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The Million
(Clockwise from top) Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, RSunil Gavskar and Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh Image: Dibyanshu Sarkar / AFP; Arshdeep Singh: Alex Davidson-ICC via Getty Images In 2001, Sachin Tendulkar made headlines for a century that didn’t come off his bat. While, by then, he had already scored a mindboggling 50 tons on the […]

(Clockwise from top) Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, RSunil Gavskar and Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh Image: Dibyanshu Sarkar / AFP; Arshdeep Singh: Alex Davidson-ICC via Getty Images
In 2001, Sachin Tendulkar made headlines for a century that didn’t come off his bat. While, by then, he had already scored a mindboggling 50 tons on the field, this time, he breached the three-figure mark off it. In a first for an Indian athlete, the batting legend signed a Rs100-crore deal with WorldTel, a sports management firm led by the late Mark Mascarenhas.
Tendulkar isn’t a stranger to jaw-dropping numbers. Nearly 12 years after retirement, he still holds the record for the highest international runs. But his five-year deal with the Indian-origin, US-based Mascarenhas wasn’t just a personal milestone—it ushered a cricketing perestroika that reshaped player brand valuations.
As the Think Sports report, jointly authored by Google and Deloitte, states, the Indian sports market is expected to reach $130 billion by 2030, from the present $52 billion; sports sponsorship values in India have grown at triple the pace of global deals. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, the cricketer who took up the mantle from Tendulkar as not only his generation’s most celebrated cricketer but also the most marketable athlete, touched $227.9 million in brand valuation, up $51 million year-on-year (as per the Kroll Celebrity Valuation Report, 2023; Kohli’s valuation would have multiplied since).
Among the top 20 most valued celebrities on that list are five athletes, all of whom are cricketers. As two of them—Kohli and Rohit Sharma (valued at $41 million)—have announced their retirement from Test cricket, and a team led by Shubman Gill begins its first assignment in an away series against England, the search for cricket’s next iconic brand stands second only to the quest for a batter who can fill in for Kohli at No 4.
“Transition periods are interesting because they create a fresh playground for cricketers to build their equity,” says Ajimon Francis, managing director of Brand Finance India, a valuation consultancy. “The England series has been a tough challenge for most Indian teams and captains. It will be a baptism by fire for Shubman and will help him define his character and equity.”
A New Innings
Gill, the batter, will have a point to prove for his not-so-enviable record in bowler-friendly SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, where he averages 25ish in 21 innings—in six Test innings against England, he aggregates a modest 88 runs. But into a new role as a captain and helming a generation that’s in transition, he will have the comfort of a clean slate to work with. Besides, his career stats prove he’s no pushover. While 2024 has been a mixed bag—especially compared to 2023 when he was the year’s most prolific international batter—Gill is showing signs of resurgence this year, having already notched two centuries and as many fifties in nine innings.
The uptick isn’t just on the pitch, but also reflects in a growing commercial footprint—sources say Gill has about a dozen brands in his portfolio, ranging from legacy companies like Nike and Coca-Cola to startups like My11 Circle; his annual endorsement income has risen from Rs40 crore last year to around Rs60 crore now.
A bunch of athlete managers that Forbes India spoke to concur that the 25-year-old is the frontrunner in emulating the brand worth of Tendulkar and Kohli. The fact that their anointed heir was recently onboarded by MRF—a logo that most cricket fans have come to associate with the two Indian greats—is a symbolism hard to miss. Gill’s three-year bat sponsorship deal with the tyre manufacturer comes for a reported Rs35 crore.
“He’s young, he’s become captain early, there is a classical flair to how he plays,” says Santosh Desai, MD and CEO of Futurebrands Consulting. “Plus, he’s seen in the ‘right’ social circles, has the right persona. Gill has the potential to become a celebrity over and above being a hero.”
The last bit, adds Desai, is as important in building a cricketer’s brand as performance. “Performance is the start of everything; it brings in endorsements. But, while almost every cricketer will do endorsements, only some will shape up to be iconic brands,” he says. “They have to mean something in the larger picture.”
Tendulkar, for example, dominated fast bowlers at a time playing pace used to be an Achilles heel for Indians, Kohli’s high-octane intensity became aspirational, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ability to stay unflappable under pressure sustained his brand equity much after his heydays. Even five years after his international retirement, the TAM-AdEx India Celebrity Endorsement Report 2024 ranks Dhoni fourth among the top 10 most visible endorsers on television, with a cumulative 12.5 hours/day of ad visibility across channels. “On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah has been the best bowler in the world for quite some time, but doesn’t yet represent something larger that makes him an iconic brand,” adds Desai.
It’s also a quirk of the Indian milieu—where bowlers lag batters in popular recall—that gives the likes of Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal an edge in the brand game. While Bumrah, a batch senior, has consistently led the bowlers in valuation, Gill had already earned a spot ahead of him in Kroll’s 2023 report, ranking sixth among cricketers.
Also read: IPL 2025: How the brand game gets bigger and better
The Brand-Story Partnership
At the heart of brand-building lies storytelling beyond mere statistics. Take, for example, 23-year-old Jaiswal’s stellar ascent from selling pani puri in Mumbai to being an all-format cricketer for India, with five international centuries and 15 fifties. “It’s a story of determination. If you are smart, you will build his brand leveraging that aspect,” Desai says further.
It’s an entry point brands have zeroed in on already. In about two years since his international debut, Jaiswal’s surge as a gritty opener has seen him bag 10 endorsements; sources estimate his fees to have gone up 2.5x to 3x during this period, ranging between Rs1.25 crore and Rs1.5 crore. Jaiswal was also the fourth-most visible cricketer on television ads during IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025—after Dhoni, Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav—with a 6.4 percent share of ad volumes, according to the TAM Celebrity Endorsement Report.
Last April, audio and hearables company boAt signed him on as an ambassador, inspired by his story of “resilience, ambition, and hustle”. “Much like our early partnerships with Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer or Jasprit Bumrah, we see Yashasvi as part of that same continuum—young, hungry and on the cusp of greatness. His rise mirrors the aspirations of young India,” says Aman Gupta, co-founder and CMO.
How brands love a story is evident from the upward trajectory of Rishabh Pant, who now endorses 25 brands, a 100 percent increase from two years ago, when he was recovering from a near-fatal car crash that took place in December 2022. Industry insiders say the endorsement fees for Pant, the vice captain for the England tour, have also doubled since his accident, to reach somewhere around Rs2.5 crore to Rs3 crore.
In December, the keeper-batter became the most expensive player in the IPL mega auction, commanding a price tag of Rs27 crore from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)—his team has since closed or is on the verge of closing 10-odd deals, all but one of which are long-term associations. “With Pant, you have an individual who is loved by fans across generations. He has an inspirational story—the way he has come back with the T20 World Cup, the IPL auction, Team India leadership role and as arguably the best ever Test keeper-batter for India is a story for the ages. It has also earned him an acknowledgement from the Laureus World Sports Awards. We’ve seen a significant increase in his portfolio since the accident,” say Indranil Das Blah and Anant Arora, Pant’s business managers.
The Playbook
While a compelling narrative remains a leitmotif across generations, brand-building itself has undergone a sea change, given the exposure to 24×7 media and the rise of social media. “When Sachin was coming up, it was one-way communication—you saw the guy from afar and weren’t yearning to get close to him,” says Hemant Dua, CEO of the Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket (MLC), the newly minted T20 franchise league in the US. “Now, fans can be close to the players every day on social media. How you capitalise on that is the key.” As a result, brand-building has become way more challenging despite the ease of resources.
Even players have woken up to the omnipresence of digital media and the onslaught of snacky, round-the-clock content: Sharma has a dedicated four-member team to film content for social media, Shreyas Iyer doesn’t mind dancing for Instagram reels, Gill travels with a cameraman for BTS footage that his team is archiving for the future, while R Ashwin hosts a YouTube channel that already has 1.71 million followers. Compare that to Rahul Dravid, a batting legend and a World Cup-winning coach, who has a 20+ brand roster with zero presence on social media.
“The younger generation understands media currency and how to build their commercial legacy, which is why most deals aren’t about a day or a year, as it would have been in the past. It has transcended to what value am I creating for myself,” says an athlete manager on condition of anonymity. “For example, if it’s a young brand onboarding a young athlete, it doesn’t take them a minute to start a new line with a cricketer’s name. Fifteen years ago, it wouldn’t happen with every other cricketer. The more the market opens up and more the younger companies, more are the opportunities for an athlete to not just do endorsements but actually build a brand.”
As a result, the nature of deals has also changed from purely linear contracts to some that are a mix of endorsement and investment (equity plus cash deals), says Vishal Jaison, co-founder, Baseline Ventures, a player management agency. It’s a trend that has found global resonance—tennis legend Roger Federer is estimated to have earned around $360 million, 3x of his on-court earnings, from a 3 percent equity stake in Swiss running shoe company On. In India, the likes of Tendulkar, Kohli and Dhoni are known to have done a rash of equity and investment deals—Kohli’s latest is in Agilitas, a sports and athleisure brand, that he chose over renewing a reported Rs300 crore deal with Puma. “It helps them diversify their portfolio and enhance the scope of their brand,” says Joshney John, director and sales head, ITW Universe, sports, entertainment and media consultants.
But jumping headlong into equity deals might be a little premature for the younger generation, says the manager quoted earlier. “At 27/28, they might not be enthused about a brand they are now at 22/23, so equity deals are more appropriate for a time when their career has matured a bit. But the fact that they’re asking whether there is an investment Option on the table suggests how involved and aware the young players are now when it comes to brands.”
Also read: There will always be market for premium cricket content: Venu Nair
IPL vs International
That age is just a number in cricket was recently driven home by a 14-year-old from Bihar, who became the youngest player to debut in the IPL. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who turned out for the Rajasthan Royals and ended up hitting the second-fastest century in the tournament, is seen as someone with not just the firepower of hitting sixes but also catching the fancy of brands. To grab him young, of course, but also to tap into his background to foray into middle India.
“He’s going to appeal amazingly to Tier II, Tier III cities—he comes from one, he speaks in Hindi, he looks like the boy-next-door. Seeing him play gives an aspiration to the youngsters, especially those aged between 14 and 20,” says Dua of Seattle Orcas, who was earlier CEO of IPL team Delhi Capitals. “He has been selected for the India U-19 team that’s travelling to England, his performance there will be a key factor for his brand value.”
While the IPL may be a catapult to the big league, it doesn’t supersede, only complements, international performance when it comes to brand equity. Arshdeep Singh debuted in the IPL in 2019, but one of the first inflection points in his brand journey came after the T20I World Cup in 2022, where he became India’s highest wicket-taker, and followed it up with being the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament in India’s victorious World Cup campaign in 2024. “His endorsement count doubled over the next six months,” says Avinash Mishra, who manages Singh.
From three brands in 2023, Singh now has 12, while his endorsement revenues have increased 2.5x. “IPL serves as a mass visibility platform—delivering high-frequency, high-decibel exposure. International cricket, on the other hand, builds trust, credibility and legacy. Together, IPL builds momentum and mass appeal, while international performance reinforces depth and reputation,” adds Mishra.
Singh’s bowling partner Prasidh Krishna, too, has witnessed a growth in the volume and value of his endorsements since his Test debut in December 2023—in 2025, his endorsements fees have doubled. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made his India debut in two formats in 2024 following a breakthrough IPL season, now has five sponsors, up from just the one bat sponsor last year. “Brand value is ultimately a factor of relevance and perception. Larger the performance, larger the stage, greater the impact. For that reason, being a cricketer for Team India will always reign supreme,” says Rahul Sawhney, Reddy’s agent.
Reddy—who scored a century in the Boxing Day Test match during India’s recent Test series against Australia—has been picked up by Hublot and Puma, brands that were earlier endorsed by Sharma and Kohli, respectively. “Globally, Puma has strategically invested in young and promising athletes. Usain Bolt, for example, was signed as our ambassador at 16. With sporting legends retiring now, we want to tap new potential. Nitish is an outcome of this very strategy,” says Karthik Balagopalan, MD, Puma India.
Who among these cricketers will turn into an iconic brand is an answer the next decade will provide. As Gill takes guard in England with his new-look team, the test for him will be to step up to the rarefied levels of the Tendulkars and the Kohlis. In more ways than one.
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Baseball Earns ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State baseball team was honored for its academic success by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), as the Wildcats received the Team Academic Excellence Award for the 2024-25 season. The award, established in 2016, recognizes high school and college teams coached by ABCA members that achieve a cumulative team GPA […]

The award, established in 2016, recognizes high school and college teams coached by ABCA members that achieve a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale during the academic year. This year, 440 college programs and nearly 300 high school programs were recognized for their academic achievement.
The Wildcats posted a 3.24 team GPA for the 2024-25 academic year, while four student-athletes – catcher Bear Madliak, outfielder Keegan O’Connor, and pitchers Ty Ruhl and Lincoln Sheffield – earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester.
K-State was one of nine Big 12 schools to earn the award, marking the program’s second time receiving the honor and the first since the 2016-17 season.
The American Baseball Coaches Association has a long tradition of recognizing the achievements of baseball coaches and student-athletes. The ABCA/Rawlings All-America Teams are the nation’s oldest, founded in 1949, and the ABCA’s awards program also includes the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Awards, the ABCA/Diamond Regional & National Coaches of the Year and several other major awards such as the ABCA Hall of Fame and the Ethics in Coaching Award.
Under seventh-year head coach Pete Hughes, the Wildcats concluded the 2025 season with an overall record of 32-26, including a record-breaking 17 conference victories. K-State advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, marking the program’s first back-to-back appearances since 2010–11.
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USC’s Alijah Arenas Reportedly Tears Meniscus in Blow to Upcoming Season
Nearly three months after his involvement in a frightening car accident, USC guard Alijah Arenas has reportedly suffered another setback. Arenas has torn his meniscus and is expected to be sidelined for at least six to eight months, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from veteran basketball reporter Chris Haynes. The 18-year-old son of former […]

Nearly three months after his involvement in a frightening car accident, USC guard Alijah Arenas has reportedly suffered another setback.
Arenas has torn his meniscus and is expected to be sidelined for at least six to eight months, according to a Wednesday afternoon report from veteran basketball reporter Chris Haynes.
The 18-year-old son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is a rising freshman who chose the Trojans over a slew of other top basketball programs, including both Kansas and Kentucky. A native of Oakland who played high school basketball in Los Angeles, Arenas represented the West team in this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game.
On April 24, Arenas was placed into a medically induced coma after a Tesla Cybertruck he was driving crashed and caught fire. Two people pulled him to safety, and he did not suffer any major injuries; he was placed in a coma due to smoke he inhaled in the fire.
USC’s 2026 men’s basketball schedule has not been released, but should begin around early November.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
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Eli Manning Invests in XTech Youth Sports Safety Gear
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has made a strategic move into the sports equipment sector by investing in XTech, a company specializing in protective gear for athletes. The investment, announced on July 24, 2025, positions Manning as both a financial backer and brand ambassador for XTech, which is […]


Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has made a strategic move into the sports equipment sector by investing in XTech, a company specializing in protective gear for athletes. The investment, announced on July 24, 2025, positions Manning as both a financial backer and brand ambassador for XTech, which is aiming to expand its footprint in the burgeoning youth sports market. This deal underscores Manning’s growing portfolio of post-retirement business ventures, blending his celebrity status with targeted investments in consumer-facing brands.
Details of the investment remain undisclosed in terms of exact figures, but sources indicate it’s part of a broader funding round for XTech, a firm known for its innovative padding and protective equipment used in football and other contact sports. Manning’s involvement comes at a time when the company is pushing to differentiate itself through technology-driven products that emphasize safety and performance, particularly for younger players.
XTech’s Market Push and Manning’s Role
According to a report from CNBC, XTech is leveraging Manning’s endorsement to penetrate the youth segment, where participation in organized sports has seen steady growth despite economic pressures. The company, founded in 2010, produces items like shoulder pads and helmets incorporating advanced materials for better impact absorption, and Manning’s star power is expected to boost visibility among parents and coaches concerned about concussion risks.
Manning, who retired from the NFL in 2020 after a 16-year career, expressed enthusiasm for XTech’s focus on innovation. “I’ve always been passionate about player safety, and XTech is at the forefront of that,” he told CNBC in an interview. This aligns with his personal brand, built on durability and leadership during his Giants tenure.
Broadening Investment Portfolio
This isn’t Manning’s first foray into business. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) from earlier in 2025 highlight his involvement in other ventures, such as joining Brand Velocity Partners in 2022 to advise on brand development, and his role in Omaha Productions, a media company co-founded with brother Peyton that recently reached an $800 million valuation following a venture capital round, as reported by Axios. These moves show Manning diversifying beyond sports commentary into equity stakes.
Additionally, a Bloomberg report from April 2025 noted Manning assembling an investment group to bid for a stake in the New York Giants, though that effort appears separate from his XTech deal. Such activities reflect a trend among retired athletes turning to private equity and startups to maintain influence and generate returns.
Youth Sports Boom and Competitive Edge
The youth sports market, valued at around $19 billion in the U.S. alone, is projected to grow amid increasing parental investment in children’s activities, per data from industry analyses. XTech aims to capture a slice by emphasizing customizable, high-tech gear that meets evolving safety standards from organizations like the NFL and NCAA.
Competitors like Riddell and Schutt dominate the space, but XTech’s niche in premium, performance-oriented products could gain traction with Manning’s backing. As noted in NBC New York coverage echoing the CNBC story, this investment mirrors strategies by athletes like Serena Williams and Kevin Durant, who have funneled capital into wellness and tech brands.
Strategic Implications for XTech
For XTech, Manning’s participation extends beyond capital; his network could open doors to endorsements from current NFL players and partnerships with leagues. Industry insiders suggest this could accelerate XTech’s expansion into international markets, where youth football is gaining popularity in Europe and Asia.
However, challenges remain, including supply chain issues and regulatory hurdles on equipment standards. Still, Manning’s track record—evident in the success of BBQGuys, another Brand Velocity-backed venture he supported—bodes well for XTech’s trajectory.
Long-Term Outlook and Athlete Investments
Looking ahead, this deal highlights the evolving role of celebrity athletes in consumer goods. A report from The Athletic on July 23, 2025, drew parallels between Manning’s career and emerging talents, underscoring his enduring appeal. If XTech scales successfully, it could yield significant returns for Manning while advancing sports safety.
Ultimately, as posts on X from outlets like Front Office Sports illustrate, Manning’s business acumen is reshaping how retired stars engage with industry, potentially inspiring more such partnerships in the years to come. With the sports equipment sector poised for innovation, this investment marks a calculated step in Manning’s post-NFL chapter.
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Carolina Football Sells Out All Tickets Ahead Of 2025 Season
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NIL promises made to recruits, now coaches wait for key decision to learn whether they can keep them – WFTV
LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Next week, college football coaches can put the recruiting promises they have made to high school seniors on paper. Then the question becomes whether they can keep them. Uncertainty over a key element of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that is reshaping college sports has placed recruiters on a […]

LAS VEGAS — (AP) — Next week, college football coaches can put the recruiting promises they have made to high school seniors on paper.
Then the question becomes whether they can keep them.
Uncertainty over a key element of the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement that is reshaping college sports has placed recruiters on a tightrope.
They need clarity about whether the third-party collectives that were closely affiliated with their schools and that ruled name, image, likeness payments over the first four years of the NIL era can be used to exceed the $20.5 million annual cap on what each school can now pay players directly. Or, whether those collectives will simply become a cog in the new system.
Only until that issue is resolved will many coaches know if the offers they’ve made, and that can become official on Aug. 1, will conform to the new rules governing college sports.
“You don’t want to put agreements on the table about things that we might have to claw back,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day explained at this week’s Big Ten media days. “Because that’s not a great look.”
No coach, of course, is going to fess up to making an offer he can’t back up.
“All we can do is be open and honest about what we do know, and be great communicators from that standpoint,” Oregon’s Dan Lanning said.
Aug. 1 is key because it marks the day football programs can start sending written offers for scholarships to high school prospects starting their senior year.
This process essentially replaces what used to be the signing of a national letter of intent. It symbolizes the changes taking hold in a new era in which players aren’t just signing for a scholarship, but for a paycheck, too.
Paying them is not a straightforward business. Among the gray areas comes from guidance issued earlier this month by the newly formed College Sports Commission in charge of enforcing rules involved with paying players, both through the $20.5 million revenue share with schools and through third-party collectives.
The CSC is in charge of clearing all third-party deals worth $600 or more.
It created uncertainty earlier this month when it announced, in essence, that the collectives did not have a “valid business purpose.” if their only reason to exist was ultimately to pay players. Lawyers for the players barked back and said that is what a collective was always met to be, and if it sells a product for a profit, it qualifies as legit.
The parties are working on a compromise, but if they don’t reach one they will take this in front of a judge to decide.
With Aug. 1 coming up fast, oaches are eager to lock in commitments they’ve spent months, sometimes years, locking down from high school recruits.
“Recruiting never shuts off, so we do need clarity as soon as we can,” Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork said. “The sooner we can have clarity, the better. I think the term ‘collective’ has obviously taken on a life of its own. But it’s really not what it’s called, it’s what they do.”
In anticipating the future, some schools have disbanded their collectives while others, such as Ohio State, have brought them in-house. It is all a bit of a gamble. If the agreement that comes out of these negotiations doesn’t restrict collectives, they could be viewed as an easy way to get around the salary cap. Either way, schools eyeing ways for players to earn money outside the cap amid reports that big programs have football rosters worth more than $30 million in terms of overall player payments.
“It’s a lot to catch up, and there’s a lot for coaches and administrators to deal with,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said, noting the terms only went into play on July 1. “But I don’t think it’s unusual when you have something this different that there’s going to be some bumps in the road to get to the right place. I think everybody is committed to get there.”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, whose program tapped into the transfer portal and NIL to make the most remarkable turnaround in college football last season, acknowledged “the landscape is still changing, changing as we speak today.”
“You’ve got to be light on your feet and nimble,” he said. “At some point, hopefully down the road, this thing will settle down and we’ll have clear rules and regulations on how we operate.”
At stake at Oregon is what is widely regarded as a top-10 recruiting class for a team that finished first in the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff last year along with three other teams from the league.
“It’s an interpretation that has to be figured out, and anytime there’s a new rule, it’s how does that rule adjust, how does it adapt, how does it change what we have to do here,” Lanning said. “But one thing we’ve been able to do here is — what we say we’ll do, we do.”
___
AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Georgia Bulldogs News
Georgia football finally had a good day on the recruiting trail on Wednesday after Rivals updated their recruiting rankings. On top of that, a former Bulldog fan favorite had a lot of positive things to say about his time at Georgia even after transferring away from the program. But the biggest story to drop on […]


Georgia football finally had a good day on the recruiting trail on Wednesday after Rivals updated their recruiting rankings. On top of that, a former Bulldog fan favorite had a lot of positive things to say about his time at Georgia even after transferring away from the program.
But the biggest story to drop on Wednesday came in the form Georgia’s future quarterback having his future NIL deal leaked.
Jared Curtis is coming to Georgia on a cheap NIL deal
Most would assume that five-star QB Jared Curtis would be receiving a pretty hefty NIL deal to come to Georgia. While that is the case, it is nowhere near as large as some other top QBs are receiving.
According to On3, Curtis will make $750,000 during his first season at Georgia in 2026. Now compare that to the roughly $2.6 million Bryce Underwood, who was the No. 1 QB in the 2025 recruiting class, will make on average per year at Michigan and it’s easy to see how great of a deal this is for Georgia.
Curtis will likely make more money as his career at Georgia takes off, but either way the Bulldogs are getting Curtis in Athens on a very team friendly deal.
Georgia still sits atop SEC team recruiting rankings
Alabama and Texas have been the hottest teams in the SEC on the recruiting trail over the last couple weeks. Meanwhile Georgia has only been able to earn a couple commitments. Even though that is the case, UGA still has the No. 1 recruiting class in the SEC after an update to Rivals 2026 recruiting rankings.
The Bulldogs still trail USC for the No. 1 class in the country, but Georgia needs just one more commitment to surpass the Trojans.
Carson Beck finally speaks fondly of Georgia
The relationship between Georgia and Carson Beck has been iffy at best since Beck decided to transfer from Georgia to Miami. However, it appears that Beck has no negative feelings about his time at UGA based on the below statement he made at ACC Media Days this week.
”I wouldn’t be the person or player I am today without Georgia, and I’ll always be a Bulldog, I am very appreciative of my time there.”
Sure Georgia fans may still have some negative feelings towards Beck for the way he left the program, but if he is ready to move on then it is probably best for Georgia fans to as well. Beck did a lot of good things at Georgia, so he should be celebrated for those moments even though his time in Athens didn’t end how anyone expected.
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