In an attempt to stay tapped into all things NIL, I’ve sorted through and gathered some interesting NIL-centered news items today. The title of each section will redirect you to the initial article, as I did not translate all of the columns into this page. Just the best cliff notes.
I will continue adding more news as the week unfolds! Please feel free to link any informative or interesting NIL articles in this thread!
1. Tracking college football’s highest-paid wide receivers in NIL (ON3)
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State – $4 to $5 million this season.
Ryan Williams, Alabama – $1.8 million this season.
Carnell Tate, Ohio State – $1.5 million this season.
Eric Singleton, Auburn – Over $1 million this season.
Cam Coleman, Auburn – North of $1 million.
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M – $1 million deal this season.
Nyziah Hunter, Nebraska – North of $800,000 this season.
Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech – $800,000 this season.
Dane Key, Nebraska – roughly $800,000 this season.
Ryan Wingo, Texas – North of $750,000 this season.
Dakorien Moore, Oregon – at least $700,000.
Isaiah Horton, Alabama – In the $700,000 range this season.
Barion Brown and Nic Anderson, LSU – Both have deals valued around $650,000 this season.
Mike Matthews, Tennessee – North of $600,000.
Mario Craver, Texas A&M – Upwards of $600,000 this season.
Chris Bell, Louisville – Upwards of $600,000 this season.
Roy Alexander, Texas Tech – In the $400,000 range this season.
Aaron Anderson, LSU – In the $350,000 range this season.
2. Forde-Yard Dash: College Football’s Power Shift in Big Ten Wallets vs. SEC Tradition (SI)
As NIL reshapes the landscape, the Big Ten’s deep-pocketed donors may be replacing the SEC’s geographic advantage.
Nick Saban (21) opined last week on The Pat McAfee Show that NIL hasn’t just leveled the geographic playing field—it has tilted it in the direction of the Big Ten. The edge the SEC had in terms of proximity to local talent, not to mention being the only game in a region historically lacking in pro sports, are now being outweighed by cold, hard cash.
“Kids grew up wanting to go to LSU, Alabama, Georgia,” Saban said. “You got the money now. They don’t mind going to Ohio State. They don’t mind going to other places. … So that geographic advantage that the Southeast Conference had may be changing a little bit now, with the different culture, with NIL and money involved in decision making. That’s created a little bit of an edge for the Big Ten.”
Saban added that Texas and Texas A&M might be the only SEC schools that can compete with the “old-time generational wealth” that exists within Big Ten alumni and fan bases. Oil money as the equalizer, if you will.
continued..
Those are the theoretical building blocks for having more wealthy alumni, which gives a disposable income advantage to the Big Ten. Perhaps an eff you money advantage as well, if we’re using the recruiting battle for Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood (22) as a yardstick. Billionaire Larry Ellison’s wife—the latest in a long line of them—is a Wolverines fan who essentially wanted to buy her team the five-star QB from their backyard, winning the recruiting battle against LSU with a reported eight-figure deal. It’s good to have the Oracle founder on your side.
Simply having a lot of rich alums is no guarantee of athletic success. If it were, Stanford, Northwestern and Duke would be doing much better in football. The sweet spot is having a large number of rich alums who are emotionally invested in football success. That’s your target donor base, and that’s where Saban’s point resonates. Wave enough money around and it will catch the players’ eyes.
Perhaps that helps explain why Ohio State (23) has no fewer than seven key contributors from Florida and Georgia: wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss; safety Caleb Downs; running back CJ Donaldson Jr.; defensive linemen Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald. Michigan (24) has starters from Georgia (Justice Haynes and Nathan Efobi), Alabama (TJ Metcalf) and Texas (Blake Frazier). Penn State (25) has defensive starters from Florida (Zane Durant and Antoine Belgrave-Shorter), Georgia (Audavion Collins) and Alabama (A.J. Harris).
Whether it’s the money talking or something else, there are other examples beyond the vanguard of the league: Illinois (26) has a star quarterback from Mississippi; Minnesota (27) has an impressive freshman starting QB from Arkansas; Nebraska (28) flipped the commitment of five-star QB Dylan Raiola from Georgia.
