Kirby Smart praises linebackers’ mentality, makes pitch to recruits considering Georgia

Kirby Smart demands a lot from his Georgia Bulldogs. It comes with the territory of being an annual national champion contender.

But after last month’s G-Day Spring game, the 10th-year Georgia head coach revealed the three attributes that mean the most to him. He then identified the Bulldogs’ two young defenders that most epitomize them.

Smart raved about the “fire, passion and energy” he saw from sophomore inside linebackers Chris Cole and Justin Williams, two players that are vying for increased playing time in 2025. Williams led the Red Team with nine total tackles, three for loss, and a pass breakup in the G-Day game, while Cole added six solo tackles, including one for loss, and a pass breakup, also for the Red Team.

“I’m excited about Justin and Chris. There’s not two players on our team that play with more fire and passion and energy,” Smart said of Cole and Williams. “We talk about it all the time … show me your fire and passion and energy. They were having fun on the field, they enjoy each other, they compete, they love the game of football.”

It’s here where Smart turns his praise into a recruiting pitch.

“So if there’s anybody out there playing high school football that has fire, passion and energy that just loves the game, we’ve got a spot for you. Just come to Georgia, we’ll find a way to get you there,” Smart continued. “Fire, passion and energy pays off. It’s not the ratings or the stars or all those things. It really isn’t. It’s about the kids that want to play the games the most right now, and those are the ones that play the best. And those two guys personify that.”

Cole was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after registering 11 total tackles while appearing in all 14 games as a true freshman last season. Meanwhile, Williams totaled just two total tackles while appearing in 12 games last season. Both could see increased opportunities in 2025 following the departures of pass rushers Jalon Walker and Smael Mondon Jr. to the NFL this offseason.

David Pollack questions ‘who are Georgia’s dudes’ in 2025

Georgia has consistently been one of the best few teams in the country the past few seasons. However, for whatever reason like attrition or otherwise, David Pollack just doesn’t see it right now with the ‘Dawgs going into next season.

“Yeah, absolutely. I’m not putting Georgia in the top-five,” Pollack said on his See Ball Get Ball podcast last week. “Dude, like, I mean, Georgia? They, they lost a good bit. I mean, they, you talk about – yeah, I mean, that’s a lot of guys drafted from a team that, you know, Kirby said he did his best coaching job yet, like, just to keep them in order. I’m interested to watch them, man.”

The biggest issue for Pollack is he doesn’t know who Georgia’s “dudes” are.

“Here’s the thing. If you told me they had to fix one thing? … Let me ask you a question. Who are you depending on right now that you’re saying is an All-American for Georgia? Because I could have named five a year ago,” Pollack added. “Give it. Give it to me. Like, this is the first time, to me, going into a season where I’m, like, who are Georgia’s dudes? Like, who are the guys? Like, defensively, offensively?

“They just got so many places where I go, there’s a lot of holes. And, listen, do I know there’s talented guys on the roster? Yes. That’s why I’m talking about them in the Top 10 … But, no, I’m not. I can’t tell you what’s the position group, what’s the person, what’s the three of four people, like, that I’m attaching the Georgia season to that I know they’re going to be successful because I don’t see it. Like, I don’t know what it is.”

— On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report.