Today, 04:03 AM
Kirby Smart’s Clear NIL Stance Surfaces as $220K Factor Blocks Major Recruiting Move
-by Soheli Tarafdar
Kirby Smart hit the gas on the recruiting trail this June, landing four top targets in just one week. This might help make up for the mass exodus of 18 players he recently saw. Still, the coach is grappling with the financial ripples. Georgia reportedly lost $5 million in NIL money, making Smart speak up. Will his new money plan cost them a key local recruit?
Smart apparently has no issues with the term ‘pay for play,’ unlike Nick Saban. Nor does he discourage a stable structure that compensates players for their performances. However, Smart now restricts himself from unnecessary spending and is saving for the future. “I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior, and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive. You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.” But this cautious approach might cost them, as they could miss out on a hometown talent.
The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to defensive line recruit Anthony Lonon, a member of the 2026 class. The local product plays for Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. Even though the 6-foot-2, 260-pound defender is currently unranked in the 2026 recruiting cycle, his stats look pretty decent. Lonon recorded 51 tackles, eight sacks, and 15 tackles for a loss during his junior season, helping lead Clarke Central to an 8-2 record.
The analyst added, “I’m sure Georgia State would love to have this kid, but Georgia Tech is in the mix. NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech—I think Mississippi State recently offered as well, so he’s got some offers. I mean he’s just a three-star guy, but he’s got plenty of muscle.” Smart’s Georgia has the top recruiting class in the SEC in the 2026 recruiting cycle. So, even though Lonon will be another piece to the puzzle for Georgia’s 2026 defensive line group featuring Carter Luckie and Seven Cloud, Smart might start taking steps backward.
“If Georgia gives him the green light to jump on board, that’s a guy who could absolutely be in this class, and there’s a lot of potential there. So he may not have five stars next to his name, but those guys are going to cost a lot of money. And I’m telling you right now, this is not the class to be using NIL money on the defensive line. That is next year’s class. Next year 2027, loaded with freak athletes not only on the edge but on the defensive line. So that’s the class where Georgia is going to load up on guys on the front seven.”
But two factors are at play here. First, Kirby Smart’s cash reserves are low, with Georgia’s adjusted NIL value now at just $220k. Second, they’re close to finishing their 2026 class, having already secured 18 recruits. Also, Smart currently has too many other things to deal with.
Kirby Smart needs to find answer to an important question
The Georgia Bulldogs’ defensive line has been listed among the top 10 ahead of the 2025 college football season. However, at the same time, there have been many costly losses. A handful of their primary contributors from last year’s roster are gone. The list includes Mykel Williams, Nazir Stackhouse, and Warren Brinson. With this, coming from the raw numbers standpoint, this group runs thin compared to how it has been over the years.
That’s when Pete Thamel came up with a wake-up call for Smart. “There are a lot of unknowns…I think the defensive lineman, who becomes the true difference maker in the defensive line. Because that to me is the difference between 21 and 22, and what you’ve seen from Georgia in the last few years is that you didn’t have any, especially in the interior. A singular presence that can affect first and second down, especially when teams try to pass against them.” Last season, we witnessed how Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe constantly beat the Georgia defenders to the edge.
So, Kirby Smart needs to find an answer to an important question—ASAP. As Thamel noted, “Who steps up? Is it Elijah Griffin, the true freshman? Does Jordan Hall come back? Does Christen Miller become more than just a run defender? Xzavier McLeod, does he make it out of the big league? Somebody, especially in the interior defensive line, that’s where, to me, is the biggest question.”
Amidst all this concerning news, here comes some good news. He has found a secret weapon in the wide receivers’ room. That’s none other than London Humphreys, who gives off Ladd McConkey vibes. Now that Smart gets his mixed share of good and bad, should he consider stretching a bit more and landing Lonon, even if it leaves his pockets empty?
-by Soheli Tarafdar
Kirby Smart hit the gas on the recruiting trail this June, landing four top targets in just one week. This might help make up for the mass exodus of 18 players he recently saw. Still, the coach is grappling with the financial ripples. Georgia reportedly lost $5 million in NIL money, making Smart speak up. Will his new money plan cost them a key local recruit?
Smart apparently has no issues with the term ‘pay for play,’ unlike Nick Saban. Nor does he discourage a stable structure that compensates players for their performances. However, Smart now restricts himself from unnecessary spending and is saving for the future. “I just want to be able to have a freshman come in and not make more than a senior, and I’d like for other sports to be able to still survive. You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.” But this cautious approach might cost them, as they could miss out on a hometown talent.
The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to defensive line recruit Anthony Lonon, a member of the 2026 class. The local product plays for Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. Even though the 6-foot-2, 260-pound defender is currently unranked in the 2026 recruiting cycle, his stats look pretty decent. Lonon recorded 51 tackles, eight sacks, and 15 tackles for a loss during his junior season, helping lead Clarke Central to an 8-2 record.
The analyst added, “I’m sure Georgia State would love to have this kid, but Georgia Tech is in the mix. NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech—I think Mississippi State recently offered as well, so he’s got some offers. I mean he’s just a three-star guy, but he’s got plenty of muscle.” Smart’s Georgia has the top recruiting class in the SEC in the 2026 recruiting cycle. So, even though Lonon will be another piece to the puzzle for Georgia’s 2026 defensive line group featuring Carter Luckie and Seven Cloud, Smart might start taking steps backward.
“If Georgia gives him the green light to jump on board, that’s a guy who could absolutely be in this class, and there’s a lot of potential there. So he may not have five stars next to his name, but those guys are going to cost a lot of money. And I’m telling you right now, this is not the class to be using NIL money on the defensive line. That is next year’s class. Next year 2027, loaded with freak athletes not only on the edge but on the defensive line. So that’s the class where Georgia is going to load up on guys on the front seven.”
But two factors are at play here. First, Kirby Smart’s cash reserves are low, with Georgia’s adjusted NIL value now at just $220k. Second, they’re close to finishing their 2026 class, having already secured 18 recruits. Also, Smart currently has too many other things to deal with.
Kirby Smart needs to find answer to an important question
The Georgia Bulldogs’ defensive line has been listed among the top 10 ahead of the 2025 college football season. However, at the same time, there have been many costly losses. A handful of their primary contributors from last year’s roster are gone. The list includes Mykel Williams, Nazir Stackhouse, and Warren Brinson. With this, coming from the raw numbers standpoint, this group runs thin compared to how it has been over the years.
That’s when Pete Thamel came up with a wake-up call for Smart. “There are a lot of unknowns…I think the defensive lineman, who becomes the true difference maker in the defensive line. Because that to me is the difference between 21 and 22, and what you’ve seen from Georgia in the last few years is that you didn’t have any, especially in the interior. A singular presence that can affect first and second down, especially when teams try to pass against them.” Last season, we witnessed how Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe constantly beat the Georgia defenders to the edge.
So, Kirby Smart needs to find an answer to an important question—ASAP. As Thamel noted, “Who steps up? Is it Elijah Griffin, the true freshman? Does Jordan Hall come back? Does Christen Miller become more than just a run defender? Xzavier McLeod, does he make it out of the big league? Somebody, especially in the interior defensive line, that’s where, to me, is the biggest question.”
Amidst all this concerning news, here comes some good news. He has found a secret weapon in the wide receivers’ room. That’s none other than London Humphreys, who gives off Ladd McConkey vibes. Now that Smart gets his mixed share of good and bad, should he consider stretching a bit more and landing Lonon, even if it leaves his pockets empty?
