With Gunner Stockton set for his second full season as Georgia’s starting quarterback, Kirby Smart has chosen to stick to the same course. Instead of splashing cash on every big-name transfer, the head coach is sticking with the players who are already in his locker room. If that plan pays off, Georgia stays in the title hunt, but if it doesn’t, his QB will probably take the heat first.

Kirby Smart publicly said he would rather retain his players over investing in a player in the portal. This approach has stirred conversations, with Stewart Mandel of The Audible crew wondering whether Georgia can keep winning the same way in today’s transfer-heavy landscape. 

“At some point, you gotta spend the money, right?” he said after pointing out Georgia has backed away from several high-profile portal battles, including WR Cam Coleman.

The concern isn’t that Georgia lacks talent but whether the Bulldogs still have enough game-changing stars to separate themselves from everyone else. Mandel’s concern surfaced after Kirby Smart made his stance crystal clear at SEC Media Days. 

“I choose to retain,” he said. “We think that our investment in our player is better than your investment in your player that I would get from you in the portal.”

Kirby Smart explained that Georgia would rather spend its NIL money keeping proven Bulldogs than entering bidding wars for transfer stars. Regardless, the Bulldogs did engage in some business in the transfer portal, with roster additions like Oklahoma CB Gentry Williams, Clemson safety Khalil Barnes, and Georgia Tech WR Isiah Canion. But Kirby Smart insisted the priority remains developing players already inside the program. 

Ralph Russo saw it a little differently. Georgia is still bringing in plenty of 4- and 5-star recruits, but he isn’t convinced those classes have the kind of players who can completely change a game as Brock Bowers or Ladd McConkey did. On top of that, holding onto elite talent isn’t as easy anymore. With the transfer portal wide open, players have more options than ever, and schools can’t just stockpile stars like they used to.

“I think Kirby can still do what he wants to do and be in the mix,” he said. “I just don’t think Kirby can build super teams anymore. So maybe he needs to reconcile with that.”

Smart’s philosophy may sound clean on paper, but it puts more pressure on the quarterback when the roster does not look finished. If Georgia leans on development instead of portal help, Stockton is the one who has to make that choice look right on Saturdays.

Meanwhile, Russo said Kirby Smart has always leaned towards tough, dependable QBs instead of flashy stars. It worked with Stetson Bennett, but Bennett also had a loaded roster around him. Stockton might not get that same kind of help.

“What attracts big-time receivers, it’s the style of offense you play,” he said. “I think Mike Bobo is a really good college offensive coordinator, especially for how it fits what Kirby Smart wants to do. But your quarterback’s not going to throw for 4,000 yards… Receivers want to go somewhere where the ball is flying all over the place.”

None of that means Georgia is fading. The Bulldogs remain a playoff contender and retained more of last season’s roster than any other SEC program. But Kirby Smart has made his bet. He believes development still beats shopping. Now it’s up to Gunner Stockton to prove that the old-school formula still has enough bite to win another national championship.