Brian Kelly spotlights former Georgia assistant Cortez Hankton

Brian Kelly will be looking for his first win over Kirby Smart this weekend as LSU faces Georgia in the SEC Championship game Saturday. But he will have some help on his staff from someone who was just behind enemy lines in wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Cortez Hankton, who was on the Bulldog’s coaching staff just last season in the same role. Kelly spoke about Hankton’s role on the coaching staff and what he’s brought to the table in the Tiger’s successful season.

“I think first and foremost, in the passing game,” Kelly said. “He’s intimately involved in what we do in the passing game. I think he’s done a really good job with implementing that into what we do on a day-to-day basis, as well as developing relationships with our current players and in recruiting.”

Hankton also brought six years of NFL playing experience to Baton Rouge, spending time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a wide receiver. He’s helped quarterback Jayden Daniels become one of the most dangerous in the country this season, and Kelly believes he can help beyond the X’s and O’s as well this offseason for the Tigers.

“He’s from the state of Louisiana. He’s back home, so to speak. He’s from New Orleans. He’s going to be a great asset in our recruiting as we get underway certainly in earnest here over the next couple weeks,” Kelly said.

Hankton’s impact on recruiting is to be determined until this offseason, but for now, he will surely be able to help LSU in a major way this week in scouting the Bulldogs just a year removed from being a part of their staff during their National Championship run last season.

Kirby Smart pinpoints reason Brian Kelly has been so successful in year one

It took Kirby Smart two seasons as Georgia‘s head coach to take the Bulldogs to an SEC championship game, and this weekend he will be facing a head coach that did it in just one. LSU head coach Brian Kelly has turned things around for his program fast, leading the Tigers to a conference championship matchup versus the Bulldogs in his first season at the helm.

Leading up to the game, Smart was asked how he believes Kelly was successful so quickly at LSU, and if the new ability to flip rosters has an impact.

“I don’t know what to attribute that to,” Smart admitted. “I would usually start with what did they inherit and who’s their quarterback.”

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has played big for the Tigers, helping lead them to a 9-3 record behind his arm and his legs. This season Daniels has been one of the most efficient passers in the SEC, ranking second in completion percentage, completing 68.8% of his passes, and only throwing two interceptions. He also leads all quarterbacks in the conference in rushing yards with 824 and ranks third among all players with 11 rushing touchdowns on the season.

“So much of the success is tied to that position as a whole, being able to make good decisions. Their guy has done an elite job of doing that,” Smart said.

Daniels will be facing a Bulldogs defense that is the top-ranked in the country, holding opponents to 11.3 points per game. It will surely be a critical point of the matchup this Saturday, as Kelly and Smart’s squads will face off in Atlanta this Saturday at 4 p.m.