Eagles star Nolan Smith makes the expected claim in naming the top state for HS Football
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Howie Roseman's evolution has been watching him learn from the mistakes he made in the past. No one has ever accused the Philadelphia Eagles' general manager of being perfect, but have we seen another GM navigate the NFL's constant changes and do so any better? It's hard to think of one.
Maybe you've never thought about the following statement this way. Then again, perhaps you have, but it feels like once Howie discovered the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, things took off. It had been a while since the team plucked talent from two of the SEC's top programs.
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Before drafting Jalen Hurts in 2020 (and both DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson in 2021), the Eagles hadn't drafted a former member of The Tide since taking Freddie Milons in 2002. Before this recent and well-publicized run on UGA stars, the franchise hadn't raided the Dawgs since acquiring Brandon Boykin with a fourth-round pick in 2012.
Sure, it may have taken a while, but once Howie caught on, the tidal wave began. Everyone is excited about seeing whether or not Nolan Smith can take another step in 2025, but for now, they'll have to settle for watching him on Exciting Mics.
Nolan Smith unsurprisingly names Georgia as the best state for football
It feels like this is restated every week now, but the 'exciting whites', Reed Blankenship and Cooper DeJean, may have struck gold with their Exciting Mics podcast. At the time of this story's release, they aren't even 20 episodes in, but something is already evident to everyone viewing. The guys have something special here.
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A recent episode features Nolan Smith. Everything was on the table, from the recruiting process and Super Bowl memories to his first impressions and the best football state. No one has to guess what his opinions are on the latter topic, do they?
It's an interesting theory. Nolan is one of eight Philly Dawgs on the roster. Jalen Carter, Smael Mondon, Lewis Cine, Kelee Ringo, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Azeez Ojulari are the other seven.
The Birds are also pretty heavy with talent from South Carolina. K.J. Henry, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Will Shipley, and Marcus Tate all played for the Clemson Tigers.
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However, it will be interesting to see how The Crimson Tide feels about his Georgia theory, considering Jihaad Campbell, Landon Dickerson, Cameron Latu, Byron Young, Tyler Steen, Eli Ricks, Jalen Hurts, and DeVonta Smith all had their start at Alabama at some point.
Don't sleep on Pennsylvania, though, Nolan! That state has some ballers too, but again, we can all see why he'd be partial to Georgia.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Nolan Smith says Georgia produces the best football players
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