Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs figured they had a big lead in the race to land a commitment from the #1 recruit in the class of 2026. But on Tuesday, Jackson Cantwell decided to join Mario Cristobal at the University of Miami, leaving the Bulldogs stunned after Cantwell visited Georgia’s campus six times.
Despite Smart and his staff doing more than their due diligence, Cantwell slipped from their fingers after the Missouri native signed with super-agent Drew Rosenhaus. According to one report, Cantwell has landed an NIL deal worth more than $2 million from Miami, which likely played a role in Cantwell’s decision to choose the Hurricanes.
During a golf tournament in Hoover, Alabama on Wednesday, Smart spoke to reporters for the first time since Cantwell’s commitment. The two-time national championship-winning coach lamented “misleading information” that has become rampant in the NIL era and — in the Cantwell case — put Georgia at a disadvantage.
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“Nobody really knows what’s accurate,” Smart told CBS Sports. “A lot of schools are approaching it in different ways. We hear something different from every school. So I don’t think anybody really knows.”
Like his mentor Nick Saban at Alabama, Smart has long been able to sell his program in Athens as a place that will portend NFL success for recruits — even in the NIL era. But not every recruit is willing to take a discount.
Georgia watched as safety Caleb Downs, who grew up in nearby Hoschton, helped Ohio State win a national championship last season. The Bulldogs had landed a commitment from five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola in 2023 before he unexpectedly flipped to Nebraska.
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Still, Georgia’s 2025 class is regarded as one of the best in the country, and Smart will have the Bulldogs positioned to compete in the SEC for years to come irrespective of Cantwell’s surprise choice of school.
Related: Details Emerge After Jackson Cantwell’s Miami Commitment Over Oregon
