NIL

What Otega Oweh’s return means for Kentucky

Published

7 months ago

May 29, 2025

Right at the buzzer, Otega Oweh came up clutch for Kentucky — just as he did for the Wildcats on multiple occasions during his debut season in Lexington. No, it wasn’t a game-winner against Oklahoma in Norman, or again against the Sooners in the SEC Tournament. This time, it was announcing his decision to return for his senior year in blue and white, pulling his name out of the draft ahead of the 11:59 p.m. ET withdrawal deadline. With workouts scheduled through May 28 beyond his time at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago earlier this month, Oweh saw the process through, receiving all of the feedback he could get his hands on before deciding to run it back as a Wildcat.

What does that decision mean for Kentucky going into year two under Mark Pope? We know the team will be good, but how good? KSR breaks down the return of Tega-Tron.

Kentucky can win a title with this roster

As the pieces started coming together, it didn’t take long to see the vision. The Wildcats had talent last season, but lacked physicality, toughness and athleticism, and Pope quickly went out of his way to improve the roster in those areas while continuing to prioritize positional versatility with shot-making potential at every spot on the floor. Maybe no Koby Breas — generational shooters are generational for a reason — but zero non-shooters in sight.

And depth. Lots and lots of depth. Worried about a player or three losing a wheel, an unfortunate reality the team faced last year? Kentucky’s got a dozen others ready to play.

Oweh was the final piece of that puzzle and the glue ready to hold it all together. The complementary fits were all there, waiting for that star and face to anchor the lineup. It would have been a solid team without the All-SEC guard, but was it capable of making a championship run? That’s a question the Wildcats will fortunately not have to answer with his return.

Is this the most expensive team in college basketball?

Pope joked that Kentucky’s NIL budget was “close to $200 million” earlier this month, holding back a belly laugh when asked to address some of the numbers thrown around in connection with his roster. He wasn’t going to play ball there, but he did make it clear the program deserves the best of the best. The winningest program in college basketball should have the best talent and the money it takes to build championship rosters in this climate.

“This is the University of Kentucky. I never forget that. We should be the best at everything,” Pope said. “Put NIL, put the transfer portal on the list. Our job is to go be the best at everything. We’re not shying away from that. It’s important to us.”

Otega Oweh’s decision is the best example of Kentucky’s healthy NIL situation yet. He could have entered the transfer portal as a potential face of college basketball and Preseason All-American in 2025-26, going to the highest bidder as one of the sport’s top earners next season. He’s a name-your-price, blank-check talent, but didn’t even think to explore the open market. Instead, it was UK or the NBA.

Had those NIL conversations gone poorly — take Denzel Aberdeen’s unexpected move from Florida to Kentucky, for example — we’re likely talking about finding Oweh’s replacement right now, whether he had kept his name in the draft or pursued other options in the portal. Instead, the folks in Lexington made it more than worth his while to return, just as they have for the rest of this absolutely loaded roster.

Prepare for a second-year jump

Now that Oweh is back, the conversation turns toward what he can be in year two under Pope. If you ask the man in charge, this is typically when his players make the biggest jump, moving past learning the system and focusing on individual development.

“My guys in their second year take a massive leap,” Pope said. “We’re such a read-based offense, and in parts defense, where our guys are the deciders on the floor. They’re not looking over at me. We coach them to coach each other and communicate with each other.

“So, with a year under your belt now, now you’re coming in not to learn the game or do the game, but you come in actually starting to play the game and trick up the game and use all these actions and manipulate them in creative ways. And that’s where the game gets incredibly fun. So these second-year guys are going to be really key for us.”

That’s a game-changer for Kentucky and a problem for the rest of college basketball. Oweh was already the team’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds (second-best on the team), 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals (best on the team) on 49/78/36 splits. If that’s the worst version we’ll see of Tega-Tron as a Wildcat, what does the best look like?

A clear path to first-round status

Oweh was already receiving ‘really, really good feedback’ from NBA teams ahead of the withdrawal deadline, outperforming some of the early draft projections that had him fighting for second-round status. Most had him going undrafted, ESPN’s latest update listing the 6-4 guard as the No. 72 overall prospect in the field.

Fortunately for the Kentucky star — and part of why a return to Lexington made sense — there is an obvious path to solidifying himself as a first-round pick in 2026. His floor is already unbelievably high, Pope singling out his ‘elite’ physicality and explosiveness already, ‘as good as you’re going to find’ among current draft-eligible players.

Then you factor in the upside with ‘so much room to grow,’ as he put it.

“I think his ceiling as a playmaker, he hasn’t even begun to tap into that. I think he can become an elite, elite-level playmaker,” Pope said. “Something that he’s talked a lot about is his ability to get his shot off more quickly. He shot the ball really well last year at 36, 37 percent from three, but to get it off quicker and get more attempts, I think is a big deal for him. On the defensive end, his ability to kind of neutralize bigs on the glass and bigs on switches is a place where he can really excel. I think he has a chance to grow into one of the elite steals guys in the country.

“He’s got a ton of room to grow. He’s an unbelievable player who had a great season last year. It’s pretty fun to talk about.”

It was pretty fun to talk about those possibilities as Oweh tested the draft waters and explored the possibility of a return to Kentucky. Now that it’s official, there aren’t many things more fun to talk about than what year two of Tega-Tron looks like and just how good the Wildcats can be in 2025-26.

Welcome back, OO. Time to hang banner No. 9.

Link

NIL

Florida wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Published

24 minutes ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Florida wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery is planning to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned. He caught three passes for 26 yards in 2025.

Montgomery played high school football at Miami Central (West Palm Beach, FL), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 262 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that complies all major recruiting media services.

He had a bunch of different premier programs interested in his services as a recruit. We’ll see who comes calling this time around for the wide receiver.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

More on Naeshaun Montgomery, NCAA Transfer Portal

Meanwhile, the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee passed dates for the one-time-only college football transfer portal back earlier in October. As it stands, the 2025-26 college football transfer portal will last 15 days. It’ll span Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, the NCAA announced.

Moving forward, the entire Division I football notification of transfer windows is slated for Jan 2-16. As has been the previous standard, athletes on College Football Playoff teams still playing would have 5 days beginning the day after their team’s final game to enter the transfer portal.

Additionally, players have 15 days to enter the portal, but they’re not under a deadline to commit when they enter. Traditionally, the deadline for committing is how late a school can enroll a player through admissions.

One caveat is that if a head coach is fired, the transfer portal will not open for players immediately. The NCAA revealed that moving forward, players will only have 15 days to enter the portal after a coaching change, instead of the former allocation of 30 days. Players will also have to wait five days after a new coach is hired or announced.

Finally, graduate transfers also cannot enter the transfer portal until Jan. 2 with the new one-time-only portal window. All these new guidelines are bound to shake things up, but the transfer portal will still remain as interesting and entertaining as ever.

Link

NIL

6 Tennessee players who increased their NIL value, including DeSean Bishop

Published

1 hour ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dec. 22, 2025, 5:00 a.m. ET

Some Tennessee football players are expected to negotiate for higher NIL pay after strong performances in the 2025 season.
Since July, schools can directly pay athletes through revenue sharing, in addition to third-party NIL deals.
Players who have likely increased their value include DeSean Bishop, Braylon Staley, and several standout freshmen.
NIL negotiations have become a regular part of the college football calendar, influencing player decisions on transfers and the NFL draft.

Some Tennessee football players will negotiate a raise in NIL pay after overperforming in the 2025 season.

Those discussions have become part of the college football calendar in this era of frequent player movement, and money is a driving force in big decisions.

Negotiations likely started long before No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). And they’ll continue when the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.

The top players with eligibility remaining consider declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Some players consider testing the transfer market by entering the portal. And overperforming players hope to cash in with a pay raise from their school.

Since July, schools have been allowed to pay athletes directly with revenue shares, essentially a royalty for use of their name, image and likeness. Players can earn additional money in third-party NIL pay from collectives, corporations and business owners.

Some players get raises. Other players get pay cuts.

Schools pay players directly under a salary cap of sorts. The payroll works out to about $13.5 million for each college football team, or approximately $170,000 per scholarship player. Those distributions and payroll strategies vary between teams.

And third-party NIL pay can double the earnings of the best players.

None of that payroll information is available to the public, which means it’s impossible to know whether a player is overpaid, underpaid or fairly paid. But it’s reasonable to believe their pay corresponds to their projected level of play.

And if they exceed those expectations, a raise is in order. With that being said, let’s take an educated guess at which players have increased their value.

DeSean Bishop

No Tennessee player has increased his value over the past year as much as running back DeSean Bishop. In January, the former Karns High standout was promoted from walk-on to scholarship player. That likely didn’t come with a big NIL payday because he wasn’t even a starter yet.

But Bishop earned that scholarship, and then some, in the 2025 season. He was named All-SEC second team after rushing for 983 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season. If Bishop wasn’t paid NIL this season, he certainly will next season. And if he was paid this season, it likely didn’t align with an all-conference season.

Braylon Staley

Braylon Staley showed promise heading into the 2025 season, but he was unproven. That quickly changed when he played well in UT’s biggest games and earned SEC Freshman of the Year with 64 receptions, 806 yards and six TDs.

UT may have already paid Staley a solid NIL amount. After all, he was a four-star recruit and top 100 player coming out of high school. But it’s doubtful that Staley was paid like one of the SEC’s top receivers, which he clearly now is.

Wendell Moe

This one is debatable, but leverage could come into play. Wendell Moe was a solid pick-up in the portal in 2025, but he turned into an AP All-SEC performer.

It’s difficult to predict how much UT paid Moe in the 2025 season without knowing the transfer market for his position. If he was coveted by multiple teams, Moe may have been paid well and simply played to that level.

But now Moe has proven to be a good SEC offensive lineman and potential NFL draft prospect. That could land him at least a moderate NIL raise to return in 2026.

Jesse Perry

In the 2024 class, offensive lineman Jesse Perry was rated fifth among five offensive linemen signed by Tennessee, according to 247Sports Composite. He was a three-star recruit.

NIL pay doesn’t always correspond to recruit ratings. But Perry’s moderate grades indicate that he had to prove his value on the field before earning a notable NIL check.

Perry did that in the 2025 season. He started 11 games, including seven at right tackle and four at right guard, and earned Freshman All-America honors.

Granted, his future NIL pay will depend on whether he’s a surefire starter or a versatile backup, but Perry is certainly in a stronger position than a year ago.

Ty Redmond

Like Perry, cornerback Ty Redmond probably entered the 2025 season with a low NIL value and had to prove himself. In the 2025 class, Redmond was rated fourth among five defensive backs signed by Tennessee, according to 247Sports Composite. He was a three-star recruit.

But Redmond, after some early growing pains, turned into a promising young cornerback. He was an All-SEC third-team selection and Freshman All-SEC performer. He tied for the SEC lead with 13 passes defended and led the Vols with three interceptions.

Regardless of what Redmond earned in 2025, he is in a stronger position after his freshman season.

Jordan Ross

This one is more speculative than the rest on this list. After all, edge rusher Jordan Ross was a five-star signee in the 2024 class, so he may already command high pay in NIL money based on his recruit rating.

That being said, Ross is on this list because of his play, his position and his perceived essential status in new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defensive scheme. Knowles values edge rushers, and Ross is UT’s most dynamic.

Link

NIL

Miami WR Malachi Toney Announces Career News Amid College Football Season

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes defeated the No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, ultimately decided by a late fourth-quarter score and red-zone interception by Miami.

With the score tied at 3 and 1 minute, 44 seconds left in the game, Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Carson Beck.

Up next for the Hurricanes is a Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic matchup against the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s an uphill battle, as ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Hurricanes a 29.5% chance of winning.

Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10).© Robert Myers-Imagn Images

Before his heroic performance, though, the wide receiver revealed an exciting Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) update. In a joint Instagram post, Toney revealed a new NIL partnership with Hellstar, a popular clothing brand that has a sports training component.

“We are so proud to announce our first Hellstar Sports College Athlete NIL signing – Malachi Toney🌟.,” the post caption read. “We had the privilege to coach @malitoney10 while he was apart of our high school 7 on 7 program, so now seeing him shine on the collegiate level we couldn’t be more proud.”

Link

NIL

What Colorado’s Athletic Department Valuation Says About Buffaloes’ Growth

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In the growing landscape of college athletics, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals play a vital role in sports. Some programs are set up better than others based on a program’s valuation. Programs with higher valuations can help some of the top-performing teams stay successful.

CNBC released its valuation rankings for the country’s athletic departments, showing their growth from the 2024 fiscal year. The Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 47 in the nation, a rise from No. 55 in 2024.

Colorado Buffaloes valuation NIL transfer portal Deion Sanders Coach Prime Big 12 College Football Basketball Folsom Field — Nov 25, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sanders on the field against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Breaking Down Colorado Buffaloes’ Valuation Ranking

Colorado’s 2025 valuation is $574 million, with a year-over-year value change of 22 percent. The program’s 2024 revenue is set at $147 million, with a 16 percent year-over-year revenue change.

A program’s valuation determines its monetary worth, and it is important to look at the growth, which shows that Colorado is trending in the right direction. It is also important to note that the valuation rankings are based on all of the athletics, not just the football program.

Where Colorado Ranks In The Big 12

When focusing on the Big 12 conference, several of the programs are in the same vicinity with their valuation ranking.

No. 39 Kansas: $620M
No. 41 Oklahoma State: $600M
No. 42 Baylor: $585M
No. 46 Iowa State: $575M
No. 47 Colorado: $574M
No. 49 Texas Tech: $570M
No. 50 TCU: $568M
No. 55 Arizona: $529M
No. 57 BYU: $500M
No. 58 West Virginia: $481M
No. 60 Utah: $451M
No. 62 Kansas State: $435M
No. 63 Arizona State: $430M
No. 68 Cincinnati: $280M
No. 70 UCF: $262M
No. 73 Houston: $222M

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

While from the top valuation of Kansas to the bottom, which is Houston is a significant difference in the Big 12, the conference teams are still in a similar vicinity overall. With it having to do with all athletics, the programs that have consistently strong teams, such as Kansas’ basketball team, make sense to have a higher valuation.

Looking at the Big 12 as a whole shows that the Colorado Buffaloes are in the top five for their valuation and trending upward.

Calling Back To Deion Sanders’ Comments On Fairness

While valuation is not the same as revenue, seeing the difference in the conferences does call back to Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ comments on the fairness between programs. The schools in the top five for their valuation are either in the Big Ten or the SEC, and all are in the billions.

“You talk about equality,” Sanders said during the Big 12 media day. “All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s giving $25, $30 million to a darn freshman class.”

Although the valuation is on the programs’ overall athletics, Sanders has been outspoken about money when it comes to building the football program. With the Buffaloes facing a mass exodus through the transfer portal, Sanders has highlighted that several players are leaving because of money.

The positive side is that the Buffaloes’ valuation is growing with a 22 percent increase. This shows that the school’s athletics overall are being valued higher, and will help lead to more money poured into the program. With more money, the Buffaloes can put more of an emphasis on NIL as they look to build their roster and compete in the Big 12.

Insider Reveals Biggest Reason Behind Colorado’s Transfer Portal Mass Exodus

Published

10 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

From a player retention standpoint, the first few weeks of the offseason haven’t been kind to the Colorado Buffaloes.

Several key Buffs have announced their intentions to enter the college football transfer portal when it opens next month, including wide receiver Omarion Miller, safety Tawfiq Byard and freshman defensive end Alexander McPherson. While every situation is unique, one Colorado insider believes money has been a common denominator among players’ reasons for leaving Boulder.

Insider Reasons Colorado Transfer Portal Exodus Buffaloes NIL Deion Sanders Alexander McPherson Tawfiq Byard Omarion Miller — Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller (4) is tackled by Utah Utes defensive back JC Hart (14) during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“The super majority of those people, I’m talking 95 percent, are going to be leaving for a bigger bag,” Thee Pregame Show’s Uncle Neely said on his YouTube channel. “This ain’t transferring in 1990. This ain’t transferring in the year 2000. This is 2025. This is business now. This isn’t, ‘Oh, I don’t like the coach. Oh, I don’t want to be treated the way they treat me.’

“This doesn’t mean something is wrong. These are business decisions now. But what we like to do is run with the narrative that woe is me, something must be wrong, something must be going on. How are all these people leaving?”

The NIL (name, image and likeness) era has rocked college football, and the depressing truth is that schools with more money will ultimately land the best players. In the Big 12, no school better exemplifies that trend than new conference champion Texas Tech.

Who’s Leaving Colorado?

As of Sunday, 16 Colorado players will enter the transfer portal next month. That group includes 12 defensive players, six members of the Buffs’ 2025 high school signing class and a few other Buffs who spent only one season in Boulder.

Below is an updated list of Colorado players who plan on entering the transfer portal:

Safety TJ Branch
Defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis
Cornerback Noah King
Cornerback Teon Parks
Linebacker Mantrez Walker
Safety Terrance Love
Safety Tawfiq Byard
Wide receiver Omarion Miller
Defensive tackle Brandon Davis-Swain
Offensive lineman Carde Smith
Defensive end Alexander McPherson
Offensive lineman Tyler Brown
Defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot
Defensive tackle Christian Hudson
Defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas
Wide receiver Dre’lon Miller

Uncle Neely shared his take that Colorado’s losses should be replaceable via the transfer portal.

“Have you ever stopped to say, what am I actually losing by those people leaving?” Uncle Neely said. “Have you ever looked at the numbers production-wise of who has announced that they’re getting up out of here and what you’re actually losing by them leaving?… Is it replaceable via the portal? And in this business in college football, is it replaceable cheaper? I would wager to say the answer is yes in all regards.”

MORE: Colorado Gets Hit With Biggest Transfer Portal Loss Yet

MORE: Michael Irvin Gets Real On Blame Surrounding Shedeur Sanders

MORE: Deion Sanders Faces Recruiting Problem After Omarion Miller Transfer News

The college football transfer portal will open on Jan. 2 and close Jan. 16. Colorado coach Deion Sanders and his staff can begin adding players from the portal at the start of that period.

Link

NIL

Report: LSU finalizes deal to hire Ole Miss’ Kevin Smith, puts him among highest paid RBs coaches

Published

11 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lane Kiffin is bringing another Ole Miss assistant with him to LSU. According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, the Tigers have finalized a deal to hire Rebels running backs coach Kevin Smith for the same role.

Smith is reported to have a salary of close to $1 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country. He is the sixth Ole Miss assistant to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

The other coaches joining Kiffin at LSU are offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, receivers coach Joe McDonald, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan and quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens. So far no defensive assistants from the Rebels have made the jump to Baton Rouge.

Smith worked with Kiffin as a running backs coach at Florida Atlantic form 2017-19 and joined his very first staff at Ole Miss in 2020. He stayed for the next two seasons in Oxford before leaving to take the running backs coach position at Miami in 2022.

Smith’s stint with the Hurricanes was a short-lived one as he returned to Ole Miss in 2023 and stayed through this season. Now he’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed with Kiffin while building up the running backs room at LSU.

Smith helped to develop running backs such as Quinshon Judkins and Kewan Lacy during his time in Oxford. This past season, Ole Miss ranked fifth in the SEC with 185.6 rushing yards per game as Lacy led the conference with 21 rushing touchdowns and ranked second with 1,366 yards.

Ole Miss had its best season in program history this year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. However, Kiffin was not granted permission from the school to finish out the season with the Rebels after he accepted the LSU job.

Other assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., were allowed to complete the playoff run with Ole Miss. The Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round and will face No. 3 Georgia, which they lost to earlier this season, in the quarterfinals.

As of right now, it looks like most of the Ole Miss offensive staff will follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge. The defensive side keep defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who has been on staff at LSU since 2024.

Link