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No spring chase in 2026: Why Kirby Smart is breathing easier this offseason

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe04/30/26JakeMRowe

Expectations will certainly be high for Georgia, once again, in 2026. The Bulldogs are going to be ranked among the top five programs in the country going into the year, and that’s something that Kirby Smart has gotten used to since he became the head man in Athens.

This offseason, however, is different than the last few. In a sit-down interview with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on WJOX out of Birmingham, Smart went into detail regarding the lack of a spring portal in 2026, sharing both the positives and negatives.

“The fact that I don’t have to run around and sign and chase my own players much less anybody else’s players, it gives me some calm knowing that we have our players in place,” Smart said. “Now, that also gives me some worry that I can’t fix a hole or two or a depth problem or an injury problem. There’s the stuff there that every coach wishes they could go out and grab somebody else and improve.”

It has been awhile since College Football coaches have been able to fully wrap their arms around their rosters at the end of spring drills. Of late, they’ve had to do as Smart said—re-recruit their own players to the roster while trying to pursue others and potentially fill some areas of need that were identified in the spring.

Georgia wrapped up spring practice a little less than two weeks ago with the G-Day spring scrimmage. Over 30,000 fans got their only prior-to-the-season look at what the Bulldogs will look like in 2026. This team is substantially different than the 2025 squad, which won a second straight SEC Championship but also got bounced in the Sugar Bowl for the second time in as many seasons.

This whole idea that the roster is in place is something that Smart has known since January. He looked at his team through that lens as Georgia went through a five-week, 12-practice, three-scrimmage spring camp. Ultimately, he likes the squad.

“For the most part, I feel really good about it,” Smart said of his 11th team at Georgia. “We had a good spring. Got some guys coming back. Got some useful spots that I worry about. But at the end of the day, that’s what they pay you to do as a coach. All summer we’re going to work with these guys. We’re going to find things they can do and try to find an advantage. We can put them in in matchups.”

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