NIL
Quinn Ewers' lucrative side hustle will net him nearly as much as NFL salary
Quinn Ewers’ decision to leave Texas for the NFL has already been justified, even after falling to the seventh round, with the quarterback earning a lucrative endorsement deal 12:39 ET, 23 May 2025Updated 12:40 ET, 23 May 2025 Quinn Ewers first pro endorsement deal should help ease the pain of leaving NIL money on the […]

Quinn Ewers’ decision to leave Texas for the NFL has already been justified, even after falling to the seventh round, with the quarterback earning a lucrative endorsement deal
Quinn Ewers has shown that his leap to the NFL can be just as profitable as earning through NIL deals in college following news of his Panini agreement.
The 22-year-old wrapped up his impressive and lucrative college career with the Texas Longhorns by declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft after the conclusion of the 2024 season. He was eventually picked by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round with the 231st overall pick.
Despite being chosen in the final round, Ewers feels he’s landed in a “good spot.”
This comes after he reportedly turned down a $6-million NIL deal to transfer from Texas after three seasons, opting instead for a less lucrative $4.3-million rookie contract with the Dolphins. However, it’s been suggested that his NIL payout could have hit $8 million in 2025 had he stayed.
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His rookie contract is still nothing to scoff at, with Ewers set to pocket $1.075 million annually over four seasons at Hard Rock Stadium. If he had any regrets about the money he left on the table by moving to the NFL, his latest endorsement deal might have eased the sting a bit.
On Friday, Ewers revealed that he had inked an exclusive autograph trading card deal with Panini for his NFL trading cards. The next day, it was disclosed that the deal is worth $3 million, according to a source with “knowledge of the arrangement”, NBC reports.
His decision to swap a more profitable NIL deal for a rookie NFL contract is already proving fruitful, as he’s landed a hefty endorsement deal on top of it — the largest payday for any seventh-round draft pick in his first season.
On the field, Ewers will have to compete with starting QB Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson for a regular-season roster spot. However, his Panini deal alone, worth nearly 70% of his total on-field salary, certainly cushions the blow as he gears up for his debut professional season.
The same can’t be said for former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, whose dramatic drop in the NFL Draft significantly impacted his potential earnings.
After departing the Buffaloes with a $6.5-million NIL valuation, the second-highest in all of college sports, Deion Sanders’ son will now kick off his NFL career with a base salary of roughly $1.15 million, having seen his potential earnings drastically cut due to falling to the fifth round.
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Had Sanders been selected with the first overall pick as some had forecasted months earlier, he could have raked in a staggering $48 million from his rookie contract.
While his new paycheck is still a hefty sum for the average American worker, it’s a far cry from the millions he was projected to earn if his draft predictions had held steady. Prior to being picked 144th, Sanders was the second-highest NIL earner, trailing only Texas wunderkind Arch Manning.
Despite being ranked as the second-best quarterback prospect following last season’s evaluations, five quarterbacks were selected ahead of Sanders. Dillon Gabriel of Oregon, a Heisman finalist who Sanders once outpaced, was drafted by Cleveland in the third round.
This pick secured Gabriel an estimated yearly salary of $1.2 million.
Cam Ward, the top overall pick in the same draft, landed a contract worth nearly $49 million with a staggering $32 million signing bonus after being chosen by the Tennessee Titans. Sanders’ former Colorado teammate Travis Hunter managed to snag a $46.5m contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NIL
SEC stalwart predicts Texas A&M to make College Football Playoff in 2025
Texas A&M could maybe be one of the most slept-on teams in the entire country next year with the way they’re currently being discounted by many members of the media. This is an Aggie team that is set to take strides forward after being on the brink of an SEC championship berth last year— albeit […]

Texas A&M could maybe be one of the most slept-on teams in the entire country next year with the way they’re currently being discounted by many members of the media. This is an Aggie team that is set to take strides forward after being on the brink of an SEC championship berth last year— albeit with an easier schedule than they’ll have in 2025, but the point stands.
With so many factors favoring a big season for the Aggies, it’s puzzling that there’s not more public momentum around them being a dark horse candidate to make some postseason noise. They certainly cut the profile of a team that could do so, but you wouldn’t know it by surveying the headlines.
One veteran of the league, though, has his eye on the Aggies to do more than make a little noise— he sees them getting to the playoff. Rusty Mansell, a longtime insider for the Georgia Bulldogs, has made the call that the Aggies will be a part of the College Football Playoff in 2025.
Rusty Mansell predicts Texas A&M football to make College Football Playoff in 2025
One of the most trusted voices covering the Georgia Bulldogs for years, Mansell has been around this conference for quite some time. Diving into the Aggies apparently gave him some maroon and white optimism, as he told Michael Bratton while at SEC Media Days.
Mansell was impressed by what the Aggies have going into next year and when asked for a bold take by Bratton on the “That SEC Podcast,” he ventured that A&M would be part of the 12-team group. “They’ve got enough,” he said, calling Marcel Reed a “problem” for opponents.
He and Bratton agreed that Reed was overlooked and underrated, with Bratton comparing Reed to a media darling in DJ Lagway. Mansell mentioned Reed’s accuracy as a plus— something that Aggie fans know he showcased well down the stretch after it being a question mark earlier on.
Hopefully time will prove Mansell right. He has a good outlook here and I think he’s diagnosed things correctly for the Aggies. Don’t be surprised if, come November, these discussions are far louder than they are right now.
NIL
Roethlisberger Concerned College NIL Is ‘Taking The Love Of The Game Away’
Ben Roethlisberger expresses concern about the impact of college NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals on the love of the game, suggesting that financial incentives may diminish genuine passion among players. While he acknowledges the benefits, such as improved financial literacy and the ability for players to support their families, he worries that the emphasis on […]

Ben Roethlisberger expresses concern about the impact of college NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals on the love of the game, suggesting that financial incentives may diminish genuine passion among players. While he acknowledges the benefits, such as improved financial literacy and the ability for players to support their families, he worries that the emphasis on money could lead teams to prefer less talented but more motivated players. He reflects on historical sentiments about amateurism in college sports and suggests the need for guardrails in the evolving NIL landscape to protect players and maintain the essence of competition.
By the Numbers
- Highly touted OT recruit Felix Ojo secured a three-year deal worth $5.1 million with Texas Tech.
- The NIL model is generating significant earnings for college athletes that were previously kept under the table.
State of Play
- NIL deals have blurred the lines between amateur and professional sports, changing recruitment dynamics.
- Players are entering the NFL with previous financial experience from NIL, altering team drafting strategies.
What’s Next
Moving forward, the college football landscape may see increased regulations to manage NIL deals and protect both players and institutions. As this situation evolves, it will be critical to maintain a balance between financial opportunities and preserving the competitive integrity of the sport.
Bottom Line
Roethlisberger’s insights highlight a crucial tension in modern college athletics: the need for compensation versus the preservation of passion for the sport. Stakeholders must consider how to navigate these changes without compromising the essence of college football.
NIL
Georgia offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson arrested on drug-related charges
A Georgia football player is facing charges after he was arrested on Wednesday. Sophomore offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson was charged with felony possession of marijuana of more than one ounce, according to a report from the Athens Banner-Herald. Marc Weiszer of the Banner-Herald reports that Jahzare Jackson now faces an additional three drug-related charges. In […]

A Georgia football player is facing charges after he was arrested on Wednesday. Sophomore offensive lineman Jahzare Jackson was charged with felony possession of marijuana of more than one ounce, according to a report from the Athens Banner-Herald.
Marc Weiszer of the Banner-Herald reports that Jahzare Jackson now faces an additional three drug-related charges. In addition to the charge above, he also faces possession and use of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana less than an ounce and holding or supporting a wireless device with any part of his body. All three of those charges are misdemeanors.
Jackson was booked into the Clarke County Jail on Wednesday evening just before midnight and spent roughly four and a half hours there. He was released on bonds totaling $5,030, per the Banner-Herald.
Jahzare Jackson is not the first Georgia player to run afoul of the law this offseason. In March, receiver Nitro Tuggle and offensive lineman Marques Easley were suspended following traffic-related infractions.
Meanwhile, a current Georgia commitment is facing charges related to an alleged domestic battery. That news broke on Saturday.
Seven Cloud arrested on domestic battery charge
Jahzare Jackson was the second player or commitment in as many days to make headlines for a recent legal issue. Georgia JUCO commit Seven Cloud is facing charges regarding domestic battery that stem from an April incident in Butler County. The defensive lineman appeared in front of a judge on Monday, July 14, where he was formally charged.
According to the Butler County Times Gazette, Judge Chad Crum found probable cause to charge Cloud and ruled him to have no contact with the victim moving forward. It is a Class B misdemeanor and he will be back in court on Sept. 22.
The report states that the incident occurred on April 20. The Butler County Sheriff’s office was called to the scene of an altercation between Cloud and his significant other. He was arrested and subsequently bonded out. Police allege that Cloud “did knowingly cause physical contact with another person, in a rude, angry or insulting manner.”
This is not the first incident where the police have been involved with Cloud and his significant other. On March 27, Cloud was charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly destroying her cell phone. That is also classified as a misdemeanor and both charges came from the BCC Department of Public Safety.
While Cloud has not yet joined the Georgia program, Jahzare Jackson played in every game last season. He was expected to compete for a backup job on the offensive line this fall.
On3’s Barkley Truax also contributed to this report.
NIL
Letters
The impressive financial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, who oversees name, image and likeness, and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletes to play gives a literal definition to winning at all costs. There are liabilities associated with pay to play that should be considered. Amateurism in college and high […]


The impressive financial gymnastics Taylor Jacobs, who oversees name, image and likeness, and her team executed to enable LSU to be financially competitive in paying their athletes to play gives a literal definition to winning at all costs.
There are liabilities associated with pay to play that should be considered. Amateurism in college and high school sports no longer exists. Excelling at sports used to be about fulling a dream to be the best through hard work and sacrifice and to experience the sheer joy of accomplishment. Now, competing is complicated by a paycheck.
Have college athletes become mercenaries playing for the highest bidder? The money has become preeminent in discussions with players and has irrevocably changed players’ relationships with coaches and their teams. Forget about mentorship and team loyalty, just show me the money.
LSU athletes are professionals by definition. They are contract workers but could become employees if they are allowed to collectively bargain. How will that work?
Wining is a good thing except when the costs are too high.
JIM ROBERTS
St. George
NIL
SEC football teams with the most cupcake routes to the College Football Playoff
Did SEC football programs learn how to schedule from last season’s CFB Playoff Selection Committee? Though few games are added less than a year out, appearances are that some SEC teams believe scheduling as many cupcakes as possible is the way to go. Recently, On3’s Pete Nakos picked 11 teams with the weakest out-of-conference (OOC) […]

Did SEC football programs learn how to schedule from last season’s CFB Playoff Selection Committee? Though few games are added less than a year out, appearances are that some SEC teams believe scheduling as many cupcakes as possible is the way to go.
Recently, On3’s Pete Nakos picked 11 teams with the weakest out-of-conference (OOC) schedules in the 2025 season. Six of the 11 are SEC football teams. One of the six, Vanderbilt, gets a pass. Thanks to the Commodores’ SEC schedule, ESPN Analytics ranks Vanderbilt as having the nation’s second-toughest 12-game schedule. Another SEC team, Georgia, is rated as the 8th-toughest FBS schedule, with Alabama and Texas playing in Athens. Nakos included Auburn in the weakest OOC schedules, but with the Tigers not being a legit playoff contender, the weakness is not material.
Three of the other SEC teams are playoff contenders. For each of the three a big reason why is their out-of-conference schedule.
The three SEC football teams hoping to cakewalk to a Playoff at-large bid are Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Missouri. The three fanbases will loudly contend their teams are SEC championship contenders. But ESPN gives the Vols a 4.2% probability of winning the SEC. Ole Miss is at 2.8% and Missouri is at 0.6%. The realistic playoff goal for each team is a 10-2 or 9-3 season. None of them can afford to lose an out-of-conference game.
Using an Athlon ranking of the 136 FBS teams, Missouri has a greater risk than the Vols or the Rebels to lose an out-of-conference game. In Week 2, Missouri hosts a home game against No. 35-ranked Kansas. The Tigers open with FCS, Central Arkansas, and have two more catwalk games against No. 92 Louisiana and No. 135 UMass.
Tennessee opens with No. 57 Syracuse, in Atlanta, in what is almost a home game for the Vols. In addition, Tennessee plays FCS, East Tennessee State, No. 125 UAB, and No. 132 New Mexico State.
Four games into the Ole Miss season, Tulane (No. 48) plays the Rebels in Oxford. Ole Miss also plays FCS, The Citadel, No. 97 Washington State, and No. 112 Georgia State.
Ole Miss and Missouri have no road, out-of-conference games. Tennessee can’t claim one either.
SEC Football requires at least one non-SEC Power Opponent
For the record, Alabama Football also has two cupcakes: FCS Eastern Illinois and No. 116 ULM. But, the Crimson Tide plays two non-SEC Power teams in FSU (No. 42) and Wisconsin (No. 45), with the FSU game in Tallahassee.
NIL
Georgia predicted to lose 5-star RB for all the wrong reasons
July 20 marks the commitment date for five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Throughout the past few months Georgia has been one of his top teams if not the team leading in his recruitment. However, the last few days have seen multiple recruiting experts predict Cooper to Texas. There theoretically is still time for Georgia to […]

July 20 marks the commitment date for five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Throughout the past few months Georgia has been one of his top teams if not the team leading in his recruitment. However, the last few days have seen multiple recruiting experts predict Cooper to Texas.
There theoretically is still time for Georgia to come back and win this recruitment, but that seems nearly impossible at this point. So what went wong for Georgia in this recruitment?
It’s hard to know exactly how Georgia lost this recruitment, but a few experts have hinted at the sole reason being financial.
Cooper trending to Texas because of NIL offer
Two recruiting insiders on Sunday hinted on social media that the reason Cooper is likely to pick Texas is because of the financial package offered to him by the Longhorns.
The first report indicating Cooper’s decision is being heavily influenced by money came from Rivals insider Geoff Ketchum. It’s important to not that Ketchum is a Texas insider with Rivals, so he likely is the most knowledgeable person at Rivals about Cooper’s recruitment.
The Derrek Cooper recruitment is a reminder that money in college football matters and that it’s ok.
It sometimes matters more than official visits… and that’s ok.
It sometimes matters more than any other factor… and that’s ok.
— Geoff Ketchum (@gkketch) July 20, 2025
Georgia insider Radi Nabulsi also weighed in on this recruitment by sarcastically crediting the amazing relationship Texas formed with Cooper.
Amazing relationships being developed by Texas https://t.co/o9kCrDhnXW
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) July 20, 2025
Regardless of the reason, it’s unfortunate that Cooper appears to be heading to Texas instead of Athens. Blaming the loss on a massive NIL offer is an easy excuse for fans to make when losing a recruitment, but that’s just the name of the game nowadays.
Whether Georgia likes it or not, recruiting is heavily influenced by money. So if Georgia wants to win more of these recruitments, they might have to up the NIL they’re willing to offer.
At the end of the day though, Kirby Smart has shared he will not overspend for any recruit out of high school. He’d rather reward his upperclassmen financially who have earned it over multiple years at Georgia.
So far this strategy has worked at Georgia during the NIL era, and as long as UGA keeps winning on the field then losing these recruitments isn’t so bad.
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