Considering Kirby Smart’s Georgia program just ended Alabama’s reign as the SEC’s top recruiter by signing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2018, his take on college football recruiting carries significantly more weight these days.

During his media availability down in Destin for the SEC Spring Meetings, Smart was asked about negative recruiting when it comes to Nick Saban. The former Saban assistant claimed he doesn’t partake in the practice and even tells recruits that the Alabama coach may out-live him.

“If a kid asks me that, I’m like, he may coach forever because he may out-live me the way he takes care of his body,” Smart commented. “I think that’s to each his own.”

The Georgia coach then shared his overall feelings on negative recruiting and why the practice isn’t as valuable as many may make it out to be.

“Negative recruiting, to me, never works on the kind of kids that you want in your program,” Smart said. “Because if they are listening to that and they buy into that, they are probably a little gullible. Where I would much rather be very honest and open because you attract better quality people who respect the fact that you respect the other people in your league.”

If that’s an accurate representation of the way Smart handles himself on the recruiting trail, it’s clearly paying off. After signing the nation’s top recruiting class last recruiting cycle, the Bulldogs are well on their way to landing another elite class in 2019. While the Bulldogs “only” rank No. 8 in the 247Sports team rankings at the moment, Smart’s program only holds commits from eight prospects — three of which are five-star recruits and the remaining five are four-star prospects. Once the class builds some depth, it’s sure to climb into the top five at the very least.