line hauls in recent memory.

“I just fell in love with Athens when I went there,” Mays told ESPNU. “Coach Smart has the program going in the right direction, and I have a great relationship with Coach (Sam) Pittman. They really treated me like family and this is where I want to call home for the next four years.”

Five-star defensive end Adam Anderson rounded out the Bulldogs’ five-star haul.

Georgia’s take also includes a bevy of top four-star talent, led by defensive end Brenton Cox, wide receiver Kearis Jackson, tight end John FitzPatrick, defensive end Azeez Ojulari, cornerback Christopher Smith and defensive back Daviid Wilson.

Smart also welcomed four-star defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt back into the fold after playing this past season at Hutchinson Community College. Wyatt is practicing with the team but won’t play in the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma.

Georgia wasn't done.

Later Wednesday afternoon, word came that four-star defensive back Nadab Joseph was switching his commitment from Alabama, which he did by signing with the Bulldogs. Later, the Bulldogs received a commitment from four-star linebacker Channing Tindall, the No. 2 player in South Carolina and 144th-ranked player in the Rivals250. However, it is unclear whether he intends to sign early or in February.

Georgia also signed three-star placekicker Jake Camarda, the nation’s No. 3 kicker according to Rivals.

The Bulldogs still have verbal commitments from Jordan Davis, Tramel Walthour and Rachad Wildgoose, and are in the picture for landing four-star tight end Luke Ford, among others.

“The guys who are left are being recruited by all the top programs,” Smart said. “So, there’s going to be some guys that we will still have to go after. We can’t relax and say ‘Hey, we’re done.’ We’ve got work to get in the recruiting. Fortunately, we’ve got time to do it.”

Smart cracked a wry smile and chuckled quietly when asked his thoughts on fans who last spring expressed concern about the program’s supposed slow recruiting start.

He certainly wasn’t worried.

“I heard that everywhere I went to speak, there was always all that concern, but we were never concerned,” Smart said. “I said repeatedly to people where I spoke, 'Don’t worry about that, we’re working on us, we’re working internally in our organization and the development of our team.' If you take care of your team and what’s inside your house then what’s outside of your house will do well. We played well, people saw the success we had and they saw a lot of the games we played, and they wanted to be part of that.”

Georgia's highly ranked newcomers are now part of the family.

“Regardless of where they’re rated, regardless of how many stars they’ve got, they’re ours,” Smart said. “Our job now is to develop them both on and off the field and we’re excited about this group to do it. I know people get all excited about winning the recruiting war. I really care nothing about that. I care so much more about how they behave, how they learn, how they grow and how we grow them when they get here.”