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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 seeking damages totaling $390,000 after defensive end Damon Wilson II decided to transfer to Missouri after the 2024 season. The department cited an NIL buyout clause in Wilson’s contract and requested that a judge force the defensive end to enter arbitration to reach a settlement. The clause in Wilson’s previous agreement effectively acts as a buyout fee for early termination.
Missouri Tigers defensive end Damon Wilson II (8) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Columbia, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Image Images)
Wilson recently received a subpoena, legal records show.
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After recording 3.5 sacks during his freshman and sophomore seasons at UGA, Wilson signed a new contract with Georgia’s Classic City Collective. In January, just two weeks after getting the new contract, Wilson moved to Missouri.
Wilson had nine sacks in his first regular season with the Tigers.
Georgia Bulldogs helmets in the dugout during the Georgia spring game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on April 12, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Image Images)
Collective formation has become more common in schools across the country. Many groups include compensation clauses in their agreements with players to try to protect financial investments in athletes and discourage transfers.
Wilson reportedly received payments totaling $30,000 under the terms of his last agreement with Georgia before leaving Athens, Georgia. The athletic association argues that Wilson owed the sum of $390,000 within 30 days of his departure.
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“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters into binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” Georgia spokesman Steven Drummond said in a statement to ESPN.
Wilson could not be reached directly for comment. Missouri-based attorneys Bogdan Susan and Jeff Jensen represent Wilson. Susan argued that Wilson’s career decisions were never motivated by money.
Damon Wilson II (8) of the Missouri Tigers looks on against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, on Nov. 15, 2025. (Jeff Le/Getty Images)
“After all the facts are known, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student-athlete,” Susan said in a statement. “For Damon it’s never been about money, 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 for breach of contract. The dispute lays the groundwork to potentially set a precedent for whether liquidated damages clauses will act as an effective and defensible replacement for more traditional purchase fees.
However, it is worth noting that the Arkansas NIL class retained the services of an attorney to try to enforce a buyout clause in quarterback Madden Iamaleava’s deal. Iamaleava ultimately spent his freshman season at UCLA. Wide receiver Dazmin James also left Arkansas, prompting his former school to file a complaint.
