OCONEE - Athens Academy football coach Josh Alexander spoke quite highly of incoming freshman quarterback Andrew Smart on Thursday.
Alexander was one of five coaches speaking during the 2026 Oconee Area High School Football Pigskin Preview, joined by fellow coaches from Westminster Academy, Prince Avenue Christian, Oconee County and North Oconee.
During the group panel discussion, Alexander was asked about Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his son Andrew, who is a rising freshman quarterback for the Spartans.
Andrew is the youngest of Smart’s three children, with Weston attending North Carolina and Julia going to Georgia. He’s also the first to play football for Alexander.
“Andrew is an awesome kid,” Alexander said. “He’s really talented, but he’s level-headed. He grew up in those locker rooms, and he knows the deal.”
Despite not having played a down for Athens Academy, Smart is already garnering quite the praise from his coaching staff.
“I heard one of our coaches yesterday say — has 36 years of experience — he said, ‘I’ve never seen an arm like this,’” Alexander said. “And he just turned 14 years old.”
Smart, a 2030 quarterback prospect, is 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds. He has spent the summer leading the Spartans through 7-on-7 competitions.
Through gains made this offseason, Smart earned his first three offers from Georgia Tech, Colorado State and East Tennessee State.
As Smart gets more experience, the offers are expected to continue pouring in. Syracuse coach and former UGA assistant Fran Brown has had his eye on the young quarterback for some time and said during the ACC Kickoff event this month that Smart is a “legit” prospect.
As for Andrew Smart’s father offering, the Georgia coach opted for a curter response.
“He’s got a long way to go,” Kirby Smart said at SEC media days.
His son’s development has been a frequent topic of conversation between the Georgia head coach and Alexander. More than anything, Alexander appreciates seeing one of college football’s biggest names step away from the spotlight and simply cheer on his son.
“He’s super supportive to our community and our team. And you know, I’ve gotten to know Coach Smart, other than the whole football side of things, just because he’s playing dad, and that’s always fun and interesting just to see,” Alexander said.
“They’ve just been so impressive to our community of how involved they are, how philanthropic and giving they are to our community, and Athens Academy just really appreciates everything they do for us.”
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