Since committing to the Miami Hurricanes football program, Nixa offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell has been the source of much online argument because of national reports of what he’ll receive in Name, Image and Likeness compensation.

Miami (OH) transfer Reece Potter didn’t know what to expect when he entered the portal in late March — but he certainly didn’t expect things to unfold the way they did in April, then early May. His phone wouldn’t stop ringing, hearing from programs and coaches he never would have imagined would be prioritizing him after two seasons in the MAC.

Among them? North Carolina, Washington, Louisville and UConn.

“It was really crazy. The phone was always ringing with different people talking to you, trying to give their pitch on why you should go to their school,” he told KSR. “It was crazy. It was really cool hearing from all these schools, the Hubert Davises and Dan Hurleys — I mean, it’s just wild. There were some people that I grew up watching and you watch on TV every day. It’s wild for those people — you get that call and it says ‘Maybe: Hubert Davis’ or however it was marked. It’s wild for sure, it was fun.”

Then the text messages and phone calls came in. At that point, it was over.

“Once Kentucky called me, it was like, ‘It’s time, I’m done talking to these people. Let’s get to the business,’” Potter said.

As a Lexington, the opportunity to return home and play for the winningest tradition in college basketball history was too much to pass up. Sure, other schools offered more playing time (and maybe more cash), but Kentucky was selling something money can’t buy.

The process wasn’t immediate, though. He knew immediately he wanted to wear the blue and white, but his parents wanted him to take a deep breath and think through the decision, not committing out of emotion.

“When Kentucky called me, it was a dream come true, but I still had to make the best decision for myself,” he told KSR. “Always in the back of my mind it was like, ‘You’ve got to go there. You have to go there.’ But my parents were very supportive, they were like, ‘Just take your time, just kind of see what’s all out there.’

“Once they contacted me, I took a week to settle down a little bit. Right away, I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m going there. I’m going there.’ My dad was like, ‘Relax, relax. I know that’s your dream school, but just take a week for yourself. Really understand what that would mean for you, if that’s the decision you want.’”

Then a week went by and he was just as excited then as he was when the process started, confirming what he knew from day one: Kentucky was home.

“So after that week, I kind of got down to contacting the other schools, like, ‘What’s the deal here?’ I always knew I was going here, so it was easy after that,” Potter said. “I called my parents, I was like, ‘I’m going there.’ They were like, ‘Yeah, we always knew you were gonna do that, but we just wanted you to make the best decision for yourself.’ So I’m glad it’s over, and I’m glad to be able to be a part of this.”

How is he feeling a little over a week following his commitment, the dust now settled ahead of move-in to open June?

“The decision was a dream come true, for sure. All of the hecticness is out of the way, so now, I’m able to relax and kind of just enjoy this decision I was able to make,” he continued. “It’s setting in, for sure. It’s still a dream come true. I

“‘m just waiting to put on the jersey for the first time and be able to walk out to Rupp Arena. That’s going to be the biggest thing.”

Once a kid watching Kentucky as a fan, he now gets to represent his hometown as a Wildcat himself. Quite the dream come true.

Here is the May 15 edition of The Daily Recap presented by My Perfect Franchise.

The bigger picture

Rivals’ Adam Gorney excellently laid out the practical way to approach what happened between Georgia and offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell, who committed to Miami on Tuesday.

Most felt Cantwell was going to choose Georgia up until the day of his commitment ceremony. However, his relationship with the Miami coaching staff and a hefty NIL compensation package ended up swaying the Hurricanes’ way. While the recruiting loss stings, Gorney pointed out that head coach Kirby Smart is not going to put that kind of money on the line for one player.

While talent is key in college football, there are many other factors involved. After all, no one player is bigger than the overall concept of a team.

“Smart is just not going to push his entire stack into the middle on one player, say, Cantwell,” Gorney wrote. “If the Bulldogs can circle back on five-star Immanuel Iheanacho or make a less-costly run at four-stars Carter Scruggs, Malakai Lee, Ekene Ogboko and others, that might be more rewarding in the end. At least, that’s the bet Smart is making.

“With more NIL money freed up as Cantwell packs his flip flops for South Beach, Georgia can spread more around to multiple offensive linemen, to four-star tight end Mark Bowman, to four-star all-purpose back Derrek Cooper, to five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and others.”

There are numerous approaches to building a roster. Smart’s preferred method in the NIL era is to get as many talented and motivated players on his team. Paying a large sum on one player is going to cut into what the program can afford on other players.

In addition, back in March, Smart said what he wants to see out of young players in his program.

“I want to see the fire,” Smart said. “I want to see the passion, the energy. I want to see who wants to be a good football player. Who really cares about this game. Like, they care more about the game than they do their NIL revenue stream. Like if you really, really, really care about the game and want to be good it doesn’t matter about any kind of money. It matters how I play the game and more and more we’re seeing across college football, the purest, the ones that care about the game the most, play the hardest.”

“And usually the team that plays the hardest wins. I know everybody thinks it’s just whoever is more talented but there is a whole lot to how hard you play and how much you care about it.”

Still a great offensive line

Heading into the 2025 season, Georgia figures to field a great offensive line. In fact, ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic believes the Bulldogs have the best offensive line in the SEC.

“I think last year is a bit of an anomaly for Georgia,” Cubelic said. “Right this second, I am going with Georgia as the No. 1 group. I think injuries got in the way.”

Cubelic is confident in the bulk of Georgia’s line, including center Drew Bobo, who is set to replace Jared Wilson as a starter. Interestingly enough, he said that Earnest Greene is among the few question marks of the group.

“I am going to give Earnest Greene a little bit of a pass, …” Cubelic said. “I’ve seen great football in this kid. It’s out there. The film of Earnest Greene being dominant is there. Consistently can it come back? Maybe, if it does, I think Georgia’s got a chance to be the best offensive line in the SEC.”

Also on UGASports

Film don’t lie: Drew Bobo.

Ryland Zaborowski continues to progress from his elbow injury.

Previewing No. 4 Georgia’s upcoming baseball series against Texas A&M.

One last homestand

Are you a displaced corporate executive or want to put your career in your own hands? Or are you an experienced entrepreneur wanting to diversify? Well, Andy Luedecke can help!

Andy is a longtime Rivals board member, diehard college football fan and franchise veteran. He owns multiple franchises and businesses and uses his expertise to help others find their American Dream through a very thorough and FREE consultation process.

Call Andy, put your life and career in your own hands. It’s 100% free, so what do you have to lose?!!

Find Your Perfect Franchise at MyPerfectFranchise.Net

Contact Andy Luedecke anytime at: andy@myperfectfranchise.net or (404) 973-9901.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart paints a concerning future for college athletics with his latest statement regarding NIL.

College football head coaches are constantly forced to navigate new issues revolving around the league and have seen the sport undergo some massive changes over the past decade. But no other change appears to be more headache-inducing than the emergence of NIL.

While the policy change has been viewed as an overall positive, it has brought forth its fair share of issues. Many of which have created financial ripples throughout college athletics. Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart shared his thoughts on the issue and expressed his desires for the sport moving forward.

“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.” Said Smart. “You know, we’re on the brink of probably one to two years away from a lot of schools cutting sports.”

While football is a massive sport that produces millions of dollars in revenue each season, other sports may be forced to go by the waist-side due to the increase of competitive prices when it comes to fielding a football roster.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a simple fix for the issues that the NIL era of college football presents, and the sport (along with other college athletics) will likely continue to undergo a litany of changes in the near future.