Being a successful program in the NIL era isn’t a random occurrence. There’s a science to understanding which ones are best suited to capitalize on this evolution. Where the dynamics around recruiting are everchanging. One generic rule of thumb is historical precedence. If you’re a blueblood, chances are you can conjure an NIL arsenal to remain worthy of that status. Another factor that’s more accentuated than ever is geography. Schools like Miami and USC have that benefit. So does Dan Lanning-led Oregon. But not because they have beautiful beaches or are situated in metropolis cities with many attractive avenues. Their advantage is a little personal.

Dan Lanning arrived in Eugene as a first-time head coach with Oregon, looking to bring about a shift of power. Both literally and figuratively. Since his arrival, they’ve forced a physical shift of power via realignment from the PAC-12 (RIP) to the Big 10. So far, so good. Coach Lanning managed to win the conference championship straight away. But as great a coach he is, scratch the surface and you’ll see a key reason for the Ducks’ success is someone who’s not even inside the program – well, at least officially. Dan Lanning’s a top-end recruiter. But recruiting in the NIL era is no more about whether you praised the cooking of a kid’s mother during a visit. It’s a more binary equation of 0s and 1s. And this somebody’s got a whole lot of them.

Oregon’s geographical advantage is the fact that their campus is in the backyard of the biggest sports company in the world. That Nike connection has been immense for all programs at the university, and football is no different. Phil Knight’s essentially got his chequebook open and has one remit for Dan Lanning – bring home a National Championship. Oregon’s been a powerhouse on the NIL front, and it’s no coincidence they’ve accumulated top-10 ranked recruiting classes year in and year out since the advent of legally paying players. But more money is not reciprocal to more success. There’s a lot of great coaching and development at play out west. However, this superpower may not be enough to land an undecided 5-star recruit – Jared Curtis – the No.1 QB in the class of ‘26.

Oregon is locked in battle against Georgia for the services of Jared Curtis. They’re in his final 2, and a decision from the 5-star quarterback is due on May 5. Curtis was formerly committed to the Bulldogs but rescinded his verbal to explore his options. This is when Oregon started gaining traction in the process, for a player who’s been deemed the second coming of Matt Stafford. Former Georgia DC Dan Lanning is hoping to get one over his mentor Kirby Smart and make a statement – that Oregon is competitive with a modern dynasty and the best CFB program of the last decade. But Lanning’s recruiting, backed by Phil Knight, may still fall short. Here’s why…

Georgia has been uber-successful since the introduction of NIL, but it’s not the primary reason for their 2 national championships under Coach Smart. They’ve tended to embrace more traditional values, selling players on a winning culture, alongside a very scenic path and likely path to the NFL. It has worked. However, special prospects require special exceptions. Curtis isn’t one to pick money over what he thinks will be the right fit for his future. But Oregon is expected to throw the kitchen sink at him. Plus, they’ve now got a winning culture of themselves to appease Curtis. This has led to Georgia seemingly dipping their hands in their pockets as well. One Bulldogs insider shared some intel around the Jared Curtis recruitment from a UGA brass perspective. Let’s just say any NIL value wouldn’t decide this. The more traditional yardsticks will.

Kirby Smart is expected to compete hard with Dan Lanning’s NIL arsenal for Jared Curtis

Speaking over the Locked on Bulldogs podcast, Georgia insider Clint Shamblin discussed where the program stands relative to Oregon in the race for Jared Curtis. He prefaced his information by acknowledging how Dan Lanning’s program has a definitive advantage in terms of NIL. He even believes they’ll end up making a better offer. But only marginally, since Clint said Georgia is planning to make a very “competitive and comparable” offer to Oregon.

“What I am understanding is that Georgia is a major player who will be able to do as they’ve done with other guys… ‘We want you to come here. We’re going to go ahead and get an NIL package that’s going to help you. But also, you’re going to compete, and we’re going to develop you [for] the next level. That’s where you get your payday. The bigger one, the greater one that’s coming [In the NFL],’” said Clint Shamblin. Jared Curtis has mentioned numerous times how keen he is to work with OC Mike Bobo. But he’s also got a relationship with Lanning’s OC, Will Stein. So if this sales pitch isn’t enough to get the deal done, Kirby Smart and co. are prepared to sweeten things a little.

Clint proceeded to say, “What I’m also hearing is that, right now, there are people moving to say, ‘Kirby… Do not let it be that if you think a guy is worth it, that NIL is going to stop us from landing [them]. All things being equal, if the only thing that’s going to nudge [a recruit] is that, don’t let that be the case.’ People are saying that at Georgia. People are saying that in rooms that matter most.” Shamblin unequivocally cosigned on offering more money to Jared Curtis than Georgia usually would. Amidst a ton of praise, he said Curtis is “worth it.”

This process just got a whole lot more interesting. So far, it was assumed Oregon was leading and creating some separation between themselves and Georgia. The NIL component, along with a couple of other things, was baked into this hypothesis. But this thing is still wide open. Whether the protege Dan Lanning can indeed overthrow his former boss Kirby Smart remains to be seen. There are a lot more powers at play here than just these two.