Nearly every coach at SEC Media Days has been asked in one way or another about the role of Name, Image, and Likeness in modern-day recruiting. Still, few coaches have had as strong a response as Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who called the notion that NIL is more important than other factors an “insult” to players.
Kirby Smart: Calling NIL a Priority in Recruiting an “Insult” to Players
Almost every SEC head coach has been asked about NIL, but Smart really seemed to take exception to the question.
Georgia HC Kirby Smart gives his thoughts on navigating NIL in recruiting and how it has changed since its inception. pic.twitter.com/Cf5P1nLF8H
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In a candid moment, Smart defended players and recruits from the notion that they only care about money.
“It’s a mistake to believe that all players lead with [NIL] or that’s their primary objective,” Smart said.
“I think that would be an insult to high school football players and really an insult to all people being recruited … I don’t get to the finish line of official visits where that’s the primary objective. If it is, we’re probably not getting to that point. We’re probably not gonna be in the conversation if that’s the primary objective.”
Georgia, Smart says, has so much more to offer than a quick pay day and he’s right. Few teams have the NFL pedigree of the Bulldogs in recent seasons and the Bulldogs give recruits one of the best opportunities to play for a championship at the college level.
The new realm of NIL may be difficult to navigate, but that doesn’t mean that Smart hates the idea of players getting paid.
“I’m happy that these kids have the opportunity to improve their situation,” Smart said. “That doesn’t bother me at all … I’ve gotten less attached and said ‘you know what, if it’s better for that young man because of a financial difference between us and another school, I respect that decision … I have to worry about the players that we do get.”
It should be said that Georgia can probably get several players without the same level of financial incentive because of all the other factors, but still, Smart doesn’t seem as worried as some other coaches in the SEC.
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