Kirby Smart rejects recruiting NFL roster players to Georgia football
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 30, 2026, 5:47 PM
Last updated Aug 30, 2026
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart announced that his program is not evaluating or recruiting players currently holding NFL roster spots. Smart cited his commitment to players who participated in the school's full offseason and fall camp programs. This approach contrasts with other coaches who remain open to acquiring talent from professional leagues. The Southeastern Conference recently enacted a policy barring member schools from rostering athletes who have signed professional football contracts. Institutions violating this regulation face significant penalties, including half-season head coach suspensions and heavy financial fines. The league stance aims to preserve the college-level nature of competition within its member institutions.
- •Kirby Smart stated Georgia does not evaluate active NFL players for recruitment.
- •The SEC prohibited member schools from rostering players who signed professional football contracts.
- •Non-compliance with SEC regulations carries a half-season suspension for the head coach.
- •Financial penalties for rule violations include a fine equal to 50% of the team's annual operating budget.
- •The policy follows a surge of professional players seeking a return to college eligibility.
- 5:47 PMYahoo Sports — Kirby Smart Delivers Firm Response to Trend of NFL Players Returning to College
"There has been a new trend in the College Football recruitment as the many schools are accepting players who are currently on the NFL rosters. While programs may welcome this trend positively to strengthen their teams, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart stands against it and has cleared his position on this issue. Kirby Smart’s […] The post Kirby Smart Delivers Firm Response to Trend of NFL Players Returning to College appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.
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