How much is too much to pay for a high school offensive lineman? That’s a question buzzing throughout college football this week on the heels of five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell committing to Miami.

The deal, which 247Sports previously reported could approach $2 million a year, allowed the Hurricanes to overtake Georgia for the No. 10 overall prospect in the Top247 and No. 1 player for the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

It’s a splashy move that seems in line with Miami’s general strategy during the NIL era, which has seen the Hurricanes basically do whatever it takes to land top targets, including Cam Ward‘s $2 million salary and Carson Beck‘s $4 million.

“If you can pay it, do it,” said one SEC director of player personnel. “Go get that guy.”

But college football will soon no longer be in the unlimited NIL era of the sport. Once the House settlement is approved — a decision that could come anytime over the next few days — all future NIL deals more than $600 will be subject to approval from a clearinghouse that will determine whether they meet the standard of fair market value. Schools, at least on paper, will be far more limited in their spending with revenue sharing (expected to be $14 to $16 million for most Power Four football programs) making up the majority of a pseudo salary cap.

That’s the context in which many are looking at Cantwell’s massive price tag and wondering how an unproven high school tackle could be worth it.

Mark Pope was (jokingly) taken aback when he heard the news Kentucky would be taking on Purdue — a preseason top-five team with Final Four aspirations — in an October exhibition battle inside Rupp Arena later this year.

“Wait, what? Who scheduled that?” he said, laughing to himself at the audacity of his team taking on a national powerhouse when most go out of their way to host cupcakes in early tune-up opportunities.

Is it crazy? Probably, but it’s just the way he likes it. Any chance he can to build up the schedule and create big-time environments or tests for his program, he wants to take them. When this one came along, he was thrilled to take advantage of it and what it will mean for the Wildcats in the long run.

“This is what I know,” he said this week. “This is going to sound terrible and uncalculating, but I love playing great teams all the time. I love it. I think it’s really important. Anytime there’s any chance we can get great teams to come into Rupp, we’re going to take it. If it’s in the exhibition season or the preseason or the conference season, we’ll take it.”

It’s for his team’s growth first and foremost, seeing how they stack up as a perceived contender against another perceived contender when stakes are low. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Beyond that, though, it’s a massive opportunity for fans to get a game you’d see in a high-profile non-conference event or March Madness in the comfort of their own home venue, only earlier and cheaper.

For those reasons, Pope is thrilled to host the Boilermakers on October 24 — and another program he hopes to add to the exhibition schedule in the near future.

“Listen, we care about it — I’m just excited for BBN, that we get to walk in here in late October and play the No. 1 team in the country. I’m really excited about that. I’m excited about that for our fan base. We’re working on another exhibition game that I think is going to be terrific. I’m excited for it, for our fan base.

“I’m excited about it for college basketball. I’m excited about it for our guys, because when you play against great teams, it teaches you so much about yourself.”

Another positive? It gives his group something to look forward to, more so than a lesser-known program from a lower level like most matchups that time of the year. There is a sense of urgency when practice rolls around that they won’t have time for a ramp-up period to beat up on poor competition before the real stuff begins.

If they’re not prepared, they’ll get punched in the mouth before Halloween.

“The chance to do that in an exhibition where the cost might not be so high, and get to do it really early in the season where it’s not just the data you receive after the game and during the game, but it’s all of the energy and juice that it adds to your locker room every day during the summer and during the fall, when you’re like, ‘Hey, we’re preparing for it, guys. This is coming way faster than you might anticipate.’ I think those are all real bonuses,” he added.

Oh, and don’t forget about bringing a coach he believes to be among the best in the sport to Lexington, too. Matt Painter has been doing it at the highest level for two decades with five Big Ten championships, five Big Ten Coach of the Year awards and a Final Four under his belt.

Pope is pretty excited for that head-to-head battle on the sideline — and just about everything else that comes with hosting Purdue.

“Matt Painter is — I don’t know if he’s the best coach in college basketball, but he’s certainly got to be counted among the top couple. What he’s done at Purdue is incredible,” Pope said. “I have so much respect for him, and he makes life really difficult for the teams that play against him, because he’s got a very unique, distinct style of play and style of coaching.

“In every front, that’s going to be so fun.”

The NCAA Transfer Portal was as active as ever this offseason with over 4,000 entries, 2,400 of those having since committed elsewhere, over the pair of windows in the winter and spring. Now, 100 days out from kickoff, ESPN has rated the can’t-miss ones who will now be playing for new teams in the fall.

ESPN previewed the next season in college football in 2025 with an article including ten separate editions of different Top 10s ahead of Week 0. That included one by Max Olson of the Top 10 transfers to watch this season.

Each of the first four are quarterbacks, including one who was also on this list for consideration for The Heisman Trophy. There’s then a trio of wide receivers, an offensive tackle, a linebacker, and a tight end among the 10 on the list.

All of the 10 are also rated within the Top 35, per the latest update to On3’s Industry Ranking of 2025’s Top Transfer Portal Players. Six of them are in the Top 10, four being in the top five, in the transfer rating from On3.

With that, here’s the Top 10 transfers to see in ’25 per Olson at ESPN:

Mateer, coming off of his first season as a starter for Washington State, tops this list and is third at On3, as far as transfers for 2025. That’s with him being “one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the country,” considering what he showed as a dual-threat in Pullman.

Mateer posted over 330 yards of offense per game, efficiently too, with 64.6% completion on good passing numbers while also rushing at 4.6 yards per attempt, and had 44 touchdowns total for a Top 10 offense for Wazzu. He’ll now try to bring that same production to Norman, following OC Ben Arbuckle, to create some “much-needed swagger to the Sooners’ offense”.

Mensah was “absolutely coveted” as a mid-major quarterback making the move up to a power conference after his debut season playing for Tulane. That puts him second on this list for ESPN while he’s at No. 32 overall, as the No. 6 QB, for On3.

Mensah completed 65.9% of his throws for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions for the Green Wave, who posted a Top 20 offense. He’ll look to continue that development now in Durham in replacing Maalik Murphy, who had his own great season as a transfer quarterback for the program last season.

The Hoosiers had a great transfer at quarterback last season as well, with Kurtis Rourke coming in from Ohio to lead the nation’s second-best offense and take them to the College Football Playoff. Now, in replacing him with Mendoza from California, at No. 3 for ESPN and No. 20 for On3, IU “couldn’t have found a better (quarterback)”.

Mendoza, with 19 starts for the Golden Bears, averaged 66.5% completion for 2,356 yards, 15 touchdowns, and eight interceptions through two seasons playing, with improvement from his redshirt freshman to his redshirt sophomore years, in Berkeley. He will follow Rourke now in keeping that quarterback play up in Bloomington.

Miami had such a great transfer quarterback last year that he went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Hurricanes now bring in another player, as part of a top five portal class, who was previously projected as a top draft pick in Beck, who’s at No. 4 for ESPN but is No. 1 overall in the ratings by On3.

Beck had an up and then down career at Georgia with high highs in his first season as the Bulldogs’ starter, before having some more lows in his second, including a season-ending injury in the SEC Championship. In returning to college and transferring to Coral Gables, though, he’s “ready to step in as Cam Ward’s successor and prove he’s a first-round talent”.

The first non-quarterback, at No. 4 for both ESPN and On3, is Singleton. That’s after being an all-around weapon the past two seasons for Georgia Tech.

Singleton, through his time with the Yellow Jackets, averaged 52 receptions for 734 yards while catching nine touchdowns overall, ran for 131 yards and a score this past season, and returned 11 kicks for 241 yards on special teams. His “blazing speed and excellent route running” are now coming to The Plains as part of an improving offense for the Tigers.

The Ducks have brought in 11 transfers, six being in the Top 100, in a top five portal class according to On3. Still, of them all, World is the highest-rated one, at No. 6 for ESPN and No. 5 by On3, and “is the one who has pro scouts buzzing”.

World was the next non-quarterback on the list as the top tackle in the portal after starting the past two seasons for Nevada, including not allowing a sack last season for the Wolfpack. He’ll now try to do the same thing in Eugene in further solidifying their line as one of the top transfers in their class.

The Bulldogs had their issues at wide receiver last season, being among the most drops in the country despite having a solid passing offense. They’ve since addressed that with three pickups in the portal at that position, namely one of the better weapons in the sport in Branch, at No. 7 for ESPN and No. 8 for On3.

Branch, while at USC, caught 78 passes for 823 yards, at 10.6 yards per catch, and three touchdowns, with his usage at receiver from being a freshman to a sophomore taking away from him being one of the best returners in the nation as a freshman. The ‘Dawgs will “have a lot of fun finding different ways” to use that now with him as “an explosive playmaker” in Athens.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have the No. 1 class in the portal per On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings. The highest-rated of those commitments coming to Lubbock is Bailey, at No. 8 for ESPN and who rounds out the Top-10 at On3 after being one of the top transfers of the entire spring.

Through three seasons at Stanford, Bailey posted 111 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and seven forced fumbles, with seven of the sacks and five of the forced fumbles coming in his last season with the Cardinal. Pairing him now with four other additions at edge rusher or defensive line should “give Texas Tech one of the most talented (on)es in the country”.

LSU also reloaded at receiver with a trio of additions. Some, including On3, have Barion Brown (Kentucky) as the highest rated of them, but ESPN went with Anderson here at No. 9 with On3 having him at No. 19.

Injuries limited him, along with the rest of the Sooners’ receivers, last year, with just one game played as a sophomore after Anderson caught 38 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. He could get back to that, assuming he’s healthy, after transferring in conference in now being a target for QB Garrett Nussmeier in Baton Rouge.

The Buckeyes are most known for their top receivers in the passing game. They’ve had some reliable tight ends as part of it, though, with Klare, at No. 10 here for ESPN and No. 14 for On3, coming in to try to be the next one in Columbus.

Klare will also be an inter-conference transfer after a breakout season for Purdue in catching 51 passes for 685 yards and four scores as the leading receiver by far for the Boilermakers. Alongside WRs Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss in the corps, Klare “could end up being a sneaky great addition” as “a dependable target” to whoever ends up as their starting quarterback.

Michigan basketball got a commitment on Friday, and while there’s no offense to the new addition to the 2025 class, Wolverines fans are more concerned at the moment with one name and one name only: Yaxel Lendeborg.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is busy preparing his University of Houston track and field team for the biggest meets of the outdoor season. He’s also working to save the sport that turned him into an Olympic legend.

“Olympic sports are going to have to be in one category. Let’s figure out how we do that,” Lewis said. “Football and basketball are in another category. That’s where I think the future is, or there will be no Olympic sports.”

Lewis has emerged as a passionate advocate for the traditional model of NCAA sports that we’ve all known for generations, where college athletes are paid little or no money beyond the scholarship they use to earn a college degree.

The UH track and field coach believes the big money that has poured into college football and basketball through NIL threatens other sports like track and field, swimming and diving, and many more.

Lewis said the current system is “not sustainable.” He’s also adamant that he doesn’t blame anyone in football or basketball for taking money that is available.

“I’m all for it,” he said.

RELATED: ‘We’re all in’: UH ready to spend as judge decides the future of college sports

UH athletic director Eddie Nuñez recently reaffirmed that UH will join schools directly paying their athletes at the maximum total allowed by the NCAA, $20.5 million a year, starting on July 1.

At many schools, the majority of that money will be paid to football and basketball players, leaving other athletes out. Lewis believes that the system threatens the survival of sports like track and field.

“If anyone thinks it can continue to go this way, they’re fooling themselves,” he said.

Lewis is now promoting a split that would allow college football and basketball to have their own governing body. That would allow the rest of the sports to continue on their own.

“The number one objective of these college athletes is to get here to get a degree to get a job,” Lewis said.

Lewis points to his current roster on the UH track team as an example. He said that out of over 100 athletes on the UH team, three might be able to make a living as professionals in track.

The rest deserve the opportunity to compete in college so they can get a degree.

Lewis is convinced that the current system, that is still emerging under new rules, will leave schools around the country robbing “Peter to pay Paul and everyone’s gonna be broke.”

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