Ludacris Concert at G-Day a Home Run for Georgia Football and Kirby Smart

From the moment Kirby Smart took the job as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, he's been asking 93,000 fans to show up for the annual G-Day Game, which is slated for Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.

He might get his wish—with a little help, of course.

After several musical acts fell through, according to Chip Towers of DawgNation.com, Georgia announced on Thursday that Atlanta-based rapper Ludacris will perform at Sanford Stadium 15 minutes before kickoff.

"Coach Smart wants 93,000 and we want 93,000," junior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said in the release. "We look forward to seeing a great crowd and going out there and competing in a game-like atmosphere."

John Bazemore/Associated Press

It's safe to say that—even though Georgia scrambled and, according to Seth Emerson of DawgNation.com, was approached by Ludacris' representatives on Wednesday—that this is a home run for Georgia and Smart. 

As Radi Nabulsi of UGASports.com notes, it gets the fans excited about a scrimmage that, after the first half, typically includes third-stringers and walk-ons getting work. What's more, the fact that Ludacris approached Georgia and will play in that setting with prospects in attendance will certainly leave a positive impression.

That list of prospects, according to Bob Miller of BulldawgIllustrated.com, includes an all-star list of visitors that includes 5-star corner Deangelo Gibbs, 5-star athlete JaCoby Stevens, 4-star quarterback commit Jake Fromm, 4-star wide receivers Nico Collins, Trey Blount, 4-star tackles Andrew Thomas and Tony Gray, 4-star defensive end Malik Herring, 4-star linebacker Jaden Hunter and 4-star corner William Poole, among many others. 

Not every prospect will like Ludacris. Some might like other genres of music, and that's fine.

But all of them like to have a good time and feel the enthusiasm of a fanbase that has been re-energized with the arrival of Smart and a recruiting class in 2016 that included 5-star pro-style quarterback and early enrollee Jacob Eason.

Omar Vega/Associated Press

Plus, it creates good vibes for the fanbase and the athletic department going into the summer portion of the offseason. 

Fair or not, Smart has become a bit of a lighting rod during his first four months on the job.

The minor dust-up involving the transfer restrictions he put on former running back A.J. Turman blew up into a national controversy (for some reason) in March, and the new Freedom of Information Act law in the state of Georgia that will allow athletics department 90 days to respond to FOIA requests that Smart discussed with lawmakers hasn't exactly gone over well either.

Ludacris' appearance at Sanford Stadium on G-Day will tie a nice bow on a spring session that has been littered with quarterback questions, depth issues at running back, defensive line attrition and the arrests of Julian Rochester, Chad Clay and Jonathan Ledbetter.

The pregame concert might not erase all of that controversy, but it will leave a big impression on recruits, the college football world and should help Smart get much closer to the 93,000 fans he expects for G-Day. 

It's a home run in every aspect.

Quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.