Georgia paid $200,000 for Sony Michel. That was ~6 years ago and am sure the price increased markedly since then. I knew about Sony's payment, but some other poster on this Board said that they also provided jobs to his parents as well.
The "' Dawgs' " proximity to a National Championship last year will only spur greater donations to "the Foundation". A $500,000 signing bonus for a 5-star player would not surprise me, and I can 100% assure a signing bonus of at least $250,000 to Stevenson.
UM cannot pay recruits because 95% of their most devoted donors recoil in horror when someone discusses the football team. They want the "Duke of the Southeast" and that does not coincide with the football team.
I sat on Georgetown's Board of Governors for a year, and we NEVER paid recruits; however, the Trustees provided plenty of payments once the player arrived on campus.....