Unlike Ohio State, Texas, Oregon, or Texas Tech, the University of Georgia has never been one to pay a premium price in the NIL era for a player. That’s not how the Bulldogs roll, and it’s not how Kirby Smart rolls. To play for the Bulldogs, you need to pay the price in more sweat and blood than at any program in the country. When asked about Georgia’s NIL roster strategy, the head honcho couldn’t hold back.

“I don’t know that we have the best players or the most talented players or the highest-paid players, but we will have the players that get the most reps and get the most improvement and the most coaching and the most development, and that’s what we sell,” Kirby Smart said on why Georgia’s NIL strategy is better than others.

“So when you look out there and somebody’s like, well, they don’t, you know, those schools don’t practice like y’all do. Well, you know, we got 19 offensive linemen, and not all of them can play, but we got guys out there getting reps.” Smart added.

 

Kirby Smart is drawing a line in the sand: Georgia isn’t going to win by just being the highest bidder. While some schools are basically trying to buy a championship with upfront NIL checks, Kirby is telling recruits that if they only care about the “bag,” Athens might just not be the right place for them.

The two-time natty-winning head coach’s totally fine and couldn’t care any less about Georgia not having the “highest-paid” label or roster because he’s looking for guys who value the work. That said, the money is still there. The Bulldogs pay an average of $165k per athlete across a 105-man roster. But Kirby wants that money to feel earned, not just handed out.

Their highest-paid NIL dough earner has to be their QB, Gunner Stockton, whose NIL is valued at somewhere in the vicinity of $1.2 and $1.4 million. According to his agent, Faryn Healy and Dan Everett of the sports marketing agency Everett Sports Marketing (ESM), confirmed to On3 that the former five-star could have easily earned two to three times more (roughly $3 million to $4.5 million) by just entering the transfer portal. Despite that type of money on the table, Stockton said, ‘Nah, I’m right where I need to be’. Meanwhile, you’ve got WRs in Texas who make almost three times that amount (Cam Coleman – $3.2 million).

There’s a reason Georgia often gets called the 33rd NFL team. Word is, they apparently practice way harder than some of the NFL teams. You could literally hear Kirby Smart screaming at players while walking outside across their training center on the university campus.

The man has produced a staggering 46 NFL Draft picks over the last four years alone, including that insane, record-breaking class of 15 players in 2022. The logic is simple: why take an extra $50k in NIL money now at a smaller school when you can come to Georgia, get coached by the best, and set yourself up for a first-round NFL contract?

Why choose Georgia?

Since Kirby took over, he’s actually had almost the same number of first-round picks (20) as he has total losses (21) in his 10-year tenure.

Kirby’s “secret sauce” is all about the reps and the grind. He pointed out that they have 19 offensive linemen on the roster right now, and even though only five can start, every single one of them is getting coached up like a starter. He wants a roster where the backups are so good they could start anywhere else in the SEC.

The philosophy is simple. Kirby Smart wants dogs on his rosters, who can be developed. He’s looking for guys who aren’t scared of a practice schedule that other schools might think is too intense. It’s a way of filtering out anyone who is only looking for a quick buck and keeping the guys who are hungry to actually play and win.

End of the day, Smart’s betting on the long game. He knows that having a team full of players who have been “coached up” is better than a team of talented players who are just there for the money. It’s his way of making sure Georgia stays at the top of the mountain by keeping the culture centered on hard work.

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