“This took a lot of work in order to make sure everything was on the up-and-up…”

While some of y’all are focused on out of control boosters taking advantage of the new NIL landscape, I’ve been expecting more of this:

A real estate company is paying a pair of Texas A&M football players $10,000 each for exclusive interviews at an event hosted by a fan website.

The site, TexAgs.com, announced on Friday it was “hosting an NIL event sponsored by GreenPrint Real Estate Group” featuring running back Isaiah Spiller and safety Demani Richardson and promoting exclusive interviews.

The event comes just two weeks after a new state law and NCAA guidelines went into effect that allow college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Typically, interviews with college athletes are arranged through a school’s sports information department and are unpaid. News organizations like the Houston Chronicle don’t pay for interviews or access.

Recruiting sites paying for player access seems like a natural.

… TexAgs co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci posted on TexAgs.  “I also think everyone wins here, from the content to the student athletes and, of course, for you the subscribers.”

TexAgs, which is not affiliated with A&M, said it reaches more than 650,000 viewers monthly.

Especially when you’ve got the subscriber base to pay for it.

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Offseason to do list

Two stats that correlate to personal observation:

Two finer detail but big areas of improvement for #UGA offense that were likely focused on this past spring & will be this summer/fall:

WR Run Blocking = 53.2 grade = Last in #SEC & 4th-worst in #Power5

RBs in Pass Pro = 23.8 grade = 12th in #SEC & 4th-worst in #Power5

— Brent Rollins (@PFF_Brent) July 16, 2021

With regard to the first issue, I attribute at least some of those problems to the scheme change (with a greater emphasis on downfield throws) and the lack of time to implement it fully in practice, but, still, it’s kind of strange to see a Kirby Smart offense with that kind of shortcoming.

With regard to the second… well, let’s just say I’d like to see what that stat would look like if you took Kenny McIntosh out of the calculations.  In any event, it’s an area where JT needs better support this season.

From Loran to Dowdle…

… to Georgia’s newest sideline guy.

We’re all going to see a lot more of D.J. Shockley this fall.

Shockley, a former NFL player and SEC championship-winning quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, has agreed to terms with UGA and Learfield IMG College to succeed Chuck Dowdle in the ambassador role that includes being the sideline reporter for radio broadcasts and hosting coaches’ shows and other events, people with knowledge of the situation told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday. Shockley actually hosted a donor event with coach Kirby Smart earlier this week in Athens.

Does “D.J., whatta ya’ got?” have a ring to it?