Hey there,

It’s finally happening: As of yesterday, the transfer portal has officially opened, which means we’ve got updates on some of the biggest names to declare.

But that’s not it — we’ve also got updates on Adidas’ NIL risk, a completely legal state NIL advantage that went unused, and even parental perspectives on NIL recruitment. Read up on all of it now!

Make sure you tune in later this week for Thursday’s Transfer Portal Madness edition, too. We’ll be keeping you in the loop with all of the transfer news, as well as the NIL implications of these decisions.

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Dillon Gabriel’s Transfer is an NIL decision

For a long time, the transfer portal allowed undervalued players to switch schools to get more playing time. Now, it’s all about maximizing your NIL opportunities.

Take Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel as an example, who entered the portal yesterday after putting together a borderline Heisman-level season this year for the Sooners. He isn’t transferring because of playing time, he’s transferring because he knows there’s more money to be made elsewhere.

Now where that is, it’s hard to say. If we here at NIL Wire were to guess, it’d be somewhere with massive NIL infrastructure like Ohio State, who also lost their starting QB to the portal yesterday — although there’s smoke that the Buckeyes are going after former Washington State QB Cam Ward.

Mississippi State could also become a dark-horse due to Gabriel’s relationship with former OU offensive coordinator and current Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby. (More)

Parental Guidance

The lack of uniformity in player NIL valuations has caused a headache for parents and students alike. Some high school parents talked to On3 about navigating the NIL market during recruitment.

One mother, whose child is a top-100 prospect, said that “there’s a lot of irregularity [in the market].” “The first set of numbers that I got, it was used as a, ‘We won’t go any lower than this,” she said, “Little bit over $300,000. I got another school that tried to offer $200,000 per year.”

The father of a similarly rated athlete reiterated this sentiment: “The highest [offer] number is $1.5 million over three years… [but] I don’t know if this particular school has that.” 

With no formalized contracts in place, it’s hard for many parents to gauge their kid’s market value, or even believe these promises will be honored. (More)

Adidas’ Big NIL Risk

Adidas has taken a somewhat measured approach to NIL thus far. They just signed their first two athletes – Washington studs Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze – as their first college football athletes a little over a month ago. 

It seems like the company is getting a bit more aggressive lately though, officially signing their first high school deal with stud basketball recruit Darryn Peterson.

Peterson is the #3 player in the 2025 recruiting class, currently suiting up for Huntington Prep in West Virginia. The 6’5 guard currently ranks as the 22^nd highest high school NIL valuation in the country. (More)

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Kyle McCord’s Downfield Heroics

Ohio State QB Kyle McCord announced he was transferring yesterday, ending a Buckeye career that saw only one loss as the starter. He wields fantastic arm strength and a penchant for downfield bombs, making him a huge upgrade for teams that like to throw deep.

Check out the video to see what kind of player just entered the NIL market, and let us know where you think he’s going to land!

DOWN TO BUSINESS

New Mexico Fumbles the Bag

The state law, in place from July 2021 to April of 2023, said that schools could not “prohibit or discourage a student athlete from wearing footwear of the student athlete's choice,” which flies directly in the face of the NCAA’s current guidelines for in-game NIL.

However, the state law pre-dated those guidelines. The policy could have been used to sign top-flight athletes to shoe deals in the state – an especially lucrative market for basketball players. (More)

LSU Gymnastics Trending Up

An LSU gymnast just launched a trading card – and no it’s actually not Livvy Dunne. Her name is Elena Arenas, and she just signed with Leaf, a Dallas based card brand. Her first card was an autographed edition that sold for about $20. 

It would be disingenuous to say that Dunne didn’t play a big part in her teammate’s deal, however. The social media superstar has made LSU a magnet for women’s NIL investment, taking sports like gymnastics from the margins to the mainstream.

The Tigers have already sold a record number tickets for their 2024 season, which starts in January. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

The Portal Beats Court-side Seats

Barely over a week ago, UConn tight end Justin Joly was sitting court-side at his school’s basketball home opener as part of an NIL collective effort. Now, he’s in the transfer portal.

UConn’s D’Amelio Huskies Collective took a unique approach to showing athletes how much they matter by giving football players courtside tickets. They even sat next to the school’s biggest NIL supporter, Marc D’Amelio.

It seems like that wasn’t enough for Justin Joly, though. The stud tight end is reportedly attracting SEC suitors, perhaps with bigger pockets than the Huskies. (More)

An Emotional Ask

N.C. State handled their in-state rival North Carolina handily in the final game of the regular season. Trying to capitalize on the team’s emotional victory, head coach Dave Doeren seized the opportunity to get some NIL donations.

“For all you folks that want us to keep winning,” Doeren said after the game, “I would tell you to get on [NIL Collective] Savage Wolves… I’d love to see 5,000 people donate $1,000 to our NIL and get us to a point where we can recruit, retain and develop.”

Doeren has previously called out other schools for “illegal crap” in the recruiting space, accusing them of “trying to poach [N.C. State’s] players.” (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Chaunce Jenkins

Chaunce Jenkins of Old Dominion University basketball, embodies skill, agility, and determination, drawing comparisons to the likes of Ja Morant. He recently signed with Pride of ODU, Old Dominion’s NIL collective. With lightning-fast moves and a knack for game-winning plays, he's set to revolutionize college athletics. Chaunce isn’t just dunking on the court though — he’s also pioneering a new era in the world of NIL.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ Why the NCAA may want to settle House v. NCAA claims

♦️ Deion Sanders named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated

♦️ The military can strike NIL deals, but Service Academy athletes still can’t

♦️ PJ Fleck is worried that lacking NIL will destroy Minnesota’s football team

♦️ Dave Aranda admits he’s why Baylor lacks strong NIL

♦️ University of Portland gets a $1M donation, with more NIL help to follow

♦️ An ASU softballer is using NIL for fashion

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

What is Bronny James’ NIL valuation ceiling?

• $5.9M, it ain’t getting any higher - 57%

• $7M, it could go a bit higher - 27%

• $10M, he’s just getting started - 16%