Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has become one of the most important voices in college football since the retirement of his former boss Nick Saban, and he can always be counted on to add thoughtful discourse to the sport.

In a year where it seems players are getting injured more than ever and team depth is being tested, Smart was asked about the issues arising with coaches trying to get the best out of their teams.

His answer as always was honest and thought provoking.

Kirby Smart asked about SEC carnage this season

"Everybody is practicing less, but everyone is getting injured more, it doesn't make sense."

"(Players) were definitely hungrier (in the past)."

"A lot of these guys, honestly, make more than I made until I was 40." pic.twitter.com/RbGlDciwgM

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 1, 2026

Kirby is going to retire in the next 2 or 3 years, maybe even sooner pic.twitter.com/6X23m1iquY

— Michael Brauner (@MikeBraunCFB) November 1, 2026

“I don’t have a good answer for that,” Smart said when asked why these injury issues are popping up so frequently. “People are going to have to make a choice of how you want to practice…I don’t know that the players are any different, I think about the teams we had [in 2021 and 2022], how physical they were and how they practiced, and we can’t even be close to that now.”

“Is it a different culture that guys don’t want to as much? I don’t know,” he continued. “They were definitely hungrier because there was a motivation to make it. A lot of these guys, honestly, make more than I made until I was 40, so it’s just a different day and age.”

Whether this is Smart simply being honest about the issues he is facing or perhaps subtly hinting that he could wind up walking away sooner than folks think is still up in the air, but he will continue to be one of the guiding voices for change in college football.