Kirby Smart: 'I don’t recruit against Nick Saban. I recruit for the University of Georgia'

Kirby Smart didn’t seem to enjoy a certain narrative involving his old employer.

Given the proximity of Georgia and Alabama, and the fact that both schools are generally going after the same prospects each recruiting season, it’s only natural for folks to say the two programs are competing against one another for prospects.

Smart would prefer not to look at it that way, saying he’s recruiting for Georgia and not against anyone else.

“As far as Alabama, I don’t think you look at it as head-to-head. I think you look at it as a relationship with the kid,” Smart said. “I certainly think they look at it the same way. They’ve got relationships with the kids they signed, we’ve got relationships with the kids we signed. We’ve both got great things to sell. The University of Georgia is a great place. When I go see a kid, I sell the University of Georgia, our program, our development, what we can do. That’s enough in and of itself, which proved true on several kids in the state.”

The likely reason Smart was asked about this topic was due to his ability to flip receiver Tyler Simmons from the Crimson Tide and land Michail Carter over Alabama. In addition, Alabama secured commitments from linebackers Ben Davis and Mack Wilson, both of whom also considered Georgia.

For nine years, Smart used his recruiting prowess for Alabama and former head coach Nick Saban. With Smart leading his own program, he’ll now have to tell players why they should go to his school instead of the one his former boss heads.

At his introductory news conference, Smart said it should be fun going against Saban in recruiting. But recently, he changed his tune on the topic and said it’s not about a competition between coaches on the recruiting trail.

“I don’t recruit against Nick Saban. I recruit for the University of Georgia,” Smart said. “I’ve been with him for him for nine years, and I know he does the same. That’s why I have the utmost respect for him. It’s never about him or about me. It’s about the University of Georgia or about his university. 

“To me it was never a personal thing. I’ve been with him, I know how he recruits. I’m not going to sit there and attack him and his character when he’s got four out of the last however many national championships. I don’t think that’s the way (to recruit). You sell what you have. You sell your strongest points. I think that’s what we sold in recruiting. It was never an attack on him because I know he’s not going to do that to us.”

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Kirby Smart: 'I don’t recruit against Nick Saban. I recruit for the University of Georgia'."