Kirby Smart calls Buster Faulkner ‘one of the best offensive minds in the country’
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for their annual showdown against the No. 17 Florida Gators this Saturday in what will be the 105th meeting between these 2 traditional SEC powers on the gridiron.
Kirby Smart is extremely familiar with the Gators and their first-year offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, who spent several years on Smart’s staff in Athens and was part of the Dawgs’ 2021 and 2022 national championship-winning squads.
Faulkner has gone on to become one of the most respected offensive minds in the nation since leaving Georgia back in 2023, and his former boss offered up some incredibly high praise for the Gators’ play callers when speaking to reporters on Tuesday,
“A lot of respect for Buster, obviously, who was on our staff,” Smart said at his game week press conference. “I just think that he is one of the best offensive minds in the country and is really had to defend. I’m just so happy for his success and how well he’s done.”
After leaving Athens in 2023, Faulkner spent 3 seasons as offensive coordinator for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets under head coach Brent Key. His success in Atlanta from 2023 to 2025 caught Jon Sumrall‘s eye, and Faulkner was one of the first hires he made when he took the head job in Gainesville last winter.
Now, Faulkner will look to orchestrate what could be the biggest win of the Sumrall era so far at Florida this Saturday against his former mentor and boss.
