Latest news with #KirbySmart
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Business
- Reuters
Minkah Fitzpatrick's brother, No. 3 CB prospect, commits to Georgia
June 4 - Justice Fitzpatrick, a four-star cornerback in the Class of 2026 and the younger brother of NFL star Minkah Fitzpatrick, committed to play for Georgia on Tuesday. The younger Fitzpatrick is considered the No. 3 cornerback in his class and No. 47 overall prospect by the 247Sports composite rankings. Justice Fitzpatrick, who attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., chose the Bulldogs over finalists Florida, Texas, Miami and Ohio State. He is 6 feet, 0 1/2 inches and 185 pounds. Before leading Georgia to back-to-back national championships, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart was the defensive coordinator at Alabama, where he overlapped with Minkah Fitzpatrick. Minkah Fitzpatrick played three seasons for the Crimson Tide and won two national championships in Tuscaloosa before the Miami Dolphins made him the 11th pick of the 2018 draft. The safety is currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time first-team All-Pro. --Field Level Media
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Where Mark Richt, Kirby Smart rank among the 2000s top college football coaches
Where Mark Richt, Kirby Smart rank among the 2000s top college football coaches The Athletic released their top 25 coaches of the 21st century and the Georgia Bulldogs had two of their three coaches from the 21st century earn spots on the list. Georgia coaches have garnered 258 wins since 2000, the fifth most wins of any team in the nation behind Oklahoma, Boise State, Alabama and Ohio State. That's not to mention the amount of drafted players Georgia has had in the 21st century. Both of Georgia's highly-ranked coaches (Mark Richt and Kirby Smart) have ushered in eras of impressive growth and domination. Where Georgia Bulldogs coaches rank in The Athletic's top 25: Record: 145-51 Richt was hired by the Georgia Bulldogs after six stellar seasons as Florida State's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He took a Georgia team struggling to meet expectations and while he never made a national championship with Georgia, he raised the expectations tremendously. In 2007, the Bulldogs finished as the No. 2 team in the country, and in 2012, they were only five yards and potentially one play away from winning the SEC and going to the national championship. It's a shame he only coached with Georgia for two years of the College Football Playoff era. He also earned props for his time at Miami, coaching the Hurricanes to two top-20 finishes and the No. 2 ranking at one point in 2017. "The only thing holding Richt's resume back was never winning the Big One," said Chris Vannini of the Athletic. Accomplishments: Two SEC championships, eight top-10 finishes, four BCS/NY6 appearances, 18 bowl games No. 4: Kirby Smart (2016-present) Record: 109-19 It speaks to how good Kirby Smart is that the odds are in his favor to reach 100 wins in his tenure before reaching 20 losses. Kirby is the highest active coach on this list for good reason. In just eight years with Georgia, he transformed the team from perennial teases to championship contenders. He led Georgia to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, which is an unbelievable feat considering the history of Georgia Bulldogs football and Georgia sports in general. His biggest flaw as a coach was usually failing to win against his old team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and his old coach, Nick Saban. However, Smart got the best of Saban in the 2021 national championship, officially cementing him as one of the best coaches of not just the 21st century, but all time. Smart is ranked behind just Pete Carroll (No. 3), Urban Meyer (No. 2) and Nick Saban (No. 1).
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fans Left Speechless by Updated ESPN FPI College Football Rankings
Fans Left Speechless by Updated ESPN FPI College Football Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 college football season may still be a few months away, but ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) has been updated for the first time since last season ended. Advertisement The FPI is a computer model that considers various factors, including talent level, schedule and how teams finished last season, along with others that won't apply until Week 1, such as on-field performance, offensive and defensive efficiency and strength of record. Eight of the top 12 teams in the latest FPI are programs that made last season's College Football Playoff, and all but two finished in the top 25 of the final AP Poll. Georgia Bulldogs Football Head Coach Kirby Smart© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Here's the new top 25 for ESPN's FPI going into next season. Texas Longhorns Georgia Bulldogs Alabama Crimson Tide Ohio State Buckeyes Penn State Nittany Lions Oregon Ducks Notre Dame Fighting Irish Texas A&M Aggies Miami Hurricanes Tennessee Volunteers Clemson Tigers LSU Tigers Ole Miss Rebels Auburn Tigers South Carolina Gamecocks Oklahoma Sooners Michigan Wolverines Florida Gators USC Trojans SMU Mustangs Kansas State Wildcats Arkansas Razorbacks Missouri Tigers Arizona State Sun Devils Nebraska Cornhuskers Once the top 25 was updated, fans were quick to react on social media, with many left speechless over how high Alabama was ranked after finishing 9-4 and the number of SEC teams included. Advertisement "Absolutely no reason for Bama to be in the top 5," a fan said. "FPI never fails to provide comedy for the day," another wrote. "SEC with 10 of the top 16 teams is absolute comedy," added another. "Wow Bama at number 3," one fan added. "Why are UGA and Bama top 5 lmao ESPN is selling out for the SEC," a fan said. "computer generated FPI doesn't know ball confirmed," one said. Related: Florida QB DJ Lagway Unveils Exciting New NIL Deal Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kirby Smart, Georgia Reportedly Made a Move To Steal 5-Star WR Away From Alabama
Kirby Smart, Georgia Reportedly Made a Move To Steal 5-Star WR Away From Alabama originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With spring football fading further into the rearview mirror, the attention of college football coaches and their staff turns squarely toward recruiting. From May 29 to June 22, it is a quiet period, meaning in-person recruiting contacts are permitted if they occur on the team's campus. Advertisement The Georgia Bulldogs are aiming to build upon a highly successful 2025 recruiting class, which finished second overall according to On3, with another impressive class brewing for 2026. UGA head coach Kirby Smart is reportedly using every tactic at his disposal in the pursuit of five-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan. The country's No. 15 player and No. 2 wide receiver, per On3, has been considered an Alabama lean. But Georgia has been trying to shift his recruitment in their favor, according to DawgsHQ's Rusty Mansell. Georgia wide receiver coach James Coley has been making a lot of visits with Morgan this offseason. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver was recently in Athens, Georgia, and on campus for an official visit with the Bulldogs. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Many college football analysts felt the big piece missing from the Bulldogs last season was a lack of playmakers on offense. With the NFL draft departures of wide receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers after the 2023 season, the Bulldogs took a step back statistically. Advertisement In 2023, with Bowers and McConkey, Georgia finished fifth in total offense (496.5 yards per game). In 2024, they dropped down to 51st (405.4 yards per game). Among their 2025 recruiting class, per On3, Georgia added Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour, two four-star tight ends. They also received five commitments from wide receivers and added three more via the transfer portal. The 2026 recruiting class will run through February of next year, but UGA is already putting in work with a four-star commitment at tight end and two more four-star commits at wide receiver. A player of Morgan's caliber would be a big coup for the Bulldogs. On3 has Morgan with a 92.8% prediction to Alabama and less than 1% to Georgia. Advertisement Last season, as a junior at Benjamin Russell (AL), Morgan caught 70 passes for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns. Related: Fans Outraged Over The Latest Preseason College Football Playoff Predictions Related: Ryan Williams Reveals Conversation With Jeremiah Smith During College Football 26 Cover Shoot This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Highly Touted Playmaker Sends Message on Georgia Football
Highly Touted Playmaker Sends Message on Georgia Football originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Georgia Bulldogs officially made the final three schools on one four-star wide receiver's list before the weekend. That wideout continued to rave about the Bulldogs over the weekend. Advertisement Four-star receiver Brandon Bennett began an official visit to Georgia on May 30. Just before the visit, he announced the Bulldogs, Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles were his final three programs. The receiver also spoke highly of Georgia while talking to On3. 'Georgia makes me feel like a priority for sure, me and coach (James) Coley text really often, he's come down to my school a couple of times,' Bennett told On3's Jeremy Johnson. 'I feel like that's building a relationship, just getting more chemistry and stuff. That's important to me.' Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bennett sent a message of sorts to the Bulldogs during his conversation with Johnson as well. Advertisement 'They're still recruiting me very hard, pushing me to come there,' Bennett said. 'There is one committed in the position where they see me. "At the receiver position, you can't just have one, you have to have multiple guys. I feel like the commits that they have, they're going to need a few more to complete the 2026 class.' Standing at 6-feet tall and 170 pounds, Bennett is the No. 34 receiver and No. 33 Florida prospect in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. Bennett is also the No. 217 overall recruit in the class. As Bennett mentioned, Georgia has a smaller than average 2026 class entering June. The Bulldogs have received 11 verbal commitments in the class, but those verbals have come from highly rated prospects. Advertisement Of those commitments, three of them are from receivers -- four-star wideouts Vance Spafford and three-star recruits Brady Marchese and Ryan Mosley. Related: Georgia Football Makes Major Announcement in Recent Days This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
