CFB analyst backs Kirby Smart's "1000% right" solution to NIL problem

Head coach Kirby Smart has been helping the Georgia Bulldogs through spring practice. The Bulldogs won the SEC Championship this past season and will be looking to compete at the top of the SEC again in 2025.

However, the team will have to replace QB Carson Beck, who left for Miami in the transfer portal. Although the Bulldogs have QBs who can step in, they do not have Beck's experience, which could impact Georgia's results. On Tuesday, Kirby Smart spoke about the impact of NIL on the transfer portal at his post-practice press conference.

Smart spoke about how he does not think teams should be looking to build around players who only care about making money. On Wednesday, a new episode of 'Andy & Ari' was streamed on the On3 YouTube channel. In the episode, CFB analyst Andy Staples agreed with Kirby Smart (starts at 7:40).

"Well if I'm a Georgia fan, the most important thing to me is when Kirby says, we are going to continue to recruit the players who love football who don't think money is the most important thing because he is 1000% right about that. 1000%, and you'll notice he doesn't say money doesn't matter at all. But he was saying you can't build a winning team on guys who just take the biggest bag."

"The thing that Nick Saban did really well at Alabama, what Kirby's done at Georgia, they can take anybody, in the old system before NIL, they could take anybody they wanted. They were great at finding the people who would fit that program culturally. Who were not going to come in with a sense of entitlement. That's how you need to keep recruiting, even in this era."

Gunner Stockton is expected to be Kirby Smart's replacement for Carson Beck as the starting QB

When it was announced that Carson Beck was leaving Georgia to go to Miami, it put Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs in a bad spot. Beck still had one season of eligibility remaining, and it was a surprise to see him leave a top program.

Fortunately for Kirby Smart, he still has Gunner Stockton on his roster. Stockton played well in limited appearances last season. His only start came in the college football playoff quarterfinal against Notre Dame when Beck was injured. In that game, he completed 20 of 32 passes for 234 yards and one TD.