What Brock Vandagriff's Return Says About Kirby Smart

Now that it seems Brock Vandagriff will remain a Dawg, here is what his return says about Kirby Smart

Christian Kirby II | Apr 22, 2023

In the modern age of college football where NIL deals and the transfer portal are more prevalent than ever, it is not uncommon for players to switch schools should they not get the starting job at their respective positions. In fact, if a player loses a position battle, it is almost at this point an expectation for them to transfer to a different school.

But while every team is affected by this new era of college football, there are a handful of teams that seem to be much less affected than others. One of those teams is the Georgia Bulldogs.

While Georgia has certainly lost its fair share of talent to the portal, the Bulldogs also seem to have a rare ability that allows them to retain a lot of talent as well, especially in the quarterback room.

Brock Vandagriff is the latest example of this trend for Kirby Smart, as reports indicate that he will be remaining with the Bulldogs for the 2023 season, despite rumors that he would enter the transfer portal.

Brock Vandagriff during the Dawg walk before Georgia's annual Spring game (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

Vandagriff, a former 5-star recruit is one of two players in Georgia's quarterback room who have remained with the Bulldogs despite receiving minimal playing time thus far. The other quarterback is Carson Beck, who is entering his fourth year with the team despite never having started in a game for Georgia.

The two players' choices to remain with the Bulldogs have led to a heated quarterback battle which has become one of the most closely-watched position battles in college sports.

Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69), Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15), and Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) after Georgia’s annual G-Day scrimmage on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

But while having two high-level quarterbacks on a roster is a luxury that many teams do not possess in today's game, it is not the only position that Kirby Smart excels at retaining. In fact, Smart and company seem to retain talent all across Georgia's roster.

This season, the Georgia Bulldogs will have a handful of third and fourth-year players that are expected to be major contributors. While that statistic in itself is impressive, many of these players such as Carson Beck (or Brock Vandagriff), Amarius Mims, Jackson Meeks, David Daniel-Sisavanh, Tykee Smith, and others have started in fewer than five games for the Dawgs.

While Kirby Smart's elite ability to recruit talent is well known at this point and certainly has been a major factor in Georgia's recent successes. It's his ability to keep that same talent in-house that will allow Georgia to maintain its greatness for years to come.

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Published Apr 22, 2023

CHRISTIAN KIRBY II