We are getting an education into today’s NIL-driven college football world.
It may be a confusing learning process, but a process nonetheless. NIL has young head coaches excited and older ones concerned about the future of the sport. The dialogue became a feud between Nick Saban (Alabama) and Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M) on a national stage. Saban said Texas A&M “bought every player” in the top-ranked 2022 recruiting class with NIL funds, and Fisher called Saban “despicable” and a “narcissist” for publicly attacking his program.
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People have discussed the near seven figures of NIL funds for Bryce Young.
Texas A&M fans wonder if Young can have $1 million in NIL deals, then why is Coach Saban whining. Young’s compensation for his name, image, and likeness is different from what Saban is accusing Texas A&M about. Young arrived at Alabama as arguably the top quarterback in the 2020 cycle as a five-star from California.
He won every individual honor imaginable at Mater Dei High School and played on an undefeated national championship Alabama team in 2020. Young became the starting quarterback last year and nearly accounted for 5,000 passing yards (4,872).
He set a couple of single-season school records and won the Heisman Trophy.
Young’s talent, skill set, and star power would land him big deals no matter if/when NIL was made legal. Also, he had a year of experience in Alabama’s program before NIL became a reality. The purpose Saban discussed on Wednesday about today’s college football climate is having players who are currently on a team pursue these third-party collectives for compensation.
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NIL’s goal is not to be a recruiting tool to entice 17 to 18-year-olds to come to a particular program as the highest bidder.
Young played his freshman season before joining a marketing team to represent him for NIL and started collecting deals. Saban is stating Texas A&M used the third-party collectives to entice recruits to choose them before playing a snap.
Young would have gotten deals anyway, but it came with him already in place in Tuscaloosa.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
