The SEC is not slowing down its spending in the NIL era for the 2027 cycle. Quite the opposite, actually. The "It Just Means More" conference is set to see historic spending from several teams next year.
The Texas A&M Aggies are one of those aforementioned teams. One GM's comments on the 12th Man's NIL spend in 2027 was notable. And bluntly unfiltered.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Volunteers and Ole Miss Rebels are part of a bidding war for one of the top prospects in the entire 2027 cycle. Reportedly, it could be the most expensive recruiting battle in history. So far.
Here were the gridiron headlines from around the SEC on the first day of July:
Texas A&M spending 'a s*** ton' on 2027 recruiting class
Per an anonymous SEC GM who spoke to On3's Peter Nakos, we have a ballpark for what "a s*** ton" actually means.
“Texas A&M is spending a s*** ton — easily $10 million,” an SEC general manager said
There's no bones about it. That number lives up to the vulgarity. The Aggies have 25 commitments, so do the math, and you'll see how high that is per recruit. Obviously, 5-star EDGE Zyron Forstall and 5-star OT Mark Matthews are some of the likeliest big-money earners in the group based on their position alone, but public figures are not revealed, so it's unclear who is getting that money and why.
In the world of high school recruiting these days, money oftentimes ends up in the hands of recruits who don't even suit up for your school. Sometimes official visits cost a pretty penny. High school NIL is fully in effect, and it's not always a great thing.
If the majority of these TAMU commits make it to College Station and win football games, that's a different story. There's a lot to overcome for the Aggies, who have not won a title since before World War II ended.
Nick Saban controversially backs his ex-Tide player, John Mateer unsatisfied with OU's 2025
Ole Miss and Tennessee in historic bidding war for David Gabriel Georges
Per Nakos, "5-star RB David Gabriel Georges is expected to be the highest-paid RB recruit in history. ... He is in line to become the first RB prospect with a $1M deal." What doesn't bode well for the home-state Vols or the Rebs here is the Ohio State Buckeyes being their main competitor.
5-star Baylor (TN) running back David Gabriel Georges is a historic talent with a prototypical build and freakish athleticism, who has the chance to become a workhorse back. There's nothing surprising about his market being this robust.
Perhaps then, it won't be surprising if/when Ohio State wins this battle for the uber-talented Gabriel Georges. Even with Jimmy Haslam's help, Tennessee may not be willing to go all-in on DGG with Josh Heupel's future beyond this season in the air somewhat if his gamble on handing the reins to either a redshirt freshman or a true freshman quarterback doesn't work out.
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