![Georgia head coach Mike White reacts during the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactech arena in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2473,h_1391/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/153/01kz1q3tsj68m6qtypw9.jpg "Georgia head coach Mike White reacts during the first half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactech arena in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Earlier this offseason Georgia basketball received a $10 million donation. This was the largest donation in program history and Georgia had plans of using every penny of it as NIL to help them build a much better roster.
This donation came in too late to be used for the upcoming season, but heading into 2027 they could use it to get more talented players on their roster. And a new update from On3 shows that Georgia is using this donation to their advantage as they are the currently leading for four-star guard Jarvis Hayes Jr.
Georgia’s $10 million gift is already coming in handy
Georgia has been a much better program the last few years under Mike White. They’ve made it to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, and last year they took a step in the right direction in the SEC standings as well. The hope now is that Georgia will keep moving in the right direction, and this donation will help.
Hayes is one of a few elite players that Georgia has been connected with since they received this donation. According to the Rivals industry rankings he is the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 4 shooting guard as well.
Georgia’s extra NIL money should help convince him to come to Athens. Right now that money is working as Rivals has Georgia out in front with a 61.4 percent chance to come out on top.
Hayes is the exact player that Georgia needs to continue to improve in the coming years. Thankfully with the help of this donation they are the team leading for him right now, but the Bulldogs have an inside track in his recruitment that should make this relatively easy for them to win.
Georgia is taking advantage of unique fast track to land Jarvis Hayes Jr.
Hayes’ father was a star player for Georgia from 2001-2003. He spent two seasons with the program and exploded for over 18 points per game in both seasons. His final season he won SEC Player of the Year and was later drafted No. 10 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.
This connection will certainly help bring Hayes to Georgia so he can follow in his dads footsteps, but it gets even better. His father is an assistant coach for Georgia right now.
He was hired by White earlier this offseason, so he is yet to actually coach for Georgia. But he more than likely will be an assistant at Georgia for the next few years, and the opportunity to play for his dad might be too good for Hayes to pass up.
So much is going Georgia’s way in this recruitment, and that’s why they are the favorite to land him. Anything is always possible, but this is a recruitment Georgia fans should expect to win, and if they do he is someone who could make an immediate impact on the program.
Add us as a preferred source on Google