There’s not a lot that shocks head coach Kirby Smart when it comes to college football anymore.
That includes the seemingly spur-of-the-moment decisions recruits can sometimes make when choosing the schools of their choice.
This is a subject Smart has become quite familiar with, especially at quarterback.
Over the last month, the Bulldogs have gone from having Dylan Raiola flip to Nebraska, followed last week by former UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava’s flip to Southern Cal, not 24 hours after announcing he was coming to Georgia.
During an interview last week on 92.9 games, Smart was asked if those kinds of decisions weighed on his mind.
“No, not really. Nothing really surprises me anymore. You just go with the flow,” Smart said. “It’s who can adapt the best. You take the information you’re given, and you take the opportunity to get players that you’re given and make the most of it. That’s what we’ve done.”
The cupboard is far from bare.
The fact Carson Beck is coming back for a senior season qualifies as huge news.
So too, does the fact that Gunner Stockton received some valuable experience by playing the entire second half of the Orange Bowl, while true freshman Ryan Puglisi made an early impression during the team’s two practice sessions in Miami before the game.
“I thought that Puglisi had a very good set of bowl practices when we got to see him firsthand and go out and the quarterback against the defense,” Smart said. “Gunner, I thought, got valuable experience in terms of entering the game and to go play. That’s big.”
In a perfect world, Smart would still like to add a quarterback to his room, stating several times his preference to have four scholarships at the position available.
The pickings, however, appear slim.
On Rivals’ Transfer Tracker, the highest-rated available is former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers. However, Rogers is a senior with just one year of eligibility remaining and likely wants to have a chance at the starting job. That won’t happen at Georgia.
After that, you have to go all the way down to the No. 22 quarterback – Arizona’s Jayden De Laura – who has announced his intention to enter the portal but has yet to officially do so.
But that does not mean Smart will stop looking.
“You’re always looking to add depth to that room,” he said.
