NIL

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When Johnny Manziel famously debuted his “show me the money” gesture during his redshirt freshman season at Texas A&M, it wasn’t meant to take on larger-than-life symbolism. Instead, it was simply an inside joke between Manziel and teammate Ben Molina that the two would break out during practices or scrimmages. Once Manziel introduced the college […]

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1 month ago

June 25, 2025

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Once Manziel introduced the college football world to the gesture, where he would rub his fingers together like he was counting cash— it became a signature celebration that symbolized swagger, self-confidence, and defiance. It represented the financial value he brought to Texas A&M and the NCAA, and later came to represent the contradiction of high-revenue college athletics and unpaid players—making him an early icon of the NIL era.

A decade later, everything changed, as the NCAA’s policy allowing athletes to officially profit off NIL went into play. But what if NIL existed in college athletics before that time? What athletes would have been the most profitable if NIL went into effect at the turn of the century? How would former college standouts like Manziel or Florida’s Tim Tebow have fared?

FOX Sports college football writers Laken Litman, RJ Young and Michael Cohen take a look at who they believe would have been the most profitable college football players if NIL had been around since 2000.

* All three writers were each given a hypothetical $100 million to distribute to their five choices while being asked to rank them from 1-5, with No. 1 being the most profitable. Here is a look at their picks and how they chose to distribute those funds.

Laken Litman, College Football & Soccer Analyst

1. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

Literally nicknamed “Money Manziel.” That moniker complemented his well-known “show me the money” touchdown celebration as a nod to the NCAA, which punished him for profiting off signing autographs. As a freshman, Manziel mesmerized the college football world with a highlight-worthy season, passung for 3,419 yards with 24 touchdowns and adding 1,181 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. He led Texas A&M to an upset win of No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa and went on to become the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

NIL money: $35 million

2. Reggie Bush, RB, USC

The most electrifying player in college football at that time – and maybe ever. He was a threat on the run or in the passing games, and helped lead USC to back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004 before winning the Heisman – which was taken away due to receiving “improper benefits” and later given back – in 2005. If NIL existed then, perhaps the height of Bush’s powers would have come during the 2005 season after he put up an astounding 513 total yards against Fresno State.

NIL money: $25 million

3. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

In 2010, the star quarterback led the Tigers to an undefeated season, which included putting the team on his back and leading them from a 24-0 deficit against Alabama to a thrilling 28-27 victory in Tuscaloosa before winning the Heisman and a national championship. Newton had a larger-than-life personality and smile – he was Superman, after all. This went along nicely with his stats: During his best season in 2010, the Tigers’ QB passed for 2,854 yards with 30 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, which went along with his 1,473 rushing yards and another 20 TDs.

NIL money: $20 million

4. Vince Young, QB, Texas

Young saved his best season and best game for last. As a junior in 2005, Young threw for more than 3,000 yards and ran for more than 1,000 while leading Texas to an undefeated season, culminating in the greatest national championship game of all time when the Longhorns beat Bush and USC, 41-38. In that title game, Young threw for 267 yards and rushed for 200 yards with three touchdowns. He likely would have raked in all the NIL deals at that time given his charisma, swagger and natural talent, and then you add in the fact that he was the starting QB at Texas and the opportunities would have been endless.

NIL money: $15 million

5. Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU

The most ruthless defensive player in college football at the time. Listed at just 5-foot-9 and hovering around 180 pounds, Mathieu played bigger than his frame. He was fearless and tenacious on defense and special teams, and had a unique look with a signature blonde hairdo – qualities that earned him the nickname “Honey Badger” and would have been quite appealing had NIL deals been on the table.

NIL money: $5 million

RJ Young, National College Football Analyst

1. Matt Leinart, QB, USC

Following a 13-0 season and winning the Heisman Trophy as a junior, Leinart opted to run it back with what was the dynasty of the early 20th century: Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans. Not only was Leinart the starting quarterback for the undefeated defending national champions, but he was the man who won a Heisman before the highlight reel that was Reggie Bush, his teammate. Leinart was also a hometown hero in the entertainment capital of the world at the university Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre adopted as their own. After a dominant 55-19 victory over Oklahoma, who had made the BCS national title game three out of the last four years, and owning Notre Dame, there had never been a more “Name Your Price” Player than Leinart entering the 2005 season.

NIL money: $24 million

2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

The difference between Tebow at the height of his popularity and Leinart is simple: The year that Leinart won the Heisman, he followed up just a month later by raising the national championship trophy. Tebow, who won the 2007 Heisman, needed to wait a year before he could pair his ’07 accomplishment with an ‘08 national title. But that would’ve mattered little with the balance of power swinging from a couple of Big 12 and Pac-10 programs to what we now know as the vaunted SEC. And Tebow was a harbinger of the dominance to come. The homeschooled kid with a million-dollar smile and church charm would’ve been a ready-made spokesperson for many and worth every penny thrown his way following his Heisman-winning season, and the dollars would’ve only gone up as he got closer and closer to winning the national title.

NIL money: $22 million

Murray is the best high school football player the state of Texas has ever produced. But when he was selected ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, ahead of what would be the only full season he’d play as the starting QB at Oklahoma, his NIL value was at its peak. Given Murray played and won the Heisman in 2018, just three years before the advent of NIL profiting, as well as immediate transfer eligibility, the price Murray could’ve demanded for his service would’ve likely been on par with players like Leinart and Tebow.

NIL money: $20 million

After becoming the first true freshman QB to lead his team to a national title since Jamelle Holieway did it with Oklahoma in 1985, the number that Lawrence would’ve commanded as a sophomore and junior would’ve likely been the highest in the country, especially considering what he means to Clemson and the history of the College Football Playoff. With Lawrence at Clemson, the Tigers finished 34-2, a 94.4% winning record— third-best in college football history — and he finished second in the 2020 Heisman balloting.

NIL money: $19 million

5. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma

Peterson wasn’t supposed to be featured as a freshman in 2004. But he was, and he finished No. 2 in the Heisman voting behind Leinart after rushing for 1,925 yards in 2004 and leading Oklahoma to a national title appearance. Given the freedom of movement players are allowed today to transfer alongside the advent of NIL, there’s no question that Peterson would command a price that is on-par with what Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith would receive to remain at OSU.

NIL money: $15 million

Michael Cohen, College Football & Basketball Writer

As a redshirt freshman in 1999, the year before this theoretical exercise begins, Vick became a nationwide phenomenon during his first season as the Hokies’ starter. One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks of all time, he scored three rushing touchdowns in the opening half of his collegiate debut against James Madison to kickstart an unforgettable campaign. Vick guided Virginia Tech to an 11-0 record that earned the Hokies a berth in the BCS National Championship game against Florida State. He finished the season third in the Heisman Trophy voting after throwing for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns while also rushing for 585 yards and eight touchdowns. The NIL money would have poured in ahead of his second and final season as the Hokies’ starter in 2000 before the Atlanta Falcons selected him No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.

NIL money: $30 million

The natural heir to Vick’s throne as an elite dual-threat weapon, Jackson turned in one of the greatest quarterback seasons in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy in 2016. His statistical production wildly outpaced anything Vick ever did at Virginia Tech with gaudy numbers in the air (3,543 yards, 30 TDs) and on the ground (1,571 yards, 21 TDs) to form a highlight reel that, to this day, still feels otherworldly. Can you imagine any other quarterback pulling off Jackson’s hurdle touchdown against Syracuse? He all but replicated that incredible season as a junior in 2017 by throwing for 3,660 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1,601 yards and 18 additional scores. His market share in the NIL world would have been immense.

NIL money: $25 million

3. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Given that only one of McFadden’s three seasons at Arkansas ended with double-digit victories, it’s easy to forget just how good this legendary tailback really was. He rushed for 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2005 to set the stage for two unforgettable campaigns in 2006 and 2007, both of which saw McFadden finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting before the Oakland Raiders took him No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft. He ran for 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns in ’06 for a Razorbacks team that finished 10-4 overall and 7-1 in the SEC while also completing 7-of-9 passes for 69 yards and three touchdowns as the team’s wildcat quarterback. His junior season was even better: 325 carries for 1,830 yards and 21 touchdowns with an additional four passing touchdowns through the air. A player doesn’t get much more marketable than that.

NIL Money: $20 million

Another player whose career straddles the turn of the century, Peppers would have had immense market value given his crossover appeal as a member of both the football and basketball teams for the Tar Heels. On the football field, where Peppers was a menacing pass rusher, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2000 after leading the nation with 15 sacks and finishing third in the country with 24 tackles for loss. The following year, in 2001, he was named a consensus All-American after ranking up 9.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and three interceptions, all of which netted him the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award, the Bill Willis Award and a 10th-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. On the basketball court, where Peppers played two seasons, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game across 56 appearances. He scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game against Penn State in 2001. Tar Heels boosters would have swooned.

NIL money: $15 million

Who doesn’t love a diminutive dynamo? Austin measured in at a lithe 5-8 and 174 pounds when he attended the NFL scouting combine in 2013 and ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.29 seconds following an exceptional career with the Mountaineers. A standout high school running back, Austin was officially converted to wide receiver during his freshman season at West Virginia, but he remained an explosive threat wherever and whenever he touched the ball: as a pass catcher (29 career TDs), as a runner (six career TDs), as a kick returner (four career TDs), as a punt returner (one career TD). He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior in 2012 after catching 114 passes for 1,289 yards and 12 scores while also carrying the ball 72 times for 643 yards and three more touchdowns, plus one touchdown each as a kick returner and punt returner. Austin was a beloved weapon among loyal disciples of the EA Sports College Football video game franchise.

NIL money: $10 million

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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NIL

Tennessee QB battle

Following a tumultuous offseason that saw returning starting QB Nico Iamaleava transfer to UCLA after a dispute over NIL compensation, Tennessee has officially moved on at quarterback. That involved adding former Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar — by way of UCLA — out of the NCAA Transfer Portal in what effectively amounted to college football’s […]

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3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

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Following a tumultuous offseason that saw returning starting QB Nico Iamaleava transfer to UCLA after a dispute over NIL compensation, Tennessee has officially moved on at quarterback. That involved adding former Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar — by way of UCLA — out of the NCAA Transfer Portal in what effectively amounted to college football’s first QB trade.

Upon landing in Knoxville back in June, the veteran Aguilar joined a talented albeit wholly inexperienced Volunteers quarterback room that included redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, a third-stringer last season, and four-star true freshman George MacIntyre, both of whom participated in Spring practice.

Given his prior experience at Appalachian State, which included two record-breaking seasons in Boone, N.C., Aguilar is the overwhelming favorite to lead the Volunteers out of the tunnel this upcoming season. But since Wednesday’s start to preseason camp will be his first official practice in Knoxville, Tennessee coaches aren’t yet ready to name a starting quarterback.

Of course, that doesn’t mean third-year Vols offensive coordinator Joey Halzle doesn’t know what he’s looking for from whomever Tennessee ultimately names QB1 ahead of the Aug. 30 season opener vs. Syracuse at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“First and foremost, you’ve got to play this game in this offense with an aggressive nature. I think a lot of times, the mistake quarterbacks make in a competition is they try not to lose it. They try just not to make a mistake. We want out guy to walk the line between being extremely aggressive but not reckless at all,” Halzle said Tuesday ahead of Tennessee’s first official preseason practice Wednesday. “Reckless is just throwing a ball up for grabs. Aggressive is driving a ball into a tight window. So, we want our guy to be aggressive, we want him to be smart, and we want him to operate this offense.”

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Aguilar is known as an athletic playmaker having rushed for 452 yards and five touchdowns the past two seasons at Appalachian State, along with throwing for 6,760 yards and 56 touchdowns on 60-percent passing with the Mountaineers. Aguilar played his first two collegiate seasons in the junior college ranks at Diablo Valley.

Meanwhile, Merklinger is considered more of a traditional passer after appearing in just two games as a freshman in 2024, completing 6-of-9 passes for 48 yards to go along with seven carries for 22 yards in early-season mop-up duty last season.

“It’s not just about who throws the ball the furthest or the hardest. It’s about who can operate this offense that when we take the field, he gives us a chance to win,” Halzle continued. “Whether that’s them carrying the football, them getting to their check downs and then making big plays down the field. However it presents to that individual’s skill set, it’s them doing that at an extremely high level to where we say that’s the guy that gives us the best chance to be up plus-1 at the end of a ballgame.”

Earlier Tuesday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel expressed hope one of the three Vols QBs will establish himself as “the guy” in Knoxville early in Fall camp to allow the team an opportunity to develop some consistency ahead of the season-opener. Whether that’s Aguilar or another UT quarterback remains to be seen, but all early indications are it’s the veteran transfer’s job to lose.

NIL

Transfer, rehab, and the splitter

The landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically with the rise of the transfer portal, allowing student-athletes to find programs that best fit their goals both on and off the field. For former Morrisville High School product Jorden Sesar, one final stop through the portal could be the step that positions him to get drafted—or […]

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3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

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The landscape of college athletics has shifted dramatically with the rise of the transfer portal, allowing student-athletes to find programs that best fit their goals both on and off the field.

For former Morrisville High School product Jorden Sesar, one final stop through the portal could be the step that positions him to get drafted—or at the very least, sign with an MLB organization following his college career.

“It’s a grind. You meet a lot of new guys and a lot of new coaches with different coaching styles,” Sesar said. “Everybody wants the best for you, but you have to worry about yourself.”

The 6-foot-4 righty is no stranger to that grind. He made an immediate impact at Bucks County Community College, posting a 2.25 ERA over 12 appearances—nine of them starts—and recording an eye-popping 89 strikeouts in just 48 innings. He had momentum, and plenty of it.

But that momentum came to a halt in the spring of 2023, when Sesar began experiencing elbow discomfort.

“I rehabbed that year to get ready to play with the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out; the arm was still bothering me,” Sesar recalled. “I went and got it looked at that summer and ended up needing surgery.”

Fortunately, the procedure—ulnar nerve transposition surgery—came with a relatively short six-month recovery. Once cleared, Sesar got to work. By August of 2023, he committed to Division I Manhattan College. In limited action with the Jaspers, he impressed: seven appearances, 11 innings, and a 1.64 ERA.

Following the season, he entered the portal again—this time landing at Holy Family University in Philadelphia. With the Tigers in 2025, Sesar led the staff with 50 strikeouts over 39.2 innings. He recorded six or more strikeouts in six of his eight starts, including a seven-inning complete game against Chestnut Hill in which he fanned 10.

“Wherever you go now these days it’s competitive,” Sesar said. “Whether it’s D1, D2, or D3, you’re going to have guys that can hit the ball. They are going to put up competitive at-bats. It’s all about you as a competitor. You have to go out there and compete regardless at what level you’re at.”

To become more competitive himself, Sesar added a new pitch to his arsenal. Originally working with a three-pitch mix, he took on the challenge of learning one of the game’s most difficult pitches—the splitter—thanks to Andrew Lihotz, Director of Philly Select Baseball.

“Drew helped me out a lot with the pitch,” Sesar said. “It was rough at first—a lot of throwing it during catch play and sitting with a softball in between my fingers to stretch them out. Just those little things helped out.”

The splitter has since become a key part of his five-pitch mix, which also includes a fastball that touches 95 mph, a changeup, and a curveball. The results have followed—both for Sesar and for Rake, his team in the Philly Select Baseball League.

“He’s been phenomenal. Every time he’s on the mound he gives us a chance to win,” said Rake’s head coach, Stuart Drossner.

Drossner knows what it takes to get noticed. His son Jake was drafted out of Council Rock North by the Cubs in the 23rd round of the 2012 draft, then again in the 10th round by the Brewers after a standout career at Maryland.

“Jorden just needs an opportunity. He has a really good arm. He probably could get back to Division I and be a bullpen arm right now. He’s good,” Drossner said.

Both Sesar and Drossner understand that talent finds a way—whether you’re in national showcases or throwing on local fields in rural counties. For Sesar, the goal is simple: extend the journey just a little longer.

“You’re playing baseball at the end of the day,” Sesar said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re at—you’ll get seen.”

NIL

Zag revs up the World Supercross Championship with a brand built for dirt, culture and global growth

Sport is a crowded business, and while global leagues like the NFL and Premier League enjoy billion-pound broadcast deals and cross-generational fandom, emerging competitions like the World Supercross Championship have to build from the ground up. That means more than a new logo or colour palette. It means rethinking what a sports brand is and […]

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3 hours ago

July 30, 2025

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When the World Supercross Championship approached Zag, the brief wasn’t to “modernise” or copy the big leagues. The goal was to create a brand that could grow with its audience, rooted in culture rather than convention, and appeal to both long-time fans and those just discovering the sport.

“The breakthrough came when we stopped thinking of World Supercross as a traditional motorsport and started seeing it as a global subculture,” says James Hurst, partner and chief creative officer at Zag. “The existing fanbase wasn’t looking for polish or prestige — they wanted authenticity, adrenaline, and identity.”

Rather than begin with legacy sports models, Zag’s strategy team cast the net wide. They reviewed 31 brands and interviewed investors and insiders, not just in sport but across entertainment and creator culture. They drew inspiration from newer, fan-first formats like Kings League and Fan Controlled Football, as well as the expressive visual identities of music and streetwear, and from live experiences like Burning Man that blend performance and participation.

These references helped the team understand what modern fans want: shorter, sharper bursts of entertainment; multiple ways to engage with the action; and a sense of direct connection to the athletes themselves. The goal wasn’t to sanitise the Supercross identity for the mainstream, but to amplify what made it magnetic. “We realised this wasn’t a sport that needed to be massified; it needed to be magnified,” says James.

The result of that thinking is a brand that’s unapologetically itself, starting with the strategic platform “Make Dirt Fly.” More than a slogan, the phrase became a creative and commercial North Star.

“It captured the visceral thrill of the sport, it celebrated the subcultural swagger of the community, and it signalled the global ambition to take this experience to new audiences,” explains James. “It became more than a line — it was a filter for every creative decision.”

That positioning needed an identity system to match, and so Zag made a point of avoiding tired motorsport tropes. “We began with a banned list: chrome gradients, checkered flags, carbon fibre textures, italicised speed fonts — anything that felt predictable or performative,” James recalls. Instead, they built from the dirt up: tyre treads, terrain marks and motion behaviours formed the basis of a design language that’s both raw and expansive.

The new logo takes its cues from the track, incorporating a semiotic metaphor in the form of a knobbly tyre tread “W” mark. A custom typeface, reworked from Space Grotesk, anchors the visual identity with confidence and clarity. The photography style favours fisheye perspectives, dynamic crops and gritty textures, leaning into the visual heritage of extreme sports while making room for fresh storytelling.

One of the most distinctive components is what Zag calls “The Global Canvas.” It’s a modular system combining circular motifs (echoing planetary motion and the sport’s global reach) with tactile graphics built from tyre textures and dirt trails. The effect is flexible but cohesive and easily adapted across live events, social content, merch, broadcast graphics and beyond.

“Every asset º from arena graphics to motion tiles – can be built from the same system, with just enough flexibility to reflect local energy and individual style,” says James.

This was crucial for a competition with global ambition. The 2025 season kicks off in October and will see races in Kuala Lumpur, Vancouver, Buenos Aires, Cape Town and the Gold Coast. The new identity helps bridge audiences and geographies while staying rooted in the culture of Supercross itself.

“We wanted to build something that felt grounded in the dirt but designed to travel,” says James. “The more we leaned into the authenticity of the community – their language, style, rituals – the more distinct and exportable the brand became.”

That sense of specificity has a commercial purpose, too. In a sports media environment shaped by free-to-air content, creator-led leagues and audience fragmentation, Zag’s strategy goes beyond aesthetics. Their discovery work explored new revenue opportunities, the future of broadcast formats, and fan engagement models inspired by esports and digital-first brands. The identity system is built to flex alongside these ambitions.

For Luisa Fernandez, chief product officer at the World Supercross Championship, the process was about more than surface-level rebranding. “The Zag team were incredible at helping us not just create a new brand for our sport, but helping us achieve our long-term product and growth ambitions,” she says. “They brought niche but relevant analogues, were always open to challenge, and were a true partner throughout.”

As more challenger leagues look to scale without simply mimicking the big players, Zag’s approach offers a blueprint for building sports brands that are expressive, culturally literate, and designed to feel alive.

“The next generation of sports brands will be built less like institutions and more like movements,” says James. “Supercross isn’t trying to be for everyone – and that’s exactly why it has the potential to go everywhere.”

NIL

Football’s Sam Howard Named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List

DALLAS – Tulane senior linebacker Sam Howard was recently named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). The list contains players from 41 different schools in eight Division I FBS conferences plus independents. By position, the list includes 21 linebackers, 11 defensive ends/edge rushers, 10 […]

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July 30, 2025

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DALLAS – Tulane senior linebacker Sam Howard was recently named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

The list contains players from 41 different schools in eight Division I FBS conferences plus independents. By position, the list includes 21 linebackers, 11 defensive ends/edge rushers, 10 cornerbacks, 10 defensive tackles and eight safeties. A total of 60 players nationally were named to the preseason watch list this season. The trophy is given annually to the National Defensive Player of the Year.

Howard played and started 13 games at linebacker last season for Tulane in his first year with the program. He set a school record with five fumble recoveries while totaling 63 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception. He was a 2024 Second Team All-AAC selection.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce the finalists for the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy in mid-to-late November, and the winner will be revealed at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 in Charlotte, N.C.

Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday during the season.

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935.

Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a two-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates.

Following is the remaining 2025 preseason watch list calendar:

Tue., July 29: Outland Trophy

Wed., July 30: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award/Butkus Award

Thu., July 31: Paul Hornung Award/Allstate Wuerffel Trophy

Fri., Aug. 1: Lou Groza Award/Ray Guy Award

Mon., Aug. 4: Walter Camp Award

Tue., Aug. 5: Doak Walker Award

Wed., Aug. 6: Biletnikoff Award

Thu., Aug. 7: Davey O’Brien Award

Fri., Aug. 8: Mackey Award/Rimington Trophy

Mon., Aug. 11: Bednarik Award

For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, North Carolina region. Since its inception, the club has grown as well as diversified boasting a sponsor team of more than (80) companies. The Club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership of area athletes and coaches. Through individual and corporate support, more than $3,000,000 has been raised and donated to benefit the Touchdown Club’s scholarship efforts.

Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Our purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably. For over 121 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. \

We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated is traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “COKE”. More information about the Company is available at www.cokeconsolidated.com. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.

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The Tulane football team (9-5) ended the 2024 season playing in the program’s third consecutive bowl game. It was also the sixth time in the last seven years that Tulane had been selected to play in a bowl game (2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 – Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl). Overall, it was Tulane’s 17th bowl appearance (1932 – Rose Bowl, 1935 – Sugar Bowl, 1939 – Sugar Bowl, 1970 – Liberty Bowl, 1973 – Astro Bluebonnet Bowl, 1979 – Liberty Bowl, 1980 – Hall of Fame Bowl, 1987 – Independence Bowl, 1998 – Liberty Bowl, 2002 – Hawaii Bowl, 2013 – New Orleans, 2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 -Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl) with the program sporting an all-time record of 7-10 in bowl games.

Tulane also made the team’s third straight AAC Championship Game appearance. The program sports a 32-10 record over the last three seasons. The team’s 32 wins is the fourth-most nationally. The team placed first or second in the AAC in 10 different categories including leading the league in third down conversions (52.5), defensive touchdowns (6), completion percentage (65.6), scoring offense (37.2) and passing efficiency defense (111.65). The team was the national leader in defensive touchdowns with six.

The team had a league-high 18 players selected All-AAC last season including 2025 returners Derrick Graham (First Team – offensive tackle), Shadre Hurst (First Team – offensive guard), Sam Howard (Second Team – linebacker), Bailey Despanie (Second Team – defensive back) and Kameron Hamilton (Third Team – defensive line)

The Green Wave’s football team was chosen for third in the 2024 AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.

The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native has been one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last three seasons with a record of 32-9, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returned to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave’s Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane’s run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.

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NIL

Jarrod Loadholt and Ken Robinson

Listen to this story Subscriber Benefit As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now Loading audio file, please wait. Speed1.00 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 On July 1, 2025, the NCAA entered a new era of college sports compensation following […]

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July 30, 2025

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On July 1, 2025, the NCAA entered a new era of college sports compensation following a $2.8 billion settlement in House v. NCAA, which provides retroactive and prospective NIL payments to student-athletes, allows direct payments from institutions to players, and establishes a 10-year revenue-sharing model.
The agreement also allows for expanded roster and scholarship limits across several sports and establishes a new enforcement mechanism—“NIL GO”—a Deloitte-managed clearinghouse responsible for reviewing non-school NIL deals over $600 for fair market value.
While the settlement agreement is widely viewed as a win for student athletes, it also highlights murky legal terrain for collectives and schools that may violate immigration law if they compensate international student-athletes.
In the absence of federal guidance, several questions remain:
Can international student athletes legally participate in revenue sharing under current visa restrictions?
What types of NIL activities are currently permissible for F-1 visa holders, and how can schools and collectives ensure compliance with immigration law?
How should schools, collectives, or international student-athletes structure NIL deals that are compliant with F-1 visa restrictions?
The overlap between immigration policies, NIL rules
Currently, more than 25,000 international student-athletes from countries around the world compete in NCAA sports.
These athletes face a unique set of challenges when it comes to navigating the evolving NIL landscape. Moreover, the collectives and schools that serve these students must also work through a system that lacks clear federal guidance and presents significant legal risks.
While recent reforms have expanded NIL opportunities for domestic student-athletes, including direct school payments, revenue-sharing, and broader endorsement rights, the NIL landscape has yet to fully address—nor has immigration policy resolved—the unique challenges facing international student-athletes.
Despite the sweeping changes since our last update in 2023, neither the DHS nor the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) have issued guidance on how and whether international student-athletes can participate in NIL agreements without violating immigration law.

To be clear, student-athletes on F-1 visas must follow immigration rules that strictly limit the types of activities for which they can be paid. To understand what international student-athletes can do, it’s helpful to first look at the various F-1 restrictions and requirements:

No off-campus employment without authorization: F-1 students are generally prohibited from working off-campus unless specifically authorized through programs like Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT). See 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f).

Limited on-campus employment: F-1 students are permitted to hold on-campus jobs, but only if it is directly affiliated with the school (e.g., bookstore, cafeteria). NIL-related activities typically do not qualify as on-campus employment. See 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(f).

Self-employment prohibited: F-1 students cannot operate a business or engage in self-employment, including NIL ventures run from a dorm room or personal brand monetization without authorization. See Handbook for Employers M-274.

“Employment” is defined broadly: In the immigration context, “employment” is defined as “any service or labor performed by an employee for an employer within the United States,” regardless of compensation. See 8 C.F.R. § 274a.1(h). Even unpaid NIL activities may be considered unauthorized employment if they benefit a third party.

In Tenn. Coal, Iron & R.R. Co. v. Muscoda Local No. 123, the United States Supreme Court defined employment as the “physical or mental exertion (whether burdensome or not) controlled or required by the employer and pursued necessarily and primarily for the benefit of the employer and his business.” 321 U.S. 590, 598 (1944). This definition is used to assess whether an activity qualifies as employment under immigration regulations.

NIL activity must be evaluated by location and nature: What is permissible? Passive income (e.g., royalties, copyright licenses, passive compensation) or NIL activities performed entirely outside the United States.

What is impermissible? Active NIL engagements (e.g., appearances, autograph signings, content creation) performed within the United States, even without compensation.

Maintaining F-1 status: Students must remain enrolled full-time and avoid any activity that could be interpreted as unauthorized employment, which could jeopardize their visa status and future immigration benefits.

Legal consequences: For schools/collectives, there are civil and criminal penalties for knowingly employing unauthorized workers. Students face the loss of immigration status, ineligibility for future benefits and potential removal proceedings.•

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Jarrod F. Loadholt and Ken Robinson are partners at Ice Miller. Summer associate Gerry Regep contributed to this article. Opinion expressed are those of the authors.

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NIL

Every school is basically a junior college nowadays

MORGANTOWN — There was a time in college basketball when junior college coaches were sort of like being the kid down the block. There’s nothing wrong with that kid. It’s perfectly fine to hang out with him after school. It’s just when it comes time for the birthday parties, the kid down the block rarely […]

Published

5 hours ago

July 30, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Every school is basically a junior college nowadays

MORGANTOWN — There was a time in college basketball when junior college coaches were sort of like being the kid down the block.

There’s nothing wrong with that kid. It’s perfectly fine to hang out with him after school.

It’s just when it comes time for the birthday parties, the kid down the block rarely gets an invite.

That was, at one time, the perception of a junior college hoops coach, the life once had by WVU men’s coach Ross Hodge.

“They only have guys for a year, or two,” Hodge said in elaborating on the perception. “Can they really take four-year guys and develop them?”

Division I coaches have always recruited the heck out of JUCO players, but when it came time to hire a new coach, guys like Hodge rarely got that invite.

Except now the college sports landscape has completely changed. Every school, no matter if it’s a Power Five school or otherwise, is basically a junior college (a two-year school).

Players come and go. They hit the transfer portal after one season and rosters have to be retooled on a yearly basis.

“Now, it’s flipped, where every year you’re going to have high-roster turnover,” Hodge continued. “You’re going to be merging a group of guys together and how quickly can you get them to come together and play for one purpose?”

Hodge is the fourth WVU head coach in four years. That’s created a sort of revolving door when it’s come to the Mountaineers’ roster.

From 2023-25, the WVU men’s program had a combined 39 scholarship players. Only nine of those 39 had returned to WVU from the previous season.

Add in Hodge’s first roster — currently at 12 scholarship players — that number is 10 out of 51.

WVU’s current roster — Hodge said he’s currently looking at who is still remaining in the portal for a possible addition — is eight transfers, three incoming freshmen and one holdover in redshirt freshman center Abraham Oyeadier.

WVU fans will likely need more than a roster to keep everyone straight. Name tags might not even do the trick.

The players come from all walks of life. All four time zones in the U.S. are covered in their previous college stops and the majority of them have already experienced some level of success.

Honor Huff is the nation’s leading returner with 131 3-pointers after guiding Chattanooga to the NIT championship last season. Treysen Eaglestaff was the only player in the NCAA last season to have multiple 40-point games. Brenen Lorient was the American Athletic Conference’s Sixth man of the Year last season.

“They have an experience with winning,” is the way Hodge explains it. “They understand that part of it and what it takes. You’re just trying to get them to understand how are we going to win together.”

From 2006-11, that was the question Hodge asked himself on a yearly basis.

As the head coach at Paris Junior College and Midland (Texas) College, Hodge’s rosters were built from scratch year after year.

What he’s doing now at WVU, it’s not exactly a new experience.

Hodge won 85% of his games at the JUCO level, including one season at Midland where the Chaps finished as the national runner-up.

Hodge had eight players on that roster who moved up to Division I, including Guy Edi, who played at Gonzaga, Ty Nurse (Texas Tech), Dwight Miller (Tennessee) and Jamaal Trice (UConn).

The question now: Can Hodge find that same type of success with a rebuilt roster at the major Division I level?

That’s what he’s been trying to figure out during the team’s summer workouts.

“It’s kind of like you’re running marathons at sprinters’ paces,” he said. “Efficient is a good word. You have to be efficient with your time. You have to be purposeful.

“Our senior class, we only have them for a very short amount of time.”

Note

WVU forward Jackson Fields announced on social media Tuesday he will undergo surgery.

He was with his WVU teammates at the Best Virginia game in Charleston on Monday with a brace on his left wrist.

Fields did not say how much time, if any, he was expected to miss this season.

Fields transferred to WVU this season from Troy, where he averaged 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season.