I’ll give him credit, at least Justus Terry is being honest. Not that anyone was wondering how an eleventh hour recruiting pitch wowed one of the top DLs in the 2025 class to Austin Texas.
I thought he wanted to be a barber in California? I digress.
Kirby has gotten a bit a reputation as a great recruiter…but he’s also getting a reputation as a frugal NIL shopper.
I have no doubt that Kirby is maximizing NIL funds, but the idea that Smart is getting guys to come to Georgia in the cheap just because he’s thrifty and shifty is the wrong narrative.
While some NIL deals are making headlines with eight figure deals for select athletes, a recent article from Sports Illustrated shed some light on the payout to athletes:
In fact, and in sticking with college football, the average college football player earns roughly $3,400 a month. Collegiate athletics is a $19 billion industry, with football making up the lion’s share of that revenue. $3,400 a month translates to $40,800 a year, where the normal full-time student makes an average of $3,900 a month, or $46,800 a year.
I know, I know. I certainly didn’t make close to 50k in college and I am aware that compensation is nice in the current state of college athletics…although now it’s just above the table, or so they say.
Regardless, the fact that Carson Beck is making more than Stetson Bennett is more the anomaly than the norm, so if you want to make the big dollars, you still need to develop and the fact that Kirby is churning out record numbers of draftable athletes is still going to get someone to come to Athens for less money for that alone. That will be on full display this Sunday in the Super Bowl.
While the methodology may have changed, the idea that Smart develops relationships and starts building them as early as middle school, while continuing to have the Dan Jacksons and Ladd McConkeys of the football world playing on Saturdays in the Red and Black continues to place Kirby as King of recruiting and player development in the current roster management landscape.
Until you can use that NIL money to buy Kirby’s credibility, Smart will continue to own the recruiting world while others keep reshuffling and restaffing positions with sometimes mixed results.
While it seemed to work for Day, it remains the crucial missing piece for guys like Kiffin and Norvell.
If there’s an discount out there, it’s not on culture.
Bad move on his part. Kirby & Co. are going to coach ‘em up and develop players for the long run – not sure the Texas staff has the same coaching acumen. Looking forward to showing him what’s he’s missing out on this season Between the Hedges!
Kirby doesn’t want the guys (Ex Bear) who put NIL first.
Those are some ridiculous words to use about Kirby and UGA. Thrifty? A steal? Georgia has a top-10 NIL budget, by all accounts. No one is going hungry on the team. Justus Terry picked a better deal in a state with no state income tax to boot. Some
kids picked Georgia because they have a better chance of being drafted after playing there, even while being tempted by offers from other schools that may never come to fruition. End of story. On3 is becoming click-baity.
This was totally intended by people at other collectives (and their negative recruiting head coaches) to take a swipe.
Do I think we’re the leading NIL suitor for every player we end up signing? No.
Kirby has said consistently that a player (or rep or family member) focused on NIL above all probably isn’t going to sign with Georgia … I’m ok with that.
Elijah Griffin > Justus Terry
On3 is definitely connected to the collective industry, but why not attribute the quote to those folks, for proper context?
And yes, Griffin is amazing. He may not be Jalen Carter, but if he can be 90% of Carter he’s still going to dominate in a couple years. And Terry will go back to Georgia. He’s a mama’s boy.
Because those collective contacts don’t want their comments attributed to them.
“Flip from Georgia” … does this TwiX look like someone who was any kind of commitment on signing week Monday back in December?
https://x.com/justusterry80/status/1863603099178238024?s=46
He flipped to USC from UGA and never recommitted.
Just saying what On3 said that he flipped to Texas from Georgia. He was never a public commitment to UGA and was referring schools to his representative the week of signing day.
I have no interest in watching a team of Justus Terrys.
now we see where the no tax on NIL inspiration originated.
At some point I guess there will be a college 5-star draft. These guys will go where they are told, or get nothing. “Welcome to Syracuse Mr. Terry. Don’t worry, you get used to the snow.”
I mentioned this one time to be laughed at, but under a CBA, that’s exactly what we’re going to get.
With this amount of money involved it is inevitable.
What is going to happen is that an athlete will be an employee of the conference … the conference will enter into the CBA (due to state employee organizing laws) with the athletes. The draft will then be run by each conference.
Or … if a super league emerges, that entity will conduct the draft.
Regardless, the law of unintended consequences is a bitch.
I think it is more likely that a CBA will be developed with the Athletic Association of each school to employ players. There is no benefit to players or schools to be part of a league that requires drafting.
There’s no way to have 130 (or 80) different CBAs, and many of the public universities cannot have unionized employees under state law.
Well, if you saw Kirby’s shot out of the rough recently on Twitter, he ain’t spending his time on his short game.
Some of these kids just don’t have the maturity level to realize that the big payday will come later. It’s almost like their thinking is, it’s my money and I want it now with the highest bidder. If Terry were to hit the transfer portal and wanted to come to Georgia, I’m not so sure Kirby would take him.
To be fair, you can break your neck in practice on day one and then your career and future paydays are over. Ask David Pollack.
Do believe if you talk to #47, he’ll tell you “he would not change a thing”, his professional life has taught him a ton about the world as it exists and that he might have a purpose of helping/serving others…GO DAWGS!!
Some out there in the wilderness know and understand CKS’s roster management style, plus his commitment to the “process”, we all know CKS can/will adapt to the past/current/future $tate of college football, recruiting in general…GO DAWGS!!
Feeling a lot like Bear Alexander 2.0
Especially with the bigs, if your motivation is the money and the “now” you might be a waste of cash AND a portal risk.
Guys who play in the trenches have to have some other purpose. If its money and comfort, you may not be cut out for this no matter how big and fast you are.
If we’re offering enough for an apartment, a car, and family support and your still looking, my attitude is bye until you’ve proven you can handle it.
One thing is for sure: college coaches jobs are harder. Drafting players will be much easier because you already know how they handle money.
I’d be interested in seeing the numbers presented to him.
You don’t want someone that is all about the money but it is a factor.
I favor using big NIL money on players you know will be good, not freshmen five stars you expect will be good. Think Brenton Cox.
This is no longer college football. I don’t blame the kids who would benefit from a saner, fairer system. The adults all failed them and I really don’t see how this can possibly be fixed. Professionals with a CBA? Who’s going to force that to happen? Draft? You then have nothing but mercenaries. Guess Fall Saturdays will be for golf and weddings.
The same adults that failed them before are failing them now (but probably getting their taste) and figure it’ll get worse. There’s not going to be some magical the monies work benignly in college but not the pros. Just watch the “Broke” 30 for 30. When things go south financially now as sophomores, instead of five years down the road as professionals just watch he media try and screw over the Universities for it which of course will be passed to the fans. Remember when NIL blows up, it’ll be the fans fault for not watching or for watching or for living, just ask the World Wide Leader – they’ll lecture us accordingly…
Oh well. Hope he’s happy. See him next fall in Athens.
How does a ‘normal full-time student’ make $3900 a month? If that’s true I’m going back to school!
Mr. Terry made a bad mistake. Few players that transfer fell this way.
A love for UGA and a love for Coach Smart.
Brock Vandagriff’s Tough Decision to Leave Georgia
He seemed to be praising Vandagriff’s toughness, competitive spirit, and espressing his feelings about his former quarterback in waiting. Vandagriff spent the previous three years at Georgia, but he never got an opportunity to become the starting quarterback.
But when Carson Beck decided to stay for another season as the starter, Vandagriff decided it was time to transfer and moved to Kentucky.
“It was more of a public display of our relationship that had already been for three to four years,” Vandagriff said. “Probably even longer than that, just with recruiting. That’s how Coach Smart is.”
“I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, coaches in the country.”
Vandagriff stated that it was an extremely difficult choice to leave Georgia’s football team. He always liked the team’s structure, the competitive spirit, and the university itself.
Moreover, he also gained his communications degree from the same university in just over three years.
Smart acknowledged after the Kentucky game that transferring was a challenging decision for Vandagriff.
“The guy cried in my office when he told me he had to leave,” Smart said. “It ate away at him, and I’m really happy for him.”
Smart made an effort to persuade Vandagriff to stay, leading to emotional moments between them. Vandagriff loved his time at Georgia but never got the chance to start for the Bulldogs.
As a competitor, he felt it was time to move on.
“I said, ‘Coach, there’s nothing about Georgia, that’s making me go away,’” Vandagriff said. “I love everything about it. I love every aspect. I love the people, how you run the program, the facilities, everything.”
Karishma Sing
College Football and Sports Network