With how often Kirby Smart has been asked about NIL and the transfer portal this offseason, he’s had plenty of time to practice his answers.
So prior to the Peach Bowl Challenge, Smart was asked what one thing he would change if he were the commissioner of college football, he gave a simple explanation.
“I would say that players can’t transfer until they’ve been (at school) for two calendar years,” Smart said. “They’ve had a residency at the school for two years. And then they can transfer without penalty. They can transfer prior to that but they have to sit a year to make kids commit to being at a school for two years.”
When it comes to the transfer portal, Georgia is always going to be operating at a deficit. The Bulldogs brought in eight players via the transfer portal this offseason, the most it has ever had since Smart became Georgia’s head coach.
But Georgia still saw 21 players exit the program, including four players who spent just one season with the Georgia program.
“Get a base of academics and know there’s a two-year commitment window, just 24 months,” Smart said. “I think more kids would stick around if they’ve been there for two years. I think more kids would be more successful if they had done that. They can still transfer if they have to. After that, they’d be free to transfer.”
The spring transfer portal window was much calmer from Georgia’s perspective, in large part because players could not transfer within the SEC. Georgia saw only two players exit the program, with wide receiver Tyler Williams transferring to Minnesota and running back Andrew Paul ending up at Jacksonville State.
Georgia did bring in quarterback Jaden Rashada this spring, who transferred to Georgia after just one season at Arizona State.
As for the NIL aspect of the sport, Smart once again explained why he felt that players had more than earned the right to be compensated.
“There’s a misconception out there that everybody hates NIL,” Smart said. “I’m very happy and satisfied that players get rewarded with revenue for their performance and the ability to help their programs and see their families be able to travel and get to games and do things they wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. I think there’s a misconception that people don’t like that. People like that. It’s the combination of being able to transfer and go anywhere that causes discomfort, rather than players making money.”
Even in the current system, Smart and the Georgia program have been able to find consistent success. The Bulldogs are 42-2 over the past two seasons and have two national championships in that time. They’ll look to win a third this season, with one of the most talented rosters in the sport.
Georgia opens the 2024 season against the Clemson Tigers. For as strong as Smart feels about the transfer portal, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney might feel even stronger. Clemson is the lone Power 4 program that has not taken any players out of the transfer portal this offseason.