Hey there,

It’s Thursday, which means we’ve got more NIL transfer portal updates. Yes — that means lots of player movement, but also analysis on how some schools are handling all that movement. Of course, you’ve also got Early Signing Day too, which has massive NIL implications.

One last thing before we do — We want to hear what you like (or don’t like) about our newsletter. Hit reply or send us an email at [email protected] to get in touch.

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Transfer Portal Madness

Texas A&M Wide Receiver Evan Stewart made headlines with a somewhat cryptic NIL tweet earlier this month. Well he’s leaving College Station for good it seems, as a late portal entrant. According to On3, Stewart holds the 11th highest football valuation in the country.

Texas QB Maalik Murphy surprised many when he entered the portal, but the logic checks out. He was Quinn Ewers’ backup this year, and with NIL superstar Arch Manning eagerly waiting for his opportunity, he’s caught in between the two former five-stars for the starting position.

Texas A&M Defensive Lineman LT Overton announced that he’s taking his talents to Tuscaloosa this week. The #2 available defensive lineman, his valuation has risen 192% since the portal opened — putting him somewhere around $285K.

Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke may need to pack a few coats after leaving sunny Florida for the Wisconsin Badgers. The former ACC Rookie of the Year has already more than doubled in NIL value since entering the portal.

Georgia’s Marvin Jones Jr. will look to wreak havoc on ACC offensive lines this upcoming year by joining Florida State. There’s a fun family piece to this too – Marvin Jones Sr. was an award-winning linebacker for the Seminoles in the 90s.  

NLI flips for NIL

In a shocking turn of events, five-star QB Dylan Raiola flipped his commitment from Georgia to Nebraska at the last second. The move left a few industry insiders scratching their head, with speculation that the decision was due to a late NIL push from the Huskers.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has been vocal about the money it takes to land a QB, but with a rabid (and generous) Nebraska fanbase, his words may have actually incited a giving-spree that made a move like this possible.

If they could flip the top QB recruit in the nation, Nebraska may be more of an NIL player than they’ve been given credit for to this point. If you’re flipping top players from Georgia, you’ve got to have deep pockets. (More)

Travis Hunter Day

Travis Hunter isn’t just riding the Deion Sanders hype-train – the two-way football stud also possesses an infectious personality of his own, and it’s turned him into an NIL superstar off the field.

That’s why one one of Hunter’s favorite brand reps, Rock ’Em Socks, declared National Travis Hunter Day on 12/12, an ode to his on-field number. The day saw deals on Travis Hunter themed underwear and socks galore.

Hunter currently sits at a $2.1M NIL valuation according to On3, which is the seventh highest valuation in the nation, regardless of sport. (More)

WHAT’S TRENDING

Up Across the Board

• Not only did Nebraska flip the #1 QB in the nation — they also secured a handful of other elite commitments during signing day 📈

• Former Tar Heel Caleb Love has benefitted from a change of scenery during the #4 ranked Arizona Wildcats’ hot start 📈

• High school commits across the country are seeing massive NIL bumps tied to their commitments this week 📈

DOWN TO BUSINESS

A “Pragmatic” approach to Title IX and NIL

He admits that collectives currently operate as “shell corporations,” working with the schools to allocate NIL funds in a strategic manner. The problem comes in how closely these entities operate, and whether it’s enough to brand them as a functional arm of the school.

While acknowledging this, Henderson maintains that Title IX should stay separate because opportunities should not necessarily dictate financial outcomes. All Title IX can do, to Henderson, is equip female athletes equally, not guarantee equal payment. (More)

Volleyball Exploding with NIL

A huge NIL market continues to emerge from the volleyball world, as viewership and popularity skyrockets nationwide. Sunday’s national championship match set new records for the sport, including an all-time high viewership.

Rising stars like Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez are leading the way on the NIL front, and we can expect even more stars to follow as the sport’s profile rises. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

Losing Steam

Usually a ball of energy, Penn State’s James Franklin looked exhausted at a presser last week. The reason? NIL.

“It is chaotic,” Franklin said of building a roster with NIL, “You’re recruiting your own roster. There are mixed messages everywhere. There are agendas in every direction. It’s more challenging than it’s ever been.”

He even suggested that the current level energy-sapping could turn some coaches away from college football: “I don’t think this is sustainable for the players… but also for the coaches. You’re going to see more and more coaches leaving college football.” (More)

UNT: University of New Transfers

Since the transfer portal opened, some schools are seeing massively depleted rosters because they lack NIL resources. The University of North Texas may be one of the biggest victims of this exodus, losing over twenty players to the portal.

“Things have changed and changed extremely fast with the transfer portal and NIL,” head coach Eric Morris said, “Any time the pendulum swings so fast…you’re going to have chaos.”

The simple reality is that UNT lacks the NIL resources to compete with bigger programs right now. They turned management of their collective to TheLinkU this summer, but it’s yet to be seen if the move will improve their NIL performance. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Arch Manning

Arch Manning, the nephew of quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, currently holds a $2.8M NIL valuation. His first NIL deal was with Panini America who auctioned off a single autographed trading card with all proceeds going to St. David’s Healthcare and the St. David's foundation.  

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ How Ohio State’s NIL collective is helping retain players

♦️ Duke’s Jeremy Roach inks a partnership with Rhoback B

♦️ Purdue names new collective head

♦️ Northern Colorado launches NIL program for their student athletes

♦️ Kentucky basketball jerseys live on team store

BATTER UP

Todays Poll Question:

Last Edition’s Poll Results:

Did Matt Rhule’s comments reset the NIL market for QBs?

• Yes, he hiked the price up - 79%

• No, the price was already around there - 21%