Dan Lanning responded to some recent comments made by former Georgia head coach Kirby Smart while appear on the Pat McAfee show on Thursday afternoon.
Smart, who employed Lanning at UGA from 2018-21, joked at SEC Media Days that he was jealous of Oregon’s NIL war chest.
I wish I could get some of that NIL money that [Nike founder Phil Knight] is sharing with Dan Lanning,” Smart said. “But that’s another note.”
While talking with Pat McAfee on Thursday, Lanning fought back by using sarcasm to make his point.
“I think it’s impressive that guys like Kirby have been signing the No. 1 class in the nation without any NIL money this entire time,” Lanning said. “So impressive.”
Lanning continued by pointing out that any elite program in college football in 2024 has to be well-supported financially.
“Obviously, coach Smart took a little shot at us,” Lanning said. “I don’t think it’s a secret, if you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better have great support. We have that.”
“I think it’s impressive that guys like Kirby Smart have been signing the number one class in the nation without any NIL money
Kirby is a great mentor and I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for him” ~ @CoachDanLanning#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/78uOI655LC
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 25, 2024
Georgia has been dominant on the recruiting trail in recent years. Smart’s staff has put together the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2 of the past 5 cycles, including the 2024 class that wrapped up this past winter.
Smart’s comments came on the heels of a big summer on the recruiting trail for Oregon. The Ducks currently own the nation’s No. 5 overall recruiting class for the 2025 cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings. Oregon’s top 3-ranked commits all hail from SEC states — Florida and Texas.
Of course, Georgia is also still recruiting at an elite level — even if Smart believes his program is at a financial disadvantage. The Bulldogs have the nation’s No. 3-ranked class as of late July, per 247Sports Composite rankings. Georgia already has 21 commitments in this class, with over half (13) hailing from the Peach State.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
