Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Recruiting rivalry is brewing between two college football powerhouses with different NIL strategies

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By JC Shelton | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 3:54 PM ET

The 2026 recruiting cycle has been an intriguing one for both Georgia and Miami, as the two college football giants continue to battle for some of the nation's top prospects while seemingly using different NIL strategies.

The recruitment of five-star offensive tackle and No. 1 overall player Jackson Cantwell came down to Kirby Smart's Bulldogs and Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes back in May.

That close race was ultimately won by Miami, which reportedly inked Cantwell to an NIL package that is worth $2 million in the first year. That is substantial money for any player, much less one that has yet to take a snap of college football.

Miami, holding the nation's No. 11 class, came in fifth among the top NIL spenders to this point in 2025, according to an On3 Poll.

Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

“Well we’ve always been very well established," Cristobal said of Miami's NIL dealings at ACC Media Day. "We’ve always been compliant, and we’ve been aggressive in the right kind of way and use it in a formative fashion that benefits our program and our players."

On the other side, Smart and Co. appear to be offering NIL deals, at least within the high school ranks, that give Georgia more leeway elswhere.

No. 1 quarterback Jared Curtis marked the Bulldogs' biggest addition in their No. 2 ranked class of 2026. The five-star was down to Georgia and Oregon before re-committing to UGA.

Interestingly, Curtis is slated to make approximately $750,000 in his first year in Athens, according to On3. It's unknown how Curtis' other NIL offers stacked up, but he likely could have earned more at another school given his pedigree.

“We sell relationships over transactions,” Smart said at SEC Media Days. "We think the relationship still wins out because the relationship allows you to push people and demand excellence, and we’re going to continue to do that at Georgia."

The Bulldogs have lost out on other targets to Miami, too. Four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford and four-star Jontavious Wyman both flipped to the Hurricanes after previously being committed to Georgia.

Cristobal and Co. have also being on the other side, losing out on in-state, four-star cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick and Georgia tailback Jae Lamar to the Bulldogs.

"Maybe this inter-conference battle is one recruiting cycle long, but it seems to be only heating up," Rivals' Adam Gorney wrote.

Given the substantial NIL backing for Miami and Smart's proven success on the recruiting trail, it would be a surprise to see this competition cool down. And both programs are located close by in talent-rich states, with plenty of history as winning programs to entice recruits, too.

This article first appeared on NIL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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