Paul Finebaum hints that new NIL landscape could derail college football powerhouse

Longtime ESPN analyst and SEC pundit Paul Finebaum predicts one of the game's top powers to falter in this season due to challenges stemming from the Name, Image and Likeness world of college football.

Schools have been forced to adapt to a new NIL era in the aftermath of the House settlement. The revenue-share model, allowing schools to allocate up to $20.5 million to athletes this year, is the new status quo.

Despite the settlement's proposed intention to reign-in the unsustainable NIL spending, those lofty deals, sometimes undeserved in terms of on-field performance, continues to a sticking point.

In an appearance on ESPN's "First Take," Finebaum revealed his questions of Georgia and two-time national champion head coach Kirby Smart after an uncharacteristic 2024 campaign.

After not losing a regular season game for the better part of three seasons, the Bulldogs suffered regular season losses to both Alabama and Ole Miss. Smart and Co. responded with their third SEC championship before falling to Notre Dame, 28-10, in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Georgia enters the 2025 season with questions at quarterback after Carson Beck's transfer to Miami on a reported NIL package worth $4.5 million.

Gunner Stockton is the favorite after replacing an injured beck in the SEC title game and playoff appearance. And his first season as the full-time starter features matchups against playoff contenders like Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas.

Those matchups will come at home, but Finebaum isn't high on Stockton, or Georgia as a program in the current NIL landscape.

"This year they have those games at home, so they have a chance," Finebaum said during SEC Media Days. "But I don’t think Georgia has a quarterback, which is what is going to be their undoing. Gunner Stockton did not show me anything in the just epic loss and loss of not only the game, but loss of composure and maybe loss of traction."

"So I think Kirby Smart has a lot to answer for when he gets here this week," Finebaum said. "But, NIL is the reason just to double up on what everybody else has said, there’s just so much going on you, you can’t hold on to your rosters, so you’re going to lose critical backup people or starters that may be the difference between an undefeated season and losing two or three games.”

Georgia's decision to move on from Beck, stick with Stockton and not sign a transfer quarterback will be a talking point all season.

What Smart and his staff do have, as Stockton progresses, is the nation's No. 2 roster. Only Texas ranks higher than the Bulldogs in blue-chip ratio this year.

That's due, in part, to dominant recruiting. While talking heads wonder if Georgia can keep up with the NIL surge, the Bulldogs have yet to finish outside of the top five in recruiting in the last nine years and are coming off the No. 2 class in the 2025 cycle.

The talent will be there for Stockton to be successful, and it's up to the redshirt junior and the Bulldogs to silence the doubters.

That journey will begin in the season opener against Marshall on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m ET (ESPN).