In an era of college football where million-dollar NIL deals can instantly change a recruit’s entire plans overnight, Georgia HC Kirby Smart landed something rare in Ryan Montgomery. While players like Bryce Underwood took $10.5 million to commit to Michigan, Montgomery chose development over money in Georgia. Ryan and his OSU guard brother Luke Montgomery’s endgame is simply excellence.

“I’m looking at it in the long run. I mean, I think the real money is going to be made obviously in the NFL, and that’s my dream,” Georgia Bulldogs QB Ryan Montgomery said on the Yogi Roth podcast. “I know that’s Luke’s dream, and it’s probably a lot of these guys’ dream is the NFL. And I think Georgia was a place that was going to prepare me the most. I thought the most out of all the schools that I was looking at for me personally, as a person and as a player.

So I just think obviously money schools are going to throw a lot of money at these top quarterbacks, and you know it can be very tempting, and I get it. It’s life-changing decisions, but for me, it’s just I’m looking at the next level.”

Georgia, under Kirby Smart, is a great choice for Montgomery’s NFL aspirations, as the program has a strong history of sending players to the NFL. Before the 2025 season, Georgia had 57 former players on NFL rosters and produced 62 NFL Draft picks since 2020. The Bulldogs also set an NFL Draft record with 15 players selected in 2022. Georgia has developed successful quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Murray, and Stetson Bennett.

Not to mention, Bennett, a walk-on who won the Burlsworth Trophy and Manning Award, guided Georgia to back-to-back College Football Playoff titles (2021, 2022), threw for 8,428 yards and 66 TDs, and was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Following him, Carson Beck further solidified the program’s modern reputation by developing into a top-tier NFL prospect under the current coaching staff.

This pattern is why Montgomery chose Georgia, having seen a proven path to the NFL.

There are very few people who value progress at this point. Some players who’ve played for years with a team also pulled shocking moves for more money. Just take Nico Iamaleava, for example, who straight-up asked for $4 million from Tennessee. But Montgomery is more worried about his development.

Ryan Montgomery embodies the philosophy that NIL is a blessing and not the primary goal. Young players today are making life-changing money early, but that can easily throw them off course if they lose focus. That is why staying grounded matters so much. For Ryan Montgomery, it’s his inner circle that keeps him grounded.

“Having like my parents and just having a really close circle and a great group of just people that, you know, we’re all on the same page really with everything,” Montgomery said. “For me personally, my mindset is like I’m looking 20 30 years down the road, like I’m like the money that we’re getting right now from college is a huge blessing, but at the end of the day, like none of us are playing college football for the money.”

Now, there was a very solid chance for him to enter the portal and get into another team with better NIL, with the QB room filled with Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi. But he chose to stay and develop his skills, just like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, who also didn’t enter the portal despite getting a $10 million offer. For such players, getting better at their craft matters more than anything. This philosophy aligns with Georgia’s QB development plan.

Kirby Smart’s development plan for his QBs

Kirby Smart has built Georgia to help players grow slowly and be fully ready for the NFL. His approach was that, instead of rushing players into starting roles, the coaching staff emphasizes learning the offense, consistent practice, and daily competition. That approach allowed Stetson Bennett to evolve from a walk-on into a national champion and NFL Draft pick. Carson Beck followed a similar path, spending time developing within the system before stepping in as Georgia’s starting quarterback.

The same goes for Gunner Stockton. They make sure their QBs understand the value of the position, and now, after 2-3 years of waiting and developing, even Ryan Montgomery will be prepared for the NFL like he always wanted.

Georgia handles NIL differently from many college football programs. Instead of only offering big money, Kirby Smart focuses on unlocking players’ potential, maintaining a strong culture, and preparing athletes for the NFL. Georgia’s NIL system, led by the Classic City Collective, which is built to support players while also keeping the team stable, is one reason many players stay committed to Georgia.

This approach has helped Georgia become one of the best NFL development programs in college football. Because the program doesn’t just offer excellence, but also long-term success.