Hey there,

We’re back, and we missed you. Hopefully the holiday season was merry and bright for you, but as far as we’re concerned, we’re focused on catching you up on late December’s NIL developments.

That means a lot of transfer portal decisions, as well as some bowl game mayhem. 2024 is going to be the biggest year in NIL history to date, so we’re happy you’re spending it with us.

Oh, and one last thing: Considering we just started this whole project in 2023, we’d like to hear what we can improve on this year. Just hit reply or send us an email at [email protected] to let us know what our New Years resolutions should be in 2024.

— Cole, Justin and Collin

KICK-OFF

Transfer Portal Roundup

Thanks to NIL, December has become free agency for college football — That’s why we’ve been covering the transfer portal the past month with you. Well, that ends today, January 2nd.

Because the portal closes today, we wanted to give you a roundup on all of the biggest transfers. If you’ve been subscribed through December, you’ll know that we covered a lot of this throughout the month, so here we’re just going to round up those final big decisions.

QBs on the Move

Cam Ward has officially decided to leave college football altogether, declaring for the NFL draft. The decision shocked a few schools, like Miami and Ohio State, who still find themselves in desperate need of QB play.

DJ Uiagalelei will look to replace Jordan Travis at Florida State, he announced on social media yesterday.

Texas’ Maalik Murphy is becoming Duke’s newest signal caller, seeing a $600K rise in NIL valuation in the process. The move also clears the way for Arch Manning to take over in Austin if Quinn Ewers moves into the NFL.

Will Rogers is leaving Mississippi State and heading to the Washington Huskies to succeed Michael Penix Jr.

Max Johnson is leaving Aggieland for North Carolina, which has increased his valuation by almost $200K

Other Big Names

Ole Miss upgraded their defensive line by luring Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, and Tyler Baron away from SEC rivals. They’re all top 20 portal talents who carry big-time NIL price tags.

RB Trevor Etienne is leaving Florida for Georgia. He saw a 73% increase in NIL valuation after entering the portal.

OT Cayden Green lands at Missouri after an allegedly shocking NIL negotiation goes awry with Oklahoma.

For a full catalog of every transfer portal decision, check out On3’s list.

Carhartt for Christmas

Before throwing for a school record 446 yards in the Liberty Bowl, Iowa State’s Rocco Becht played Santa for his offensive lineman. The QB gave them NIL Christmas gifts as a thank you for keeping him upright all season.

“I was able to hook up with Carhartt and get them a bunch of stuff for Christmas. I wanted to surprise them. I felt like they really needed that.”

Becht just finished his first season under center as a starter, but he’s only a Redshirt freshman. His brand will continue to grow as he tries to chase down Brock Purdy’s Iowa State legacy. (More)

Fighting for a Cure with NIL

The National Ataxia Foundation decided to use NIL to raise awareness about ataxia, an uncommon and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease. They’ve tapped athletes from schools all around the country to speak out for the campaign, including Miami baseball’s J.D. Urso.

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“The opportunity to partner with the National Ataxia Foundation is by far the most rewarding NIL relationship I have had," he said of the partnership. He was the first athlete that the foundation worked with for an NIL deal. (More)

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Deseret News Fights Back in NIL Contract Battle

Earlier this fall, Deseret News asked for five Utah universities to disclose details on some NIL contracts. The schools refused, which led to the media organization asking the state records committee to force the disclosure, which they actually did.

Then, those schools drafted an official complaint on the ruling, contending that those records were official educational documents, and thus protected by FERPA. Now, Deseret News is asking the court to dismiss that complaint.

The outcome of this decision will have massive ramifications for how courts view NIL contract privacy moving forward. We’ll keep you updated on how it all plays out. (More)

COLLECTIVE 101

Mayo Mayhem

West Virginia’s Country Roads Trust collective hit their 1,500-membership goal in late December, which triggered a mayonnaise-themed celebration. In honor of their participation in the Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl, athletic director Wren Baker promised to take a mayo bath as a reward for passing the milestone. 

He wasn’t the only one though. Head Coach Neal Brown also took a condiment shower after their victory in the team’s bowl game win:

When AD’s are willing to get doused in mayonnaise to secure NIL donations, you know they’re taking it seriously. (More)

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Haley Cavinder

Haley Cavinder, alongside her twin sister Hanna, seized the NIL era with their massive social media followings and groundbreaking deals. Beyond dominating platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Haley's success on the basketball court is equally impressive.

She set NCAA records at Fresno State before earning more accolades in Miami. Now, she's now making a comeback at TCU to further prove her influence extends beyond social media and onto the court.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ #1 football recruit in the nation doesn’t care about NIL, signs with Ohio St.

♦️  Citrus Bowl standouts get a deal with Cheez-It

♦️ Isaiah Collier signs on with Beats by Dre

♦️ New Kentucky QB is already helping the community with NIL

♦️ Express Inc. inks NIL partnership with Penn State commit

♦️ Hunter Dickinson’s NIL Pizza

♦️ Kentucky’s Reeves signs on with Reebok

BATTER UP

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