On the field, the Georgia football program remains in the upper echelon of programs in the country. The SEC power has won two titles across the past three seasons and has not fallen under a .800 win percentage since 2018. However, off the field, the Bulldogs have run into one specific problem that continues to affect the college football program and the best players in the NFL—extremely avoidable speeding incidents.
Since 2023, the Georgia football program has had a wild 24 total driving-related incidents, per Sports Illustrated. Last week, Georgia added their most recent driving-related incident when cornerback Demello Jones received a citation for racing senior linebacker Smael Mondon. Additionally, news surfaced that senior defensive back David Daniel-Sisavanh, fellow DB Joenel Aguero, and redshirt freshman Justyn Rhett were arrested in February for driving-related incidents.
Georgia Football HC Kirby Smart: Talks Culture During SEC Media Days
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With SEC Media Days coming full circle on Tuesday, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart had the opportunity to address the current cultural issues with his program. Georgia has made headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks stemming from multiple speeding-related incidents. Smart’s players continue to get in trouble with the law less than two years after Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy lost their lives in a high-speed car accident after the 2022-23 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Georgia's Kirby Smart references Nike CEO Phil Knight: "I wish I could get some of that NIL money he's giving Dan Lanning"
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 16, 2024
According to The Athletics Brett McMurphy, players “have been subjected to ‘substantial fines’ from UGA’s Classic City Collective that distributes NIL payments to players for transgressions involving breaking the law.” In recent memory, Georgia football has struggled to abide by traffic laws, explicitly following the speed limit. Smart emphasizes that players have lost monetary value after run-ins with the law.
Smart: Talks Oregon, NIL
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Regarding his players and NIL, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart also spoke on the Oregon Ducks and their use of player compensation. “I wish I could get some of that NIL money he’s giving Dan Lanning,” said Smart about Oregon and bench boss Dan Lanning receiving nearly unlimited NIL money from Nike CEO Phil Knight. Oregon, like Georgia, enters next season with one of the top rosters in college football.
Despite Smart claiming his team does not have the recruiting resources of the Ducks, the Bulldogs own the top recruiting class in 2024, per 247Sports. Georgia landed five five-star recruits, while Oregon received commitments from none.
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