“I don't really want him” - Georgia HC Kirby Smart drops bold statement about CFB players’ option to opt out of senior year

On Tuesday, Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, a two-time national champion, offered his thoughts on college football players opting out of their senior year.

In his opening press conference, Smart said that some high school coaches believe that players should skip their senior year to avoid losing opportunities to sign in December and missing out on available spaces in college programs. However, Smart firmly disagrees:

“If a kid doesn't play a senior year because he signed,” Smart said. “I don't really want him on my team. If he's going to opt out for a senior year, then he'll do the same to me. So, I don't really know if that's a viable option.”

The coach believes that the senior year matters, especially in the state of Georgia and the Southeastern Conference footprint.

“I don't like the idea of someone signing before their senior year because I think the senior year matters,” he said. “I think in the state of Georgia and the Southeastern Conference footprint, the high school season of your senior year still matters.”

Smart prefers to see players play and grow their skills rather than skip a year of development. He also pointed out that NFL teams would not want players to skip their fourth or year if they were eligible for the draft.

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Coach Kirby Smart on how the NFL assesses players

Coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs

During the Georgia football pro day, Kirby Smart was asked about the questions NFL teams usually ask when they assess players.

He said that the NFL is looking for players who care about football, which is the same philosophy Georgia promotes.

“I think more and more the NFL is turning to guys who care about football, putting team over self,” Smart said. “We try to promote those same things here.”

When asked about the double-digit number of guys working out for NFL teams, Smart said that most of them have been part of Georgia's successful run, winning 46 of 48 games.

“There’s a reason why we’ve won those games,” he said. “You have good football players, and it equates to that.”

Kirby Smart reckons these players represent Georgia's program in the right way.