“He ain’t no champion”: Kirby Smart takes veiled dig at Former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel during speech

While Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart made a speech at the Nike Coach of the Year clinic, he took a shot at former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

During his presentation Monday, the Bulldogs coach showed a slide of four former college quarterbacks – Alabama’s Bryce Young, LSU’s Joe Burrow, Auburn’s Cam Newton and Texas A&M’s Manziel – with the caption, “What do these guys have in common?”

When he asked the crowd to answer the question, one of the replies was, “They are champions.” The coach’s reply was both humorous and a message for the only man on the slide who didn’t win the title: Johnny Manziel.

“He ain’t no champion. Champion of what? Champion of Fireball (whiskey)!” Smart said.

After the dig at Manziel, Kirby Smart cleared up his point, saying they were all Heisman winners but also that they all had a strong game against his defenses.

Johnny Manziel, of course, won the Heisman Trophy as a freshman in 2012. He passed for 7,820 yards, 63 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in two years with the Aggies.

However, he also had discipline and off-the-field issues that overshadowed his talent and eventually altered his career. After leaving the Aggies, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2014. He started only eight games for the Browns before getting released. No other NFL team signed him after that.

While Kirby Smart arrived in Athens in late 2015, he was part of Nick Saban’s staff when the Alabam Crimson lost notable games against Newton’s Auburn and Manziel’s Texas A&M teams.

Smart has led Georgia to two national titles. The Bulldogs won the SEC title before being eliminated by Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff last season.

Kirby Smart and Georgia close to landing coveted QB

There will be a quarterback battle this year in Athens, as Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi will attempt to lock up the starting spot for next season. There could be more competition coming in 2026.

Jared Curtis, 247Sports’ third-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2026, has narrowed his decision to Georgia and Oregon according to On3. The Nashville Christian product had committed to the Bulldogs but walked back on it in October.

Curtis, a 6-4, 225-pound passer, also considered schools like Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina before narrowing it down to Kirby Smart’s and Dan Lanning’s programs.