Georgia’s positive NIL reputation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

[Shootist Comitatus]

Georgia’s positive NIL reputation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Story by Trevor Michael



Georgia arguably has been the best program in college football since NIL became legal in college athletics. They are the only school who has won multiple National Championships during that timeframe, so it’s hard to argue against them being the best since NIL began.

Georgia however isn't known for being the biggest spender. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does create some questions on if Georgia’s NIL strategy will work long term.


Georgia’s NIL compliment isn’t as great as it may seem
Kirby Smart knows exactly what Georgia's NIL strategy is. They will not overspend for any one recruit out of high school, but they will reward players who find success once they reach college.

That strategy has earned Georgia the title of being the "smartest" team with their NIL money. But is that actually a good thing?



Georgia got off to a hot start in the NIL era. They won a National Championship the first two seasons NIL was allowed in college athletics and have continued to have great seasons since. But they have been unable to even get close to winning another title.

Georgia did go 12-1 in 2023 and won the SEC in 2024 and 2025, but since winning their last national title they have not won a single playoff game. That is not good enough at Georgia.


The Bulldogs also took a step back in the 2026 recruiting class as they finished No. 6 in the country. A lot of that has to do with losing big time recruitments like five-stars Tyler Atkinson and Jared Curtis, but before NIL those were recruitments Georgia would have won.

So while Georgia has continued to be one of the best teams in the NIL era, there are some cracks in the foundation over the past few years. It isn't to the point where anyone should hit the panic button, but maybe spending their money the "smartest" way isn't as good of a strategy as people think.

This article was originally published on dawnofthedawg.com as Georgia’s positive NIL reputation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.



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[DawgNatty]

With the philosophy we have, you better get it right on the recruits you get out of high school. You could make a decent argument it’s the 180 of what Indiana did…or even Ole Mrs.

Seems like we try to find the balance between spending on new recruits vs portal. Time will tell. Dabo is on line one.

[Shootist Comitatus]

With the philosophy we have, you better get it right on the recruits you get out of high school.  You could make a decent argument it’s the 180 of what Indiana did…or even Ole Mrs. 

Seems like we try to find the balance between spending on new recruits vs portal.    Time will tell.  Dabo is on line one.

Dabo is actually preferred over Smart by your 'Brain Trust' outside of the Butts-Mehre wire. Inside the wire, panic, confusion, and misery & vice would run rampant on a field of angst.

"The phrase "rampant on a field of angst" suggests a situation where anger or frustration is spreading uncontrollably, akin to how a field of weeds can grow thickly and rapidly. In this context, "angst" refers to a profound sense of existential anxiety or dread, often stemming from life's uncertainties and the realization of mortality. The term "rampant" indicates that this anxiety is widespread and uncontrolled, reflecting a state of chaos or unease in one's emotional state."

Edited Insert Courtesy of Wiki and This Poster.

[JC-DAWG83]

With the philosophy we have, you better get it right on the recruits you get out of high school.  You could make a decent argument it’s the 180 of what Indiana did…or even Ole Mrs. 

Seems like we try to find the balance between spending on new recruits vs portal.    Time will tell.  Dabo is on line one.

If lavish NIL spending guaranteed championships, Texas, aTm, OK, Michigan, Miami, Ole Miss, tOSU and Oregon would all be undefeated since day one of the NIL era.

I don't particularly like Dabo, but I agree with his stance on college football for the most part.  My interest in the new pro football league is a shadow of what it was in college football.  I have even lost most of my hate for teams that were our rivals in the past.  It is hard to really dislike a player because he chose a higher paying job at another company as opposed to a player who chose another school because he liked their campus, fans and culture more than he liked Georgia's.

Living and dying by playoff wins will make someone miserable the vast majority of the time.  Only one fan base will be satisfied each year under that plan.  I'll be happy winning the SEC every year.  Whatever happens in the playoff after that is like a totally different season.  Honestly, losing the first playoff game you play in a year probably doesn't suck nearly as bad as losing the championship game.

Reading Shootist's posts, you would think Georgia has been having similar on field results as South Carolina.