Kirby Smart Secures Game-Changing Commitment in Bulldogs-Florida Showdown, Shocking Rivalry Landscape

Kirby Smart just scored a clever offseason victory against Florida—not on the gridiron, but in the recruiting war room. The Bulldogs, fresh off clinching their third SEC Championship under Smart’s watch, have snagged a promising edge rusher: Corey Howard, a Valdosta native who picked Georgia over their sway-happy rivals down the road. It begs the question—how does a program already brimming with national titles keep drawing top talent in such an ultra-competitive landscape? Smart’s secret sauce seems to be a blend of relentless pursuit and a reputation that’s fast morphing into Hall of Fame lore. Meanwhile, as Georgia embraces a new era under center with Gunner Stockton stepping up, the team faces an unforgiving 2025 schedule packed with SEC heavyweights ready to challenge their supremacy. With the stakes this high, will the Bulldogs fortify their trenches and carve out a dynasty that future generations will talk about—or will the ever-leveling playing field of college football give others a chance to bite back? Stay tuned; this story is just heating up. LEARN MORE

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart picked up an offseason win over Florida with the commitment of a coveted recruit. The Bulldogs are coming off a third SEC Championship under their program leader. Smart has built a Hall of Fame-caliber resume in Athens, already winning two national titles. The 49-year-old is not even close to calling it quits as he continues to add to his highly ranked recruiting classes.

On3’s national recruiting/transfer portal reporter Hayes Fawcett confirmed that Class of 2026 edge rusher Corey Howard has committed to the Bulldogs. The Valdosta, Georgia native chose Smart’s program over the likes of Florida. Howard is a 3-star recruit who is ranked 60th overall at his position.

As Smart continues to bring in formidable recruiting classes, Georgia football is entering a new era at quarterback. Carson Beck is off to Miami, while Gunner Stockton takes over under center. The Tiger, Georgia native had to step in for an injured Beck toward the end of the season and filled in admirably.

Stockton was critical in the Bulldogs’ SEC Championship win over Texas and was not necessarily poor against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. Still, the 2024 season came to a disappointing end for Georgia football by the hefty standards Kirby Smart has established during his tenure. And the Bulldogs again expect to contend for a national title and rebuild what looked like college football’s next dynasty.

Georgia football’s schedule in 2025 won’t be easy. While Gunner Stockton and company have a manageable nonconference slate, the SEC teams the Bulldogs will face are formidable. Georgia will clash with the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas, which all could be inside the top 25 and contending for a playoff spot.

One facet that this group will need to improve on is in the trenches, where the program has dominated during its recent past. Georgia struggled to run the ball in 2024, losing the line-of-scrimmage battle against a physical Notre Dame team. The twelve-team College Football Playoff has leveled the talent across the sport a little more, with more programs having a realistic shot of contending for a national title.

Still, expectations are suitably high for the Bulldogs, as they should be. Even in a somewhat off year, Georgia football won the SEC Championship with newcomers like Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference. The argument can be made that the Bulldogs, alongside Ohio State, are the gold standard in college football. Still, there is much to prove for the 2025 team.

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