Georgia made a huge financial commitment to Kirby Smart this week, handing the third-year coach an extension worth $49 million in base pay for seven years. Following the announcement, one player that projects to be a pillar for the Bulldogs during that seven-year period couldn’t help but express his reaction to the news.

Nolan Smith, a five-star linebacker commit in Georgia’s 2019 recruiting class, is listed as the nation’s No. 6 overall prospect and is UGA’s second-highest rated commit for in the current recruiting cycle by 247Sports Composite Rankings. He’s been committed to Smart and Georgia since January of 2017, which was well before the Dawgs showed what they are capable of accomplishing under their head coach.

Now that the program is rolling, Smith appears quite eager to jump in and do his part to continue the success of the Bulldogs.

Here is the first official declaration of Smart’s new deal, which was sent out by the school:

Smith’s response to the news has to bring a smile to the face of every member of Dawg Nation:

https://twitter.com/SmithNoland2/status/992131592222117891

A comment of commitment like that seems to be par for the course in Athens these days and Smith appears set to continue the tradition of outstanding athletes that also have a passion for Bulldog football and the program and culture that’s being built on campus.

Smith is currently enrolled at IMG Academy in Florida, which is renowned for preparing high school athletes for the next level of competition. To get an idea of how well he fits into Smart’s defensive system in Athens, check out this highlight reel: