Ryan Day and Kirby Smart Address Prior Recruiting Battles
While Ohio State and Georgia don't typically meet each other on the gridiron, they aren't strangers on the recruiting trail. Some of the top players in the Peach Bowl were recruited by both programs, something the head coaches addressed on Friday.
Ryan Day and Kirby Smart said they shared a mutual respect for each other on the trail. Notable names they have battled for include quarterback CJ Stroud, wide receiver Kojo Antwi, and edge rusher Damon Wilson.
Smart said that he respects Ohio State and what they do recruiting-wise. Despite being in the northern region, the Buckeyes annually compete for America's top prospects.
Meanwhile, Day acknowledged that while Georgia could recruit at a high level in the Peach State without going outside of it, Smart isn't content with that. The Bulldogs routinely travel for top players, including Stroud.
Smart shared a recruiting story about Stroud, saying he was reluctant to travel all the way to California. However, once he sat down with Stroud and his family, he gained an appreciation for them and noted Stroud returned the favor by traveling to Athens.
Kirby Smart:
"That's a tough question. When you're recruiting against someone, you don't take much from them in terms of style of play or anything else. Respect would be the number one thing that I have for people that we recruit against and play against. You mentioned C.J. Stroud, what a tremendous young man. I was so upset in my assistant when I had to fly all the way out to California to go out there. I was like are you sure we're going to have a chance? It wasn't my favorite travel trip when you have to go all the way to Cali, but it was worth it when you got to sit down with that young man and his mom. He was very impressive. He returned that trip to come back and see us. Usually when you get him on your campus, that means you have a shot. I certainly enjoyed getting to know him and the relationship with him because of the young man he is. But as far as what you learned about the other team and other programs we're recruiting, I don't think there's a lot there."
Ryan Day:
"I would just say I think Kirby and his staff do a great job of working at it. I think, when you have such great players in the state of Georgia, the easy thing to do would be just to assume you're going to get those guys. They don't do that. They work really hard at it. They grind at it. No stone's unturned."
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