Georgia’s athletic department is seeking $390,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson II, claiming his transfer to Missouri terminated his name, image and likeness agreement with the Bulldogs’ collective.
The dispute is spelled out in an application to compel arbitration filed by the University of Georgia Athletic Association in October. ESPN first reported news of the dispute.
According to a contract attached to the court filing, Georgia’s Classic City Collective agreed to pay Wilson $30,000 per month from December 2024 through January 2026. That’s $420,000 total, not including $40,000 bonus payments in February and June.
Wilson received the first payment but entered the transfer portal a few weeks later, according to the filing. The contract’s terms allowed the collective to terminate the deal if Wilson unenrolled from the school, left the team or entered the portal. He committed to another SEC program, Missouri, in January.
The deal also spells out liquidated damages if it’s terminated. Wilson would owe whatever’s remaining on the contract in a lump-sum payment. A termination letter sent by the collective said the $390,000 payment could come from Wilson or another individual/entity on his behalf (like, presumably, the collective of another school).
“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 athletics spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement.
Georgia’s push for damages may hinge as much on the timing of Wilson’s departure. While nine other Georgia players entered the transfer portal between the end of the regular season and the Sugar Bowl in January, Wilson stayed with the team through the bowl game. The team expected Wilson to be a key contributor, if not a starter, but then he entered the portal Jan. 7. That made it too late in the process to find an adequate replacement, according to the team.
The Bulldogs had already lost their best pass rushers, Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, who entered the NFL Draft. That was expected, but Wilson was penciled in for a bigger role after notching three sacks last season, the most of any returning Georgia player.
Georgia’s pass rush struggled for most of this season. It has the fewest sacks in the SEC this season, with 17, while Wilson had nine for Missouri — the most on the team and tied for third in the SEC. The defense improved as the season went on, including the pass rush, and Georgia (11-1) is safely in the College Football Playoff and plays Alabama on Saturday for the SEC championship.
Because the collective assigned its deals to Georgia’s athletic department in July, the Bulldogs have taken the issue to court to demand arbitration.
Authorities in Missouri served Wilson with the legal summons Nov. 24. Wilson does not have an attorney listed in the court system.