Two of the centerpieces of Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle’s 2025 recruiting class are likely going pro before ever arriving onto the 40 Acres. Both Gavin Fein and Kayson Cunningham were drafted in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Third baseman Fein was drafted No. 12 by the Texas Rangers. Cunningham, a shortstop, was drafted No. 18 by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Fein, of The Temecula (Calif.) Great Oaks, has been committed to the Longhorns for nearly four years. As a senior, he hit .358 with 16 RBIs and five home runs. In 2024, his brother Dylan was drafted in the seventh round by the A’s.

Cunningham, a San Antonio Johnson product, committed to the Longhorns in June of 2024. He hit an astounding .509 as a senior, with 27 RBIs and 39 runs scored. He also stole 21 bases on 25 attempts. Cunningham was both the Gatorade Player of the Year and USA Baseball Player of the Year.

Neither player is expected to end up playing for the Longhorns now. First round money in the MLB Draft is higher than any college baseball player could make via NIL.

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.

Advertisement

This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Two Longhorns baseball commits drafted in first round of MLB Draft

Tre Phelps has announced his return to Georgia baseball in 2026. He was previously considered an MLB Draft prospect as a draft-eligible sophomore.

“Let’s run it back,” he posted on X followed by a graphic. 2026 will be his third season with the program.

FRISCO, Texas — It’s been close to two weeks since revenue-sharing officially became a dynamic element in college athletics as part of the groundbreaking House settlement, and everyone involved is still getting their feet under them.

It’s become a significant moment in intercollegiate athletics, with a Big 12 athletic director comparing it to historic events like the creation of the NCAA (1906), the introduction of athletic scholarships (1956), Title IX (1972), the NCAA v. Board of Regents case (1984), and the Fair Pay to Play Act for NIL (2019).

Institutions across the country had been working around the clock to prepare for the introduction of rev-share on July 1. That mandated educating athletes on the challenges they’ll face, including handling NIL through an online clearinghouse called NIL Go.

Schools now can directly pay athletes, with a cap set at $20.5 million. Most Power 4 programs will allocate a significant portion of that revenue pool toward football, approximately 75%, although this varies from school to school. Those institutions aren’t required to reveal what they’re paying players.

While the topic of money can be a sensitive subject, the players know they’re prepared.

“The topic of money is never really a discussion we intended to have, but they do a good job educating us on the changes or what’s to come,” said UCF linebacker Keli Lawson.

For many institutions, education extends beyond traditional academics, embracing a holistic approach where player-development personnel collaborate closely with athletes to equip them for the multifaceted challenges they will encounter in their lives and careers.

“These life skills developments are about putting us in situations to be able to develop a part of our life that we probably weren’t taught growing up, such as creating an LLC [Limited Liability Company]. How do savings work? How does credit work? How are you able to build your credit when you’re trying to buy a home? How do you go about doing something like that? What is the difference between a lease and renting?” said Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels.

Revenue-sharing payments, like NIL deals, are taxable income that athletes must report on their tax returns.

“They’re not just giving money and saying, ‘Here, do whatever you want with it.’ They’re putting us in situations to build a plan and find out what we can do with our finances rather than just going out and saying, ‘Oh, dang, I just got this much money. Let me go ahead and blow it all,’ and then realize that you’ll have taxes later down the line,” Daniels added.

The Big 12 recently has entered into a multi-year partnership with PayPal, which will facilitate revenue-sharing payments from universities to their athletes through the popular online payment platform. This agreement will also enable athletes to receive NIL payments seamlessly.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said West Virginia was one of the first schools in the conference to utilize PayPal’s HyperWallet.

UCF AD Terry Mohajir talks NIL, construction, Space Game and International games

“Two weeks ago, they brought in a couple of people to talk to us about the revenue sharing because there have been so many changes,” said West Virginia receiver Jaden Bray. “We have to switch to a whole new app. We’ve got to upload everything. There’s so much stuff. So they do a great job of teaching us.”

Daniels believes this new opportunity will prepare him for a possible career in the NFL.

“It’s a better chance, a better time for you to learn in college when you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars than when you go to the NFL and you start making 10s of millions of dollars. What are you going to do with it then?” he said.

That said, some coaches warn their players against falling prey to unsavory third-party elements, especially like an agent.

“Some of these guys are taking 20-to-25% [of their income] from these guys,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “That’s outlandish. It should be 3-to-5% just like the NFL, and certification would be an absolute step in the right direction.”

Originally from Germany, UCF offensive lineman Paul Rubelt faces limitations with NIL and revenue-sharing due to his status as an international student. However, he remains unfazed by the opportunities his teammates can seize that are often more lucrative.

“I’ve gotten so much through the school,” Rubelt said. “We get gear. We get free food. We receive disbursements, such as scholarship money and housing. That’s a lot of stuff and a free degree. I’m on my second degree now, so that’s more than I can ask of being an international student.”

Bianchi: How Scott Frost’s 5-word truth bomb blew up the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Rublet sees a significant advantage to revenue-sharing.

“It’s awesome for players to get,” he added. “Can it be out of control? Probably. So there are good [things] and bad [things].”

Throughout it all, it still comes down to what is accomplished on the field, according to Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.

“The teams and coaches who can put that aside will focus on coaching and playing football and find a way to come together to get the best chance to win. That’s the only way I think we can handle the monetary side of college football at this time,” he said.

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

College sports changed forever when the NCAA finally allowed student athletes to be paid for their work on the field. Endorsements and sponsorships are now a big part of the college experience for players, and this focus on building a brand is present in College Football 26‘s Road to Glory mode.

Related

College Football 26: How To Turn A 1-Star Program Into A Powerhouse In Five Seasons

Turning a one-star program into a powerhouse in College Football 26 is going to require a little patience and a lot of clever gameplanning.

While your academics and practice take up a lot of your time, you can also wade into the wild world of campus celebrity, attending parties with friends and signing deals with local businesses. Just make sure it doesn’t become your sole focus, or you’ll find it hard to stay on the field. Here’s how to start making money moves in College Football 26.

Picking Your School

The first step to raking in endorsement deal cash is to select your school. After completing the high school experience, you’ll be asked to choose which university you would like to attend. Pay attention to what it says in the NIL Opportunities section. Bigger programs will generally provide greater chances for sponsorship, given that they are a larger national draw.

Managing Your Weekly Agenda

Once you get to school, you’ll have access to your Weekly Agenda menu. If you want to start landing NIL deals, you’ll need to invest in your Brand with energy points. This will cause your player to socialize, attracting more fans.

You’ll only have one endorsement slot open to begin with, but increasing your following will unlock the ability to sign multiple deals (other slots open up when you’ve acquired 10,000, 250,000, and one million fans).

The bigger your Brand becomes, the better the endorsement deals you’ll receive, allowing you greater autonomy to decide which companies you’d like to partner with.

Accepting Endorsement Deals

As your Brand grows, businesses will approach you in between weeks of the season with potential offers. These will require you to part with some energy upfront, but they will shower you with various perks. These can include skill points, boosts to Weekly Agenda meters, stat boosts, and even more fans.

When starting out, it’s best to take whatever deals you can get, but as your popularity grows, you can afford to be more selective. It may even be to your benefit to turn certain opportunities down, especially if you need to pour a lot of energy into Academics and Leadership on a certain week.

Next

College Football 26: How To Change Music

College Football 26 allows you to choose from several songs to create the perfect playlist. Here’s every song and how to choose what works for you.