Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class still ranks among the best in the country-but getting there came with some high-profile battles and a few tough losses. Kirby Smart and his staff were once again in the mix for some of the top talent in the nation, but even for a powerhouse like Georgia, not every recruitment ends in a win.
Three names in particular stand out: quarterback Jared Curtis (Vanderbilt), offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell (Miami), and tight end Mark Bowman (USC). All three are five-star prospects, all three were heavily pursued by Georgia, and at one point, Georgia was believed to be leading in each of their recruitments. But when the dust settled, each chose a different path.
So what happened?
According to reports, these three recruits are now among the highest-paid signees in the 2026 class, with each reportedly set to earn over $1.5 million in their first year through NIL deals. That’s a staggering number, even in today’s college football landscape, and it played a major role in shaping their final decisions.
Now, let’s be clear-Georgia can afford to make those kinds of offers. The program has the resources, the brand, and the backing to compete with anyone in the NIL space.
But Kirby Smart has made it clear that his approach is more measured. He’s not in the business of handing out massive deals to players who haven’t taken a college snap yet.
Instead, Georgia has leaned into a model that prioritizes rewarding proven production-players who’ve already shown they can contribute at the college level.
It’s a strategy that’s served Georgia well in the NIL era. Rather than throw top-dollar offers at high schoolers, the Bulldogs have focused on building a culture where development, performance, and team success are the selling points. That’s helped them retain key contributors, attract impact transfers, and stay consistently competitive on the field.
So yes, missing out on Curtis, Cantwell, and Bowman stings-these are elite talents, and Georgia fought hard to land them. But it’s not a sign of trouble. If anything, it underscores the challenges of modern recruiting, where NIL is a major factor and the competition is fiercer than ever.
Georgia still came away with a top-tier class, filled with future stars who bought into the program’s vision. And if history is any indication, Smart and his staff will continue to find ways to win-on the trail and on the field-even when the biggest NIL offers don’t go their way.