Nolan Smith explains why Georgia's dominance will continue under Kirby Smart

Georgia has taken the top spot in the college football world over the last few seasons. In seven years down in Athens, Kirby Smart has helped the Bulldogs to reach new heights with five double-digit win seasons, three national championship appearances, and two national titles.

Still, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Bulldogs is how long they can reasonably keep this run going? They’ve gone 29-1, won an SEC Championship, and brought home both their banners from the CFP all over the last two years. At some point, it’s reasonable to expect it won’t look as easy, right?

Wrong. According to Nolan Smith, the roots that run within Smart’s program are so deep that he says there’s an uncommon connection within their locker room. From staff to players and every spot in between, Smith says that it helps to unite them in a way that has allowed their team to dominate the sport as of late.

“When he talks to you, he’s real. He’s open,” said Smith in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show. “The connection piece is real. You feel connected to him not only as your coach but to your whole coaching staff. All 10 members of the staff.”

“We all try to pull in the same direction. And that’s for the G,” Smith said.

Again, there’s no questioning the supremacy that’s been put on display by Georgia in 2021 and 2022. They’ve won their 29 games by an average margin of 27.7 points. That stretch includes a 16-0 mark versus conference opponents. That also includes an 11-1 record against ranked competition with the only loss coming in last season’s SEC Championship to Alabama that they later avenged in the College Football Playoff.

Still, even with all their production, Smith says the bond down between the hedges is what really had led to Georgia’s elite success as of late. With Smart in place for years to come too, that fact doesn’t seem as though it’ll be changing any time soon either.

Kiper sees teams falling in love with Nolan Smith during NFL Draft process

Former Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith has shot up draft boards since his impressive performance in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. Reminding folks what he’s capable of, Smith ran the fastest and jumped the highest of players at his position.

With that in mind, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projected Smith to be picked No. 12 overall in his most recent mock draft by the Houston Texans. He thinks new head coach DeMecco Ryans could see some of himself in Smith. If he gets past the Texans, though, there’s another team Kiper has in mind as a perfect fit.

“You’ve got a fast rising player in Nolan Smith, the linebacker from Georgia who I have going No. 12 to Houston. He’s a guy I think DeMecco Ryans will look at him and say, ‘I see myself in Nolan Smith’, as a foundation piece on defense as a linebacker for the Houston Texans,” Kiper said. “I think Nolan Smith is a guy Bill Belichick will love. He’s so smart. He’s 6-foot-2, 238 pounds, he ran 4.39 at the Combine, he had a 41.5-inch vertical. Those are incredible numbers, then you say, ‘What does he do on the field?’ Well he impacts the game in a variety of ways.”

“That’s what’s impressive to me. He’s a good tackler in the open field in space. He gets after the quarterback. He had 8 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks. Now, that sack number’s not great, but he showed he could do it. He forced three fumbles, he gets interceptions, and, like I said, he’s so smart,” said Kiper. “I thought for Houston at 12, DeMecco Ryans will see a lot of himself in Nolan Smith. I think that would be a guy at No. 12 to Houston. Or No. 14 to New England. That would be a guy they would consider in Nolan Smith.”