Kirby Smart reacts to Nazir Stackhouse, Chaz Chambliss making NFL rosters after going undrafted
By Luke Greco
Published:
The 2025-26 college football season is underway, and the Georgia Bulldogs get things started on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET when they host Marshall. Kirby Smart recently addressed the media after practice to make his final comments ahead of UGA’s season opener.
One of the topics Smart was asked about was what it meant to him to see former Georgia players Nazir Stackhouse and Chaz Chambliss make NFL rosters after going undrafted.
“Yeah, I was proud. I texted both of them today as we were getting ready to go to the field and reached out to both of them,” Smart told reporters. “They certainly earned it the hard way, and I wouldn’t expect anything less out of those two guys because they are workhorses, man. They played a lot of football around here.
“They’re tough, they’re hard-nosed, they’re dependable. I’d love to have them in any organization that I would be in because of their work ethic and what they stand for, so I’m glad that they got an opportunity to pronounce itself to everybody else because I know what kind of kids those are and how hard they work.”
During his time at Georgia, Stackhouse was a two-time second-team All-SEC defensive tackle in 2022 and 2023. Chambliss was a third-team All-SEC linebacker in 2024, and both are two-time CFP national champions with the Bulldogs.
Smart went on to add, “You know, there were a lot of kids that played here that also got let go today that maybe played years ago or have timed out. The message to them is simple: Football does not define who you are. I remember being lost in that moment and not knowing what I was going to do. You’ve got to pick yourself back up, get to work, and decide what you want to do if football is over. That’s a critical time in kids’ lives when they have to pick up and move on.”
Both Stackhouse and Chambliss signed with their respective teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL draft. Both made the official 53 man rosters for their teams as of Aug. 26.
