ATHENS, Ga. - There have been four spring-game crowds in excess of 90,000 in Southeastern Conference history, and new Georgia football coach Kirby Smart has been a part of all of them.
Smart was Alabama's defensive backs coach in 2007, when 92,138 fans filled up Bryant-Denny Stadium to attend the first A-Day game of the Nick Saban era. He then became defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide, who had 91,312 at their 2010 spring game and 92,310 in 2011, which served as the SEC standard until 93,000 ventured into Sanford Stadium on Saturday.
Saban reminisced last week about the 2007 A-Day game and the effect it had on recruits, and Smart is hoping Georgia's recent extravaganza can do the same.
"We'll see, because they were there," Smart said Saturday evening, "and they all were fired up and couldn't believe it. They were ecstatic, and there were a lot of good players here."
Alabama's first signing class after the '07 A-Day game is considered one of the best in college football history. It included running back Mark Ingram (the '09 Heisman Trophy winner), as well as receiver Julio Jones, versatile lineman Barrett Jones, safety Mark Barron and linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.
The Crimson Tide's '08 signees who redshirted and stayed all five years got to experience three national championships, and while the Bulldogs may not be thinking in those terms right now, they do hope Saturday is a start.
"Not too many teams in the country could have this many fans at a spring game and have to turn more fans away," junior tailback Sony Michel said.
Smart agreed, saying the G-Day full house "speaks volumes to where Georgia is headed and what Georgia can do."
The Bulldogs recruited very well under former coach Mark Richt, but Smart is putting more of an effort on showcasing them. That was evidenced at halftime of G-Day when the 2016 signees (minus the six early enrollees) were taken to midfield and received an ovation.
A couple of hours before Georgia fans packed their 92,746-seat facility, the Bulldogs received their seventh in-state commitment for the 2017 signing class. William Poole III, a cornerback from the Atlanta suburb of College Park, made a nonbinding pledge to join Hinesville safety Richard LeCounte III, Warner Robins quarterback Jake Fromm, Atlanta outside linebacker Jaden Hunter, Loganville inside linebacker Breon Dixon, Valdosta receiver Xavier Jenkins and Ellenwood guard Justin Shaffer.
LeCounte (No. 32), Fromm (No. 50) and Poole (No. 100) are rated top-100 prospects nationally by 247Sports.com.
Georgia's class of commitments stands at 10th according to 247Sports.com, with Ohio State, Oklahoma, Miami, Notre Dame and Alabama comprising the top five. The Bulldogs also are ranked 10th by Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Ohio State set an NCAA record Saturday with 100,189 at its spring game, but Smart believes he'll be reminiscing about his inaugural G-Day when February 2017 rolls around.
"It will show at the end of it," he said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.