It’s a tough ending to signing day—there’s no sugarcoating the results of how things closed. That said, in my opinion, the only way to build a dynastic-level program is to strike a balance: being a major NIL investor while also consistently landing a cross-section of recruits who are willing to forgo the highest offer because they believe in what the program can do for them. For Georgia, we can call it the “Kirby Effect.”
The challenge with being the school known for offering the most money (think Texas or Ohio State) is that over time, fewer recruits will want to be the ones not getting crazy money in a program known for giving out the craziest money. That creates internal friction.
Money, no matter how abundant, isn’t scalable in perpetuity. Going all-in financially can definitely work in the short term. There’s a world you win a Natty and ignite momentum. I get the upside. The other side of the coin is that it risks setting up a future where you’re competing against yourself with dwindling resources if postseason success doesn’t follow.
I’m not making excuses for going 0/3 on the line to close, but just sharing my perspective on why I don’t mind Georgia sticking to its soft cap approach.
The challenge with being the school known for offering the most money (think Texas or Ohio State) is that over time, fewer recruits will want to be the ones not getting crazy money in a program known for giving out the craziest money. That creates internal friction.
Money, no matter how abundant, isn’t scalable in perpetuity. Going all-in financially can definitely work in the short term. There’s a world you win a Natty and ignite momentum. I get the upside. The other side of the coin is that it risks setting up a future where you’re competing against yourself with dwindling resources if postseason success doesn’t follow.
I’m not making excuses for going 0/3 on the line to close, but just sharing my perspective on why I don’t mind Georgia sticking to its soft cap approach.
