COLUMBIA, MO — In a case that could redefine the boundaries of player mobility and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) enforcement, Missouri standout edge rusher Damon Wilson II has filed a high-stakes countersuit against the University of Georgia athletic department. The legal maneuver comes in response to Georgia’s attempts to claw back hundreds of thousands of dollars following Wilson’s 2025 transfer to the Tigers.
The dispute ignited in early December when Georgia sought arbitration to collect $390,000 in liquidated damages from Wilson. The program points to a “term sheet” Wilson signed with the Classic City Collective (CCC)—Georgia’s primary NIL arm—just one month before he entered the transfer portal on January 6, 2025. Georgia officials contend the agreement required Wilson to pay a lump sum equal to the remainder of the contract’s value if he chose to withdraw or transfer.
Allegations of Sabotage and Harassment
Wilson’s legal team, however, tells a much darker story of the transfer process. In the countersuit filed Tuesday morning, attorneys allege a “civil conspiracy” designed to punish the defender for exercising his right to enter the portal.
The filing claims that while Wilson was weighing his options, Georgia officials intentionally sabotaged his recruitment. Most notably, the suit alleges Georgia falsely informed three pursuing programs that Wilson carried a $1.2 million buyout. Such a figure, the suit argues, was a fabrication intended to make Wilson appear financially toxic to potential suitors.
Furthermore, the suit alleges that Georgia:
* Intentionally delayed entering Wilson’s name into the transfer portal to hinder his negotiations.
* Violated confidentiality agreements by leaking contract details to the media to tarnish his reputation.
* Engaged in “harassment” throughout the 2025 season by sending legal demands just days before kickoff to impair his on-field performance at Missouri.
A New Frontier in College Football
The financial specifics of the deal highlight the soaring stakes of modern NIL agreements. The term sheet promised Wilson $30,000 per month through January 2026, plus two $40,000 bonuses. While the CCC paid Wilson’s initial $30,000 installment in December 2024, Georgia is now demanding the full value of the unearned remainder of the contract.
Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the complexity of the situation during a recent press conference, noting that the sport is moving through uncharted territory. “What we’re being asked to do has never been done before in the history of college football,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s gonna be a lot of mistakes made, and a lot of new ways mapped out moving forward.”
Impact on the Field
Despite the legal distractions, Wilson’s transition to the SEC East rival was seamless. He led the Tigers with nine sacks in 2025 and is currently projected as a top-tier prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
As the court weighs whether a collective’s term sheet constitutes a binding employment-style contract, the outcome of Wilson v. Georgia may set the standard for how “liquidated damages” and “loyalty clauses” are treated in the era of the transfer portal. For now, a Missouri star and a powerhouse program remain locked in a battle that will likely be settled by a judge rather than a scoreboard.