Kirby Smart Makes Bold Declaration About Georgia's Relationship With NFL Teams

There's no question that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart runs one of the most elite and success programs in college football. But when it comes to connections at the NFL level, Smart claims the Bulldogs are a cut above the rest.

Ahead of Georgia's Week 3 matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats and former Bulldogs quarterback Brock Vandagriff, Smart claimed "there's nowhere" the NFL would rather have players develop than in Athens, Georgia.

“Every kid’s different, every kid’s in a different spot,” Smart said. “Like, what age am I? How much am I playing, do I like an opportunity somewhere else? What’s going on with my family, my family dynamic? I don’t think there’s a cookie cutter answer to that question. I wouldn’t delve into specifically each kid that I deal with. I think that’s relative to me and the kid, not for public consumption, but certainly there’s conversations.

“And you know, the transfer portal is an option for some guys to think about going somewhere else. And you know, it’s unfortunate, because the feedback we get from the NFL is there’s nowhere they’d rather have players than here developing.”

The Kirby Smart era in Georgia has produced several notable NFL talents, including names like Roquan Smith, Nick Chubb, D'Andre Swift, Travon Walker, George Pickens, Jalen Carter, Brock Bowers and more.

The Alabama Crimson Tide hold the top spot in terms of former players currently listed on 53-man active rosters, boasting 61. The Ohio State Buckeyes rank No. 2 with 49, and Georgia comes in at No. 3 with 45.

Smart and the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs will kickoff against unranked Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Related: Alabama Listed With The Most Active Players on NFL Rosters