What are you willing to sacrifice to build a winning roster in college football? The teams willing to make those sacrifices are thriving in bringing in elite talent.
Five-star players are not going to commit to schools that are not fully committed to supporting them through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). We have seen it bear itself out the last three cycles. Five-star players go where there’s a five-star commitment to their future. And if you think players are pampered, look at the money FBS coaches are making.
There’s no reward for being frugal or stingy on the recruiting front. It is off-putting when coaches making upwards of $5 million per year act as if skimping on NIL is a virtue. It’s especially off-putting in light of second-hand ticket markets charging $400 just to get into some major games.
Texas has benefitted from NIL because it has adequately valued players. Five-star players Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, CJ Baxter, Johntay Cook, Anthony Hill, Devon Campbell Jr, Kelvin Banks, Xavier Worthy and Colin Simmons are feeling valued by the Longhorns. And if you’re not willing to sacrifice, you’re simply not going to win over these kind of players.
It is disingenuous to say a player is all about the money when coaches aren’t taking pay cuts to go to programs with less resources. Teams have to adapt, but it’s doable. Winning programs find ways to win the best talent.