"NIL gonna cost Kirby Smart & the Dawgs" - Fans go mad at Georgia LB making Missouri move after SEC championship

The Georgia Bulldogs under coach Kirby Smart were the AP Preseason Poll No. 1 ranked team and were favorites for the national championship, but they fell just short after losing 23-10 to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl. Despite winning the Southeastern Conference championship game, the Bulldogs fell short of preseason expectations.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs were dealt a further blow when linebacker, Damon Wilson, announced that he had joined the Missouri Tigers via the transfer portal. He tallied 22 tackles, 6 for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three sacks in 14 games this season.

College football fans on X had mixed reactions to Wilson leaving Kirby Smart's team.

Some fans pinpointed Wilson's transfer as proof that the players were choosing NIL money over ambitious projects.

"NIL gonna cost Kirby and the Dawgs a Saban-like run of championships,' one fan said.

"A Saban-like run won't happen with NIL and the portal. That day is over," another fan said.

"Mizzou brought the bag," one fan said.

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When Kirby Smart pointed out the pitfalls of NIL

During an episode of the "Five-Star Flex" podcast in July 2024, charismatic Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart revealed the most astonishing demands that he got from potential recruits during his recruitment visits in the NIL era.

"Whether it's cars or tickets, that's the one that gets me. ... When somebody comes in talking about, 'Well, I need 50-yard line seats,' that's not within my control," Smart said. "That's not within our power. Nobody is gonna do that. ... When you go to the NFL, they make you pay for your tickets.

“I think it’s a mistake to assume that all players lead with that (NIL money), or that’s the 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."

Smart further revealed a recruitment secret that he learned as a coach under retired Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who pinpointed the new NIL era as one of the reasons for his surprise retirement.

"The home base that I get to recruit from, we always talked about it when I worked for him (Saban) for nine years," Kirby Smart said. "We had great starters when I was at Alabama from Georgia and vice versa. We have had a few players from Alabama start for us who were really good players from the state.

"So, the geographical footprint lends itself to, kids want to stay home. You have to find the right fit, but the kids who want to stay home and play at Georgia? They take a lot of pride in that."

Kirby Smart was tabbed as the top dog in college football after Nick Saban's sudden retirement last January. The former Alabama coach's dominance usually started in the recruitment cycles.