In an unexpected turn of events, a former National Champion with Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs announced his decision to hang the cleats after four seasons. The talented quarterback leaves with a ludicrous NIL deal, which ranked him among the Top-350 biggest earners in college football.
The Kentucky Wildcats learned some bad news as their transfer quarterback decided to retire from the sport. Brock Vandagriff announced he will not be returning for his final year of eligibility to the University of Kentucky, and instead will be moving on from football.
Coming out of high school, Vandagriff was a five-star recruit and joined Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs where he was a part of the National Championship winning rosters of 2021 and 2022.
However, his role in the Dawgs program was overshadowed by Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck, and Vandagriff barely saw the field during his three-year stay in Athens, Georgia. In this year’s offseason, the quarterback transferred to Kentucky, but his production was far short from expected.
Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff 12 attempts a pass during the fourth quarter against UT Martin at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Athens, Georgia.
Vandagriff played in eleven games for the Wildcats, throwing for 125 completions, totalling 1,593 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. The low point of his 2024 NCAA campaign came against the Texas Longhorns, when he was benched midway through the game.
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NIL deals
Today’s college sports cannot be addressed without considering the financial side of them, which fall entirely in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. As Vandagriff retires, just one season after joining the Wildcats’ program, he walks away with significant profits.
His NIL value was at a considerable $310,000, placing him at No. 305 in the College Football NIL rankings. He signed with The 15 Club, a grand NIL partner for big names in college football. He endorsed EA Sports’ College Football 25 video game and The Dairy Alliance, as well.
Vandagriff’s departure leaves behind a huge void for Kentucky at the quarterback position. The Wildcats will have to pursue some of the talents in the transfer portal, since they haven’t been able to sign any of their QB targets in the 2025 recruit class yet.
