The new name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation that went into effect on July 1, 2021 generated a plethora of opinions, both favorable and unfavorable. I am not here to debate the merits for or against NIL, but what did pique my interest was which Georgia football players from the Richt-Smart era would have benefitted the most under the new rules.
The demand for Georgia football players in the market is nothing new. Think how different the 2010 and 2014 seasons might have looked if AJ Green and Todd Gurley were free to operate under the new NIL rules.
If we were to go through the last 20 years of Georgia football history, there are countless players that would have been enticing to businesses looking to Athens to boost their brand. But there are a few in a whole ‘nother stratosphere. So, without further ado, these are the five former Bulldogs who would have benefited the most from the new NIL rules.