Why Georgia football coach Kirby Smart came to visit Savannah
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The NCAA College Football season ended last week with Indiana winning its first National title with a victory over Miami, but the season really never ends for coaches of the top teams in the country.
The high school recruiting season is in full swing and Georgia coach Kirby Smart was flying around the state in the UGA helicopter making visits on Tuesday to schools that included local stops at Savannah Christian and Calvary Day.
Smart has been to Savannah Christian before as UGA recruited the former Raider star Elijah Griffin starting when the 5-star defensive tackle was an 8th grader at Savannah Christian. SCPS coach Baker Woodward said it’s always exciting to have Smart come to visit.
“I know he’s been here at least one other time, and I had also met Coach Smart at previous jobs (when Woodward was the offensive coordinator at Benedictine). I’m obviously a big fan,” Woodward said. “It’s great that he stops by, and I’m sure he wants to visit when we’ve have players like Elijah (Griffin) coming out of here.”
Jordan Dillon, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound junior offensive lineman was one of the Raider players Smart wanted to meet in person Tuesday.
“Coach Smart got to meet Jordan (Dillon) in the weight room, along with some of our other guys,” Woodward said. “He said we must have a great offensive line because all of our guys who play up front were looking good. It’s always a special day as a coach when you can introduce your players to Kirby Smart.”
Dillon has 27 scholarship offers and said he has NC State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in his top five, and has room for a couple more on that list. He said Georgia is a school he has always admired.
“Georgia is so close to home and Coach Smart is a great coach who has so many players go to the next level, who doesn’t want to go to Georgia, right?” Dillon said. “He saw me in the weight room and told me I was looking good. He told me I should drop a couple pounds and try to get faster, and I’ll work on doing that. He wants me to come to a camp at UGA and I plan to do that.”
Smart got back on the UGA helicopter and flew across town to Calvary Day, where he landed on the Cavalier football field and was greater by Cavs coach Jason Cameron, and his 10-year old son Jaxon.
Cameron said he met Smart last year when UGA was recruiting Calvary’s talented wide receiver Thomas Blackshear, who just completed his freshman campaign with the Bulldogs.
Cameron said Smart stopped by to meet six players, all juniors, including three defensive backs in Brexton Bell, Emerson Lewis and De’Shawn Wylie, as well as receivers Jalen Hicks and Marlon Knight Jr., along with lineman Lawson Bentley.
“It’s always great to see Coach Smart,” Cameron said. “He’s so personable and relatable and down to earth when he talks with the kids. I can see how he is able to get the best players in the country to come play for him. He’s had a lot of success recruiting in Savannah, so he knows what kind of talent we’re producing here.”
Bell said it was the first time he has met Smart as a recruit. The standout safety holds offers including Maryland, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern.
“It was a surreal experience to meet Coach Smart,” Bell said. “He is a down-to-earth and laid back person and I really liked him. It was an OMG moment for me to meet the No. 1 coach in the country.”
Smart didn’t extend any scholarship offers in Savannah on Tuesday, but opened the door for these players to possibly make their way to Athens in the future.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Kirby Smart makes recruiting visits to Savannah Christian, Calvary Day
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos