Georgia, Kirby Smart land $433K star amid lofty NIL spending spree

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs continue to push for the top high school recruiting class in the 2026 cycle after another key win on Wednesday.

Smart and Co. have yet to finish outside of the top five in recruiting rankings in nine consecutive years. Georgia hauled in the nation's No. 1 class in the 2024 cycle and finished second nationally in the 2025 cycle, per On3.

Part of what makes the Bulldogs such a recruiting power – besides simply winning games and impressive NFL development – is the support from an NIL perspective. According to updated NCAA estimates, UGA is projected to spend $18.3 million in 2025, ranking fourth in the country.

The Bulldogs entered Wednesday with the fifth-ranked class of 2026, holding 17 commitments. That group has been propelled to No. 3 after the pledge of four-star offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, the younger brother of Georgia defensive lineman Nnamdi Ogboko.

Ekene Ogboko (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) plays for South Garner (North Carolina) High School, where he ranks as the No. 6 offensive tackle, the No. 5 player in the state and the No. 68 overall player in his class.

Ogboko was previously also considering Clemson, Notre Dame and Florida. He took official visits to Florida (May 16) and Clemson (May 30) before announcing his commitment to Georgia.

Ogboko's commitment ceremony, held from South Garner high, was a dramatic one. The highly-coveted prospect tossed all four hats aside, inlcuding a UGA cap, before unzipping his jacket and committing to the Bulldogs.