The Georgia football team is gearing up for another run at the College Football National Championship—especially after the disappointing way last season ended. Georgia earned a first-round bye for winning the SEC Tournament under the new 12-team College Football Playoff format. However, the week off appeared to work against them, as they went on to lose 23–10 to Notre Dame.
Just a few days ago, the Bulldogs missed out on a top-tier prospect in Jackson Cantwell. Many believed Cantwell would follow recent Georgia commit Jared Curtis, but instead, he chose Miami. Rumors quickly circulated that Miami offered Cantwell $2 million in NIL money to commit, prompting Cantwell to address the speculation—particularly comments made by Pete Nakos.
“I think my response to it is it’s not the same narrative people like Pete Nakos are pushing right now,” Cantwell said. “I think there’s just a false narrative that that’s why I’m choosing. I think relationships won out with Miami. That was kind of what did it for me. I mean, they spent the most time with me. They put the most effort into recruiting me.”
Kirby Smart later addressed the controversy surrounding Cantwell and the growing impact of NIL in college football.
“It's confusing. A lot of misleading information out there," Smart said. "Nobody really knows what's accurate. A lot of schools are approaching it in different ways. We hear something different from every school. So I don't think anybody really knows."
Smart also expanded on his concerns about NIL during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, warning about its broader effects on college athletics.
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“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,” Smart said.
NIL is rapidly changing the landscape of college athletics. Players now have significantly more control over what they can receive from schools, and Smart is clearly worried that this shift could endanger some athletic programs.