Georgia Football Star Quarterback’s NIL Deal Features Intriguing Clause

In the NIL landscape of today’s college football, commitments from recruits are never set in stone.

Top prospects have backed off initial commitments to test name, image, and likeness opportunities, but, as is often the case, the grass isn’t always greener.

That was the case with future Georgia Bulldogs five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, who On3 Sports reports committed a second time to the program on Monday.

After initially choosing Georgia football, Curtis elected to explore his options, ultimately deciding between the Bulldogs and Oregon Ducks. 

Jared Curtis’ NIL contract details

While NIL played a role in the process, Brooks Austin, lead editor for Bulldogs On SI, reports that Curtis actually took less money than he would’ve stood to make at Oregon.

“He took a pay cut coming to Georgia compared to what he was going to get at Oregon,” Austin said. “I don’t know the number there, but I’ve been told it’s considerably higher — noticeably higher was the wordage, I believe.” 

Curtis reportedly will make between $600k and $800k in his freshman season, with a bump to $1.2 to $1.4 million in 2027. Austin notes that the contracts are all back-loaded at Georgia, a contrast from programs hoping to entice recruits with high amounts upfront.

What gets intriguing is Curtis’ contract entering year three. Depending on his performance, the two sides will look to renegotiate based on a critical factor—whether he’s the starter under center for the Bulldogs.

Should that be the case, they’ll elect to look at the market value of starting quarterbacks, in which starters are set to earn over $3 million in 2025, with stars like Duke’s Darian Mensah and Miami’s Carson Beck reportedly adding one million to that number.

It’s a fascinating clause, considering pay-for-performance is prohibited in college football. However, Georgia may have found a fair loophole in adding a clause in for the third year outright.

Starters at premium positions are likely renegotiating their NIL deals each season, often midway through it, but nothing explicit has been made the norm of contracts containing performance-based escalators.

By 2027, that might not even be the case, as college football chaotically transforms by the day.