"They're going to get it right": Kirby Smart hints college football could adopt NFL's latest kickoff rule change

In the wake of the NFL’s new hybrid kickoff rule announcement, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart hinted that college football could consider a similar change ahead of the 2024 season.

During the league’s Annual League Meeting on Tuesday, NFL owners approved the hybrid kickoff rule in a move that will tweak the look and feel completely. The NFL states that kickoff had become an afterthought as 'safety rules essentially wiped out incentives' for a return.

The NFL adopted a kickoff style similar to the one used in Dwyane Johnson's XFL during its 2020 and 2023 seasons to make the game more interesting and injury-free.

Smart, who is also a member of the college football rules committee, spoke about the NFL’s controversial rule change ahead of the 2024 season.

“I think the NFL is the model. They know what they want. They know what they’re trying to do,” Smart said Tuesday. “And they’re going to get it right, and then hopefully we can look into it ourselves, if the kickoff is not part of our game.”

According to TruMedia, 49.6 percent of kickoffs at the FBS level were returned in 2023.

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NFL's new hybrid kickoff rule could be a hit-or-miss

Each year, the NFL Competition Committee and franchise owners meet to discuss tweaks and enhancements. This year, the owners highlighted issues with the current rules and suggested altercations, including the hybrid kickoff rule. The NFL has been working on this change for a while and the time has finally come to implement it.

Adopting the XFL style means that the ball is now expected to be in play more, which eliminates potential injury threats to players. The traditional kickoff posed injury risks and officials at the NFL reportedly wanted to make the game as safe as possible.

NFL's new hybrid kickoff rule provides entertainment value but Smart thinks young players would benefit the most from this change.

"They felt like you can't develop players in the NFL anymore without special teams," he told reporters. "... Charlie Woerner, Nakobe Dean, their first years, they played 10 times more snaps on special teams than they did at their position. Those snaps are now irrelevant because of a fair catch or a touchback.

"If you want to develop your roster, you need special teams to develop it, and we feel the same way. I develop my roster on special teams, the guys last year that started on the units will probably start at a position this year. You need those plays to be a part of it, but you need it to be safe.

Interestingly, the NFL was reportedly unsure about the hybrid kickoff rule ahead of the 2023 season, citing the change could potentially turn ugly as the returner will be bearing the brunt of multiple hits. But if this rule turns out to be successful, it's only fair for college football to take a shot at it despite its constraints.