Much of the House settlement is forward-leaning, as schools are now able to engage in revenue sharing with active players.

But a key part of the settlement is also the $2.8 billion that schools will be paying athletes who competed from 2016 through 2024.

Those years conveniently dovetail with Kirby Smart’s time in Athens, as 2016 was his first season in charge.

The Bulldogs have produced tons of talented players over that span. In the five most recent NFL drafts, no program has put more players into the NFL than Georgia’s 55. Smart has more first-round draft picks, 20, in his time at Georgia than losses.

So which recent Georgia greats would’ve commanded the largest share of the salary cap, had it been in place for Smart’s previous teams? Below are the five guys we think would’ve commanded the highest annual payout.

It’s important to keep in mind this isn’t just a list of who had the best season. Positional value matters, as you’re going to pay a quarterback more than you would a running back, and a cornerback more than you would a safety. It’s also important to remember that players who have had multiple great seasons would’ve had better leverage. Roquan Smith’s 2017 season could well be the best individual season anyone has had under Smart but the player he was at the end of that season was not who he was viewed as at the beginning of the year.

Tight end Brock Bowers going into the 2023 season:

Yes, we touched on positional value earlier in this piece and tight ends rarely commanded a massive salary.

But Bowers is the exception to the rule. He’s arguably the best player Smart has coached and his impact on the program is without question.

While some may question making a tight end one of your highest-paid players, it’s important to keep in mind that no one worked harder than Bowers did in his time in Athens. And there are undoubtedly trickle-down benefits that come when your highest-paid player is also your best one.

Offensive tackle Andrew Thomas going into the 2019 season:

Georgia has had a number of great offensive tackles roll through the program in recent years. Thomas is one of five offensive tackles to play for Smart who became first-round picks.

You could’ve gone with Broderick Jones entering the 2022 season or even Amarius Mims going into the 2023 season. But Thomas was significantly more proven than either of those players.

Much like Bowers, Thomas checked all the boxes when it came to being wired the right way. The only Georgia player to be drafted higher than Thomas was Travon Walker, who went with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Thomas was the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft cycle.

Wide receiver George Pickens going into the 2021 season:

Georgia’s 2021 team had a legendary defense. Perhaps Smart would’ve signed off on giving Jordan Davis more, given his leadership abilities and the fact that he bypassed the NFL draft for another year.

But coming out of that season, Pickens was a massive star and someone who could open up so much for an offense. When he and JT Daniels were on the field together, the two proved to be incredibly dynamic.

Of course, Pickens’ 2021 season shows just how tricky this new era of college football will be. He tore his ACL in March of that year and didn’t return until the team’s final regular season game against Georiga Tech. He had just 5 receptions in 4 games that season.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter going into the 2022 season:

Georgia’s defense lost a ton coming off of the 2021 National Championship season. But it brought back major star power in Carter.

His talent has never been in question and when he was on the field in 2022, he was often the most disruptive player on the field. His sack of Jayden Daniels in the 2022 SEC Championship Game is one of the defining images of that team.

Nolan Smith would’ve commanded a high salary that season as well, given his importance as a leader and edge defender. But Carter has a strong case as the most talented defender to play for Smart. His cap hit this season would’ve reflected that.

Quarterback Carson Beck going into the 2024 season:

Because of the importance of the position, quarterback is going to more often than not be the highest-paid position on the team.

Jake Fromm would’ve had a case for it going into 2019, especially after Justin Fields transferred. JT Daniels would’ve been a big-time earner on the 2021 team. Stetson Bennett would’ve been a fascinating case heading into the 2022 season.

But there’s little doubt that Beck would’ve earned more than all of them. Georgia needed Beck to elevate the offense and he put forth a very strong 2023 season when he had Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey at his disposal.

The 2024 season though did not play out how Beck or Georgia envisioned. His interceptions doubled from 6 to 12 while his completion percentage sagged. Georgia put too much on Beck’s shoulders last season.

Even with the regression from Beck, Miami still made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the sport this offseason. And that is even after suffering a season-ending elbow injury with the Bulldogs.

Honorable mention: 2017 Nick Chubb, 2017 Roquan Smith, 2018 Deandre Baker, 2019 Jake Fromm, 2019 D’Andre Swift, 2020 Richard LeCounte, 2020 Eric Stokes, 2021 JT Daniels, 2021 Jordan Davis, 2021 Travon Walker, 2021 Nakobe Dean, 2022 Nolan Smith, 2022 Stetson Bennett, 2022 Broderick Jones, 2023 Amarius Mims, 2024 Mykel Williams, 2024 Malaki Starks, 2024 Jalon Walker