It’s no secret that vast sums of money are flowing to college athletes and recruits through revenue sharing and name, image and likeness (NIL) deals these days. The terms of those deals, however, tend to be closely guarded.
It’s not like the NFL, where we know how many years and how many millions a player will sign for almost immediately after a deal is agreed to. Most of the time, we have to rely on tidbits and innuendo to get even close to understanding the current market value for most players.
It’s therefore noteworthy that McKeesport, Pa., running back Kemon Spell – a five-star rated recruit – recently confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he will make $1 million in his first season at Georgia in 2027. And that, apparently, was not even
his best offer.
“I could’ve gotten more money from other places, but I picked Georgia for the reasons that I want to get to the NFL and I’ll be coached by the best guy [Kirby Smart] each and every day,” Spell told the newspaper. “He’s going to be on me and coach me hard. I didn’t pick Georgia for the money. I picked it for the development piece and getting to the [NFL].”
Spell has good reason to be thinking about his pro prospects. 247 Sports ranks him as the top running back and No. 6 overall recruit in the country. He’s the Pittsburgh area’s highest rated recruit since Terrelle Pryor chose Ohio State during the 2008 cycle.
He originally committed to Penn State in 2024 but withdrew his pledge after coach James Franklin was fired last fall. He settled on the Bulldogs in early February of this year.
He doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of the recruiting process, even as it’s netted him a lucrative deal.
“I talk to guys across the country who have gone to other places than Georgia, and some of them pick the money over the development and getting to the [NFL],” Spell said. “That’s what is ruining the college football world. Everybody is picking the money.”
Georgia’s 2027 class currently ranks 12th in the 247 Sports composite rankings. Texas A&M ranks No. 1 with pledges from six five-star prospects. The Nittany Lions rank 24th after losing Spell and several other recruits following Franklin’s departure.
Those rankings don’t tell the whole story the way they once did, though. The transfer portal has increasingly become the place where the biggest deals are handed out to players who’ve proven themselves at the college level.
Spell is itching to do that, and he underlined his point with some additional insight into the going rate for the best guys at his position.
“You make your money from how you produce on the football field,” he told the Post-Gazette. “You have to earn that $4 million, that $6 million.”
For context, Jeremiyah Love will make $13.25 million per season under the terms of his rookie contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He was the the third overall pick in the NFL draft this spring and the top running back of his draft class.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nation's top RB recruit says he'll make $1 million at Georgia in 2027, had higher offers
