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Which Teams Spent NIL Money The Smartest? Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State

With the conclusion of the 2025 recruiting cycle, which team spent their name, image, and likeness money the smartest? Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart were listed, while Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and the Ohio State Buckeyes are rumored to be big spenders.
Charlie Viehl|
Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksGeorgia BulldogsTexas LonghornsOhio State BuckeyesAlabama Crimson Tide

The 2025 recruiting cycle has essentially reached its end with the conclusion of National Signing Day.

Signing a top-five recruiting class in the current landscape of college football requires a significant investment in name, image, and likeness (NIL), but which teams spent their budget most effectively?

According to On3's Industry Rankings, the Texas Longhorns signed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2025. Behind them were the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 4 Oregon Ducks, and No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas
Georgia coach Kirby Smart takes the field with his team before the start of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pete Nakos of On3 recently reported that the Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart were the smartest spenders of their NIL budget. Multiple sources from different NIL collectives and support staffers from Power Four programs told Nakos that Smart and the Bulldogs potentially saved the most money.

"Georgia is pretty good with how they spend money. Kirby (Smart) is still able to play off the cache that is Georgia. It’s rare that they ever overspend. When these kids were growing up, Georgia was the program. Georgia is still probably the safest bet in college football if I want to play in meaningful games," an anonymous source from a collective ACC told On3.

Smart is certainly taking advantage of the success of his program, competing consistently in the College Football Playoff while producing first-round picks in the NFL Draft. Coupled with the retirement of Nick Saban from Alabama, it appears as though Smart is able to sell his experience and ability to develop players.

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In 2025, the Bulldogs signed four five-star recruits: defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, EDGE Isaiah Gibson, wide receiver Tayln Taylor, and linebacker Zayden Walker. Smart and Georgia signed nine recruits ranked within the top 100 of On3's rankings.

In the same report by Nakos, Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State were mentioned among the biggest spenders across college football.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on the Big Ten Network stage during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA
Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on the Big Ten Network stage during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Oregon's big spender. They always are, Texas A&M a big spender. And then, of course, Ohio State.Nebraska is a school that has spent. They were somebody that we competed with a bunch of guys," a source from a Big 12 NIL collective told On3.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff landed one of the best recruiting classes in program history, headlined by five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, five-star defensive back Na'eem Offord, and five-star safety Trey McNutt. Four-star defensive backs Brandon Finney and Dorian Brew round out the top-100 recruits committed to Lanning and the Ducks.

Ohio State's 2025 recruiting class is headlined by five-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair, five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez, and five star wide receiver Quincy Porter.

According to On3's NIL Valuations, the Buckeyes' incoming class holds the lowest average NIL value among the top-five. Alabama's No. 3 recruiting class has the highest average NIL valuation at $299,000. The next most expensive group of signees were Texas's at $286,000 and Oregon's at $258,000.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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