Kirby Smart Reveals a Special Teams Incentive in a Georgia Player's NIL Deal
By faNILy Team ·
Georgia handled Arkansas 45-17 on Saturday, Sept. 19, but one of the best postgame moments had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Kirby Smart pulled back the curtain on a piece of one player's NIL deal, and it's a great window into how compensation is evolving.
What Smart said
Talking about receiver London Humphreys, Smart called him "the highest-character kid on the team" and explained, "He's got a deal in his NIL incentive, the more special teams he plays, the more money he gets." Per On3, Smart joked about trying to give Humphreys breaks from special teams to save money.
His bottom line, per On3: Humphreys is "worth it."
Why it's a great story
Humphreys isn't putting up big receiving numbers. Through three games, On3 reports he'd caught two passes for 11 yards, and he didn't record a catch against Arkansas. But he made an impact on special teams with his blocking. The former Vanderbilt transfer has 35 catches for 531 yards and six touchdowns across his three years at Georgia, per On3.
That's the kind of contribution that rarely shows up in a box score but coaches value enormously. Now it shows up in his compensation, too.
How performance incentives work
Incentive structures like this will look familiar to anyone who follows pro contracts. Humphreys' deal shows they can show up in college NIL, too. Every deal is different, but incentives can fall into a few buckets:
- Participation: Pay tied to snaps, games played or starts, like Humphreys' special teams clause.
- Performance: Bonuses for statistical milestones or team results.
- Recognition: Extra pay for awards, all-conference selections or national honors.
- Promotional activity: Payments tied to appearances, posts or campaigns, which is the classic NIL structure.
Incentives give both sides something. The athlete has upside. The other party pays more when the athlete delivers more. It also rewards roles that don't make highlight reels, like special teams.
Why it matters beyond Georgia
A lot of NIL talk focuses on stars: quarterbacks with national endorsement deals and athletes with huge followings. Smart's comments are a reminder that compensation in college sports can get very specific. Value isn't only about fame. It's about role, effort and what a player brings to the team.
It also humanizes the business side. Smart's joke landed because it's relatable: a coach weighing the cost against a player who keeps earning his spot.
The fan angle
For fans, stories like this make it easier to appreciate players who don't get the spotlight. Special teams standouts, blocking receivers and backups who play hard every snap all have fans. Some of those fans want a way to engage with those players directly, and in the NIL era, they can.
Georgia's win was the headline. The best lesson from the weekend may have come from a guy with two catches.