Kirby Smart and Georgia Bulldogs projected to 'let it rip' with NIL spending during 2026 recruiting cycle
In days of NIL, money talks when it comes to recruiting top talent, and the Georgia Bulldogs have fallen a bit short in this area when it comes to competing against other powerhouses. However, that is projected to change. On3's Vice President Steve Wiltfong says Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are gearing up to pay […]
In days of NIL, money talks when it comes to recruiting top talent, and the Georgia Bulldogs have fallen a bit short in this area when it comes to competing against other powerhouses.
However, that is projected to change.
On3's Vice President Steve Wiltfong says Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are gearing up to pay big money to bring in the best talent during the 2026 recruiting cycle and transfer portal.
"I think this is truly the recruiting cycle where we see Kirby Smart and Georgia kind of let it rip a little bit more on the NIL front," Wiltfong said. "I think when he talked to some people, I think he was a little, to a certain degree, I think he thought that people were full of shit at how much they were actually getting, and that Georgia was winning with the way that they were recruiting and developing players internally.
"But to have some misses on the recruiting trail and know that those misses were purely because of NIL, I think we're seeing Georgia arming up in that arena more than ever in 2026."
Outside of NIL, Georgia certainly has a niche for developing and taking players to the next level. In 2024, Georgia had 58 former Dawgs in the NFL.
Now, mix that with more NIL spending, and it will open many, many more doors when it comes to recruiting the best high school players in the nation and landing top talent in the transfer portal.
"Georgia is always going to be a place that when a guy goes in the portal, they're going to have a chance to land them because of the way that they developed NFL talent," Wilftong explains. "The way they get guys ready to play on Sunday.
"And now if they are indeed what I think they are is being more competitive in the NIL space, they have as much to sell as any program on the trail for a portal target and then certainly for a high school recruit."
