Tag: NIL

Report: Former Steelers GM headed to college

Kevin Colbert is taking his talents to Fort Collins.

According to ESPN reporter Pete Thamel, former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is headed back to college. Thamel is reporting that Colbert is joining the Colorado State University football program as a consultant.

The Rams are bringing in Colbert to help CSU stay up to speed with the ever-changing landscape of college football. In simplest terms, Colbert is being brought in to help with the financial side of NIL deals and college football becoming a spend-to-win league.

Colbert worked in the Steelers front office from 2002-2022 and helped build two Super Bowl champion rosters. Colbert stepped down after the 2022 NFL draft leaving way for Omar Khan to become the Steelers new general manager.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Nick Saban names his worst national championship game venues, experiences

Saban went 7-3 in his career in national championship games. Here’s the two least enjoyable cities he coached in.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban went to 10 national championship games combined in his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa, plus the five years he spent in Baton Rouge as LSU Tigers coach.

Saban’s record in those games was 7-3. He won national championships at the Sugar Bowl site in New Orleans (twice), the Rose Bowl site in Pasadena, the Orange Bowl site in Miami (twice), the Fiesta Bowl site in Arizona, and the Peach Bowl site in Atlanta.

Which stadium or facility was Saban’s least enjoyable? It probably isn’t much of a surprise that it was one where Saban’s team lost the championship game.

While joining ESPN’s Pat McAfee on Monday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show” from inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta ahead of tonight’s national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame, Saban was asked which of his three national championship game losses were most difficult for him.

Saban recalled Alabama’s 44-16 loss to Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers in January 2019 at Levi’s Stadium in California and said:

“I think only one of those (championship) games did we really get beat in: when we played out in San Jose against Clemson. We just got beat. But we had bad circumstances in the game. We had to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. We had an eight-day turnaround to get to California. Lot of travel, lot of disruption in practice. We got out there and it was raining. There was no place to practice indoors, and we didn’t handle those disruptions.”

Asked by McAfee how irked Saban had been by not being able to practice indoors, the coach said it was one reason he felt championship games should always be played at bowl sites. He also recalled the other city he didn’t enjoy coaching in.

“Bowl sites have the facilities because they’re used to accommodating teams. We played in San Jose, and they weren’t used to accommodating a team. No disrespect to Indianapolis, but when we played Georgia in Indianapolis they weren’t used to accommodating, either. It was cold as hell, and we had to go practice in the Indianapolis Colts’ facility, which maybe — I don’t know what it’s like now, but it wasn’t really very nice.”

Saban went on to say there were always areas where his Alabama teams didn’t succeed in those losses and added:

“And in some of the games — like, we lost to Clemson on the last play of the game — it was two great teams. We covered them and they caught it anyway and they scored. It was just a great game and we played a really good game. We just lost.”

Nick Saban weighs in on Ohio State-Notre Dame national championship game

When asked by McAfee for his thoughts on the national championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, Saban said.

“Who can play their game? Which team allows the other team to play their game? If Notre Dame’s gonna win the game, they’re going to have to play ugly. They can’t get in a three-point shootout if it’s a basketball game (analogy) with Ohio State to make explosive plays to win the game because Ohio State has too many weapons.

“But if they can make the game ugly, kind of like Michigan did — they ran the ball, they kept it away from Ohio State, they made the plays they needed to make, they got some turnovers, played good defense, didn’t let them get explosive plays. I think anybody can win the game, but I think the team that’s going to win is going to be able to play their game — their identity, what got them here.”

Kickoff for Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is scheduled for shortly after 6:30 p.m. CT in Atlanta. The game can be seen on ESPN.

Carson Beck will earn more in college than Bo Nix’s NFL salary in 2025

Hurricanes QB Carson Beck ($4 million) will earn more than Bo Nix’s NFL salary ($1.6 million) in 2025.

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals have changed the landscape of college football, and if they haven’t already, they could soon begin impacting the NFL draft.

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck has transferred to the Miami Hurricanes and he’s set to earn $4 million in 2025. Beck opted to transfer after initially planning to enter the NFL draft. It’s easy to see why he backed out of the draft given how much he can earn in college.

In fact, Beck will earn more than Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix next fall (hat tip to Oregon Ducks On SI for pointing that out). Nix is set to have a base salary of $960,000 with an additional $681,053 through a roster bonus, giving him $1,641,053 total compensation in 2025.

Of course, Nix did receive a signing bonus of $10,356,848 up front after being picked by the Broncos in the first round of the NFL draft. For salary cap purposes, that is spread out as $2,589,212 over four years, giving Nix a total salary cap hit of $4,230,265 in 2025.

So in terms of newly-paid money, Nix will earn about $1.64 million in 2025, but his 2024 signing bonus far outweighs Beck’s compensation. Still, with Beck earning so much at the NCAA level, more QBs might start opting to stay in school rather than declare for the NFL draft going forward.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Duke basketball superstar Cooper Flagg signs with memorabilia deal with Topps

Topps, the famous trading card and sports memorabilia company, announced a deal with Duke basketball superstar Cooper Flagg on Friday.

Nobody in college basketball matches the star power of Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] right now, and on Friday, he picked up yet another endorsement deal to prove that.

Topps, the famous trading card and sports memorabilia company, revealed through social media that it signed Flagg to an exclusive deal for his own cards, merchandise, and autographs.

Topps is now a part of Fanatics, one of the largest merchandise distributors in sports right now.

Through his first 17 collegiate games, Flagg has averaged 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He’s scored at least 20 points in eight different games, including an ACC freshman record 42 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last Saturday, and he’s recorded six double-doubles through January 17.

Widely seen as the presumptive favorite for the No. 1 overall pick in next summer’s NBA draft, Flagg would be the sixth Blue Devil in the top slot and the fourth since 2011. He’s also a heavy favorite for National Player of the Year honors, an honor a Duke basketball player hasn’t taken home since Zion Williamson in 2019.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DE8AkHUSCs0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Texas QB Quinn Ewers reportedly turned down $8M NIL transfer offer

REPORT: Quinn Ewers turned down an $8 million NIL transfer offer to enter NFL Draft, leaving millions of dollars on the table.

On Wednesday, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers announced he would forgo his remaining year of college football eligibility and declare for the NFL draft. A new report suggests he turned down a fortune to make his pro dreams a reality.

Ewers indicated before the college football playoff semifinal against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl that he would turn pro. Even after the comment, there was a great deal of speculation and unsolicited advice regarding whether he would be better off returning to college. The logic went that by transferring, he could end up in a more lucrative situation than he would as a mid-round draft pick. One rumor suggested Ewers was offered $6 million dollars to transfer to another program.

Now, longtime Longhorns reporter Chip Brown of Horns247 reports the number was higher.

Brown reported Ewers was offered a staggering $8 million to transfer by one school. However, the Southlake Carroll graduate was ready to move on from college football and wanted to preserve his college football experience as a Longhorn.

Brown wrote that two NFL scouts told Horns247 they expect Ewers to be a late first-round to early third-round pick in April. Rookie salaries in the NFL are tiered. Top picks are projected to sign contracts worth roughly $42 million over four years. The bottom of the first round would get about $13 million for four years. Second-round picks will range from around $10.7 million to $6.8 million. Third-round picks are expected to sign contracts around $6 million.

If the report is true, Ewers left a considerable amount on the table even if he’s drafted after the top half of the NFL draft.

“Texas was the only place he wanted to play college football,” Riley Dodge, Ewers’ high school coach at Southlake Carroll, told Brown. “He wanted to leave Texas in good standing.”

Ewers wanted to be a Longhorn his entire life and wants to only be known as a Longhorn from here on out. Brown points out, “Oddly enough, Ewers was labeled a money-seeking mercenary when he graduated from Southlake Carroll early, reclassifying to the 2021 recruiting class and taking NIL money after signing with Ohio State. At the time, Ohio allowed high school students to accept NIL money while Texas laws didn’t.”

Ewers said before the Cotton Bowl matchup with the Buckeyes that his choice to leave high school early was for his family, Brown says.

“Ewers grew up a Longhorn fan and developed such a bond with his teammates and coaches and such a love for his time at Texas that he never considered an $8 million NIL offer to transfer and play another season of college football elsewhere.”

Quinn Ewers NFL Draft choice made more difficult by NIL riches in college

Ewers NFL Draft dilemma made more difficult by NIL riches in college. As USA TODAY Sports points out, he can make more money transferring.

Before Texas’ Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, Quinn Ewers told ESPN that he intended to enter the NFL draft. When asked if he expects to play college football next year he said, “No, I don’t.” But after the game, Ewers admitted, “Coming up short two years, it’s tough.”

Earlier this season, Ewers was trending as a first round pick. But injuries and uneven play have affected his draft status. Now, Ewers is projected by many as a mid-round pick in April.

College football players not in the national championship game have until Wednesday to declare for the NFL draft. That means Ewers has less than 48 hours to make his decision.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel said there are questions surrounding the Southlake Carroll graduate’s draft grade, noting NFL scouts have widely varying opinions of where he might land.

“Ewers projects as a divisive prospect in this upcoming draft, as one general manager told ESPN that he sees Ewers as a top-100 pick but admitted there’s a ‘wild variance’ within his scouting department on Ewers’ NFL projection,” Thamel reported.

Ewers’ time in Austin is most certainly over. Arch Manning will be the starting QB for the 2025 season. It used to be a player either returned to school at the college he played for or he entered the draft.

But as USA TODAY Sports’ Matt Hayes points out, there is a third option that could be the most profitable. Ewers can undoubtedly make more in NIL money by transferring to another school.

“The first quarterback selected outside the first round in the 2024 draft was Spencer Rattler, who went to the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round. That’s about where Ewers is currently slotted. Rattler signed a four-year deal with the Saints for $4.35 million, with an average salary of $1.08 million. Ewers could quadruple that $1.08 number on the open college football market — for one season of work.” — Matt Hayes, USA TODAY

Hayes points out that former Georgia QB Carson Beck reportedly earned $4 million in NIL money to transfer to Miami.

“If Ewers hits the college football open market, there will be multiple blue blood, deep-pocket teams bidding for him, including but not limited to Ohio State, Georgia and Southern California — all of which have the money to make Ewers an offer he can’t refuse.

And why would he?

Unless you’re a guaranteed first round pick, there’s no benefit in leaving early for the NFL. Especially if you’re an elite quarterback with CFP wins on your resume.

Even if Ewers were a second-round pick — the next best scenario — he’d still make more money in college football.” — Matt Hayes, USA TODAY

Watch the best celebrations from the 2024 Texas A&M football season

To close out the 2024 season, take one last look at some of the best celebrations from HC Mike Elko’s first season with Texas A&M

In recent years, college football has undergone significant changes, evolving into a minor league with an active free agency system.

The changes put a bad taste in the mouth of fans and very some veteran coaches that decided to retire instead of dealing with NIL. Stories of tampering and having to recruit your current team just as much as high schools can take its toll on a program, especially anyone out of the Power 5.

Mike Elko has adapted to the new environment and is striving to present the best team possible. However, he understands that the roster will change from year to year. Although this may not be ideal for fans, it reflects the realities of the sport until standardized rules are established.

No matter how anyone feels, one thing that will remain the same for most athletes who strap on that helmet is playing the game they love. Football is demanding, with thousands of young men putting their health on the line for viewers’ entertainment and a slim hope of making it to the NFL.

Even though the A&M football season did end on a down note, there were plenty of moments to enjoy from the season and reasons to be excited for the team’s future. Below, you can see some of the best celebrations from your 2024 Texas A&M Aggie football team.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah reportedly given highest NIL deal in college football history

According to a Monday report from CBS Sports, Duke’s newest quarterback received the most lucrative NIL deal in college football history.

The Duke Blue Devils found their quarterback of the future almost immediately in the transfer portal this offseason, getting Tulane’s [autotag]Darian Mensah[/autotag] to visit just one day after 2024 starter [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] announced he’d hit the portal.

Mensah committed the morning after his visit, and according to a Monday report from CBS Sports’ John Talty and Chris Hummer, the Blue Devils spared no expense in bringing him to Durham.

Talty and Hummer reported that Mensah received a name, image, and likeness compensation package worth $8 million over two years, which they unofficially declared the highest average annual value in the history of the sport.

On paper, it’s easy to see why both player and program believe in the partnership. Mensah finished with 2,723 passing yards, 132 rushing yards, and 23 total touchdowns against just six interceptions as a redshirt freshman, leading the Green Wave to a conference title game berth. Duke won nine games in its first season under head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag], and a bowl victory over Ole Miss would give the Blue Devils their second 10-win season ever.

Mensah won’t be eligible for the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against the Rebels, but it seems he’ll spend plenty of time at Wallace Wade Stadium over the next two seasons.

‘This is getting out of hand,’ Texas A&M coach Mike Elko discusses NIL and transfer portal

“Obviously, this is less than ideal to be going through what we’re going through right now roster wise with games coming down the stretch.”

This time of year, any time a sports fan opens X, formerly known as Twitter, there is a college football player announcing their entrance into the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko recently shared his thoughts about the portal and Name, Image & Likeness.

“Obviously, this is less than ideal to be going through what we’re going through right now roster wise with games coming up down the stretch. I don’t have a great solution other than, at some point, we’ll have to figure out some kind of centralized leadership for college football because this is getting out of hand,” Elko proclaimed Tuesday afternoon. “Now, more than ever, this sport needs somebody to step in and create some type of rules and regulations. I am all for the portal. I am all for NIL. I have no problems managing any of that.

“There is a lot of unregulated stuff going on right now, and it’s going to impact young people and young people’s futures.”

The Aggies (8-4) will play USC (6-6) in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 27 at 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Alabama AD Greg Byrne calls on Crimson Tide fans to ‘fight back’ with NIL

Alabama’s athletic director commented on NIL via a statement Wednesday.

In the growing landscape of college athletics today, NIL continues to become more-and-more of a factor in the day-to-day of programs across the country.

This thought is likely echoed by many across college football, with athletic programs seemingly starting to get in bidding wars in order to potentially acquire talent via recruiting and the transfer portal.

Many in athletic departments across college football have commented on this before also, the latest of which was Alabama Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne on Wednesday afternoon via a statement on social media.

“Over the past few years, there have been drastic changes in college athletics,” Byrne said. “We have been careful during this transitional period to protect our position at the top of college athletics while being mindful to listen, engage and learn from our generous supporters, proud alumni and unrivaled fans to make sure that we protect our great traditions here at Alabama. But there’s a time for talk and a time for action. Now is a time for action.”

“Although we have been competitive from an NIL standpoint, our competition has us in their sights and are actively trying to surge ahead with NIL. You have heard examples of other teams using promises of million-dollar paydays to lure away our players or convince them not to come to Alabama. It is time for the Bama Nation to fight back.”

In the statement Wednesday, Byrne called on Alabama fans to “fight back” with NIL by donating to Alabama’s “Yea Alabama.”

The full statement from Byrne posted Wednesday on social media can be found below: