Pete Nakos of On3 recently reported that the Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart were the smartest spenders of their NIL budget. Multiple sources from different NIL collectives and support staffers from Power Four programs told Nakos that Smart and the Bulldogs potentially saved the most money. Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via […]
Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“Oregon’s big spender. They always are, Texas A&M a big spender. And then, of course, Ohio State.Nebraska is a school that has spent. They were somebody that we competed with a bunch of guys,” a source from a Big 12 NIL collective told On3.
In the same report by Nakos, Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State were mentioned among the biggest spenders across college football.
According to On3’s NIL Valuations, the Buckeyes’ incoming class holds the lowest average NIL value among the top-five. Alabama’s No. 3 recruiting class has the highest average NIL valuation at 9,000. The next most expensive group of signees were Texas’s at 6,000 and Oregon’s at 8,000.
Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class is headlined by five-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair, five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez, and five star wide receiver Quincy Porter.
“Georgia is pretty good with how they spend money. Kirby (Smart) is still able to play off the cache that is Georgia. It’s rare that they ever overspend. When these kids were growing up, Georgia was the program. Georgia is still probably the safest bet in college football if I want to play in meaningful games,” an anonymous source from a collective ACC told On3.
In 2025, the Bulldogs signed four five-star recruits: defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, EDGE Isaiah Gibson, wide receiver Tayln Taylor, and linebacker Zayden Walker. Smart and Georgia signed nine recruits ranked within the top 100 of On3’s rankings.
The 2025 recruiting cycle has essentially reached its end with the conclusion of National Signing Day.
Smart is certainly taking advantage of the success of his program, competing consistently in the College Football Playoff while producing first-round picks in the NFL Draft. Coupled with the retirement of Nick Saban from Alabama, it appears as though Smart is able to sell his experience and ability to develop players.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff landed one of the best recruiting classes in program history, headlined by five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, five-star defensive back Na’eem Offord, and five-star safety Trey McNutt. Four-star defensive backs Brandon Finney and Dorian Brew round out the top-100 recruits committed to Lanning and the Ducks.
