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The University of Georgia Athletic Association is taking legal action against one of the football team's former star pass rushers.
Georgia is asking for damages totaling $390,000 after defensive end Damon Wilson II elected to transfer to Missouri after the 2024 season. The department cited an NIL buyout clause in Wilson's contract and requested that a judge compel the defensive end to enter arbitration to reach a settlement. The clause in Wilson’s former agreement effectively acts as a buyout fee for terminating early.
Wilson was recently served a court summons, legal records show.
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After recording 3.5 sacks during his freshman and sophomore seasons at UGA, Wilson inked a new deal with Georgia's Classic City Collective. In January, just two weeks after landing the new contract, Wilson made the switch to Missouri.
Wilson had nine sacks in his first regular season with the Tigers.
The formation of collectives has become more common at schools across the nation. Many collectives include liquidated damages clauses in their agreements with players to try to protect financial investments in athletes and discourage transfers.
Wilson reportedly received payouts totaling $30,000 under the terms of his latest deal with Georgia before he left Athens, Georgia. The athletic association argues Wilson owed the $390,000 sum within 30 days of his departure.
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"When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same," Georgia spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement to ESPN.
Wilson could not be reached directly for comment. Missouri-based attorneys Bogdan Susan and Jeff Jensen are representing Wilson. Susan argued that Wilson's career decisions were never motivated by money.
"After all the facts come out, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student athlete," Susan said in a statement. "It has never been about the money for Damon, he just wants to play the game he loves and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL."
Georgia’s move marks one of the first times a school has publicly sought NIL damages from a former athlete over a breach of contract. The dispute sets the table for potentially setting a precedent on whether liquidated-damages clauses will act as an effective, defensible replacement for more traditional buyout fees.
However, it should be noted that Arkansas’ NIL collective did retain the services of an attorney to try to enforce a buyout clause in quarterback Madden Iamaleava's deal. Iamaleava ultimately spent his freshman season with UCLA. Wide receiver Dazmin James also left Arkansas, prompting his former school to file a complaint.
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