Happy Monday, everyone. The baseball team won a big series against Georgia, and now has one final week to play for SEC Tournament seeding.

We found out that the softball team will get to host a NCAA regional as a 15-seed. Should they advance, a daunting trip to Norman will await them for Super Regionals.

Alabama apparently relied more on donations than any other SEC football program last year.

Alabama led all public SEC football programs in reliance on donations for Fiscal Year 2024, according to data from financial reports submitted to the NCAA by the league’s 15 public schools. AL.com obtained the reports via a series of open records requests.

The Crimson Tide football program brought in 38.2% of its FY 2024 revenue via contributions from donors. The Fiscal Year ran from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.

Do with that what you will.

Kalen DeBoer spoke on the criticisms of his wardrobe last season.

“You know that everything is going to be analyzed – literally everything – but, again, that’s what you signed up for, and I’m good with that. I just want to try to bring as many people together,” DeBoer said. “There’s going to be people who are always against you, right? That’s college football. That’s rivalries. That’s you being devoted to your team, and I love that. It’s special, because this is the pro team here. There isn’t an NFL or NBA or Major League Baseball team in Alabama. This is it. That’s awesome. I love it.”

Josh Jacobs told an interesting signing day story.

Jacobs then went on a visit to Alabama, being hosted by future star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was only an early-enrolled freshman at the time. On that visit with the eventual Super Bowl MVP, Jacobs decided Alabama was “the spot to be.”

But, Jacobs was still on the dark if there would even be a spot for him. When he woke up on his commitment day, he had plans in mind to be a Tiger.

“I was going to go to Mizzou,” Jacobs said.

But shortly before Jacobs put pen to paper, an Alabama coach called to tell Jacobs the prospect struggling with academics failed to meet their thresholds. A spot was now open on the Crimson Tide.

“So the day that I went to sign, that’s when I found out that I could even go to Alabama,” Jacobs said.

Whoever that player was, thank you for being dumb.

Last, a little more info on the Saban-led NIL commission.

To give another perspective, Texas Tech mega-booster Cody Campbell is Saban’s co-chair. During a Welcome Home Tour stop in Greenville, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer briefly spoke about the committee.

Initially, Beamer didn’t provide much about his thoughts on the matter, saying, “I saw that. I was reading some of that coming up here today on my phone, just some information about it. I don’t know enough about it.”

However, the fifth-year head coach admitted that he thought the president might have found the right man for the job. Said Beamer, “I think if you’re looking for anyone to spearhead change or be in a leadership position when it comes to college football going forward, he’s the first person that would come to mind from my standpoint.”

First question for the mega-booster: “Isn’t there something better for the world that you could do with all that money than buying football players for a college?”

That’s about it for today. Have a great week.

Roll Tide.

Former Charleston forward Ante Brzovic has been denied his request for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA to allow him to play a fifth season after spending one year at the JUCO level. That decision is coming from the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (4th Circuit).

Now, NIL lawyer Darren Heitner has weighed in on the decision, cautioning that this issue will likely find its way to the Supreme Court. That’s because other districts have had significantly different decisions in similar cases, relating to the NCAA’s eligibility rules and the Five-Year Rule.

In particular, Heitner pointed to Jett Elad. A Rutgers defensive back who spent time at the JUCO ranks, Elad looked for a similar injunction against the NCAA to allow him to play this upcoming season. That was ruled on by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (3rd Circuit).

The key difference in the two cases is that the courts that heard the cases took largely different approaches. The Elad court relied heavily on NCAA v. Alston and the post-Alston landscape of NIL compensation. However, the Brzovic court disagreed. Instead, the South Carolina court ruled that there is no “binding legal authority” to show that the Five-Year Rule is subject to antitrust law.

Since one circuit court’s decisions are not binding in another circuit. Even within a circuit, it’s only considered that the ruling would have persuasive authority. So, Darren Heitner believes there could be a brewing legal fight over the issue that could go as far as the Supreme Court.

“The Elad decision acknowledged a split among district courts on whether NCAA eligibility rules such as the Five-Year Rule are commercial and subject to antitrust law post-Alston,” Heitner wrote. “While that court (as well as Fourqurean and Pavia) said yes, the Brzovic court (as well as Goldstein and others) said no. There is no uniform binding precedent and the Brzovic court’s acknowledgment of that, along with a clear split among district courts, illustrates that this is something that will be decided at the appellate level and potentially in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.”

The JUCO rule has been consistently challenged in recent months. Perhaps the most high-profile of those cases was Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. He was granted his preliminary injunction against the NCAA. However, it’s clear that each legal battle is going to be a little bit different until there is a clearer legal precedent set by higher courts.

Yaxel Lendeborg is weighing a decision on the mind of a lot of college basketball players this time of year — should he return to school or stay in the NBA Draft?

As recently as five years ago, the NBA was always the better pick, given the paycheck and the opportunity to play against the world’s best. But with the introduction of NIL, many players who aren’t guaranteed to be lottery picks are returning to school and cashing in.

After two seasons at UAB, Lendeborg committed to Michigan last month. He was UAB’s leading scorer this past season, averaging 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three and 75.7 percent from the free throw line.

Lendeborg is an incredibly polished player who can beat you in more ways than one. His 7-foot-2 (!) wingspan helps him produce takeaways, and he is a versatile scorer who can get buckets in the iso and out of the pick and roll. He can also knock down catch-and-shoot threes towards the end of offensive sets.

Lendeborg has more than a month to decide whether he’s staying in the draft or not, but he certainly seems open to coming to Ann Arbor.

NIL isn’t the only factor players like Lendeborg are weighing, but in a rather slow part of the college basketball calendar — Jon Rothstein is sleeping — we thought projecting what Michigan would need to offer to keep Lendeborg could be fun.

Let’s take a look at where Lendeborg is expected to go in the draft. From there, we’re going to project how much players at that draft spot make.

How much money would Michigan need to offer?

Ultimately, this is a question that only Lendeborg can answer, but Michigan can make things difficult for him. Here’s where Lendeborg is projected to go in mock drafts as of mid-May:

Outlets like The Ringer and CBS did first-round mock drafts, and they did not include Lendeborg.

So let’s say O’Connor — who ranks Lendeborg the highest out of the mock drafts I’ve seen — is right. Here’s how much the last five 22nd overall picks made in their first season and how much they signed for on their first contract, via Spotrac:

• DaRon Holmes II, 2024: $3.06 million in Year 1, four-year, $15.2 million deal with $6,284,400 guaranteed
• Dariq Whitehead, 2023: $2.96 million in Year 1, four-year, $14.7 million deal (all guaranteed)
• Walker Kessler, 2022: $2.69 million in Year 1, four-year, $13.4 million deal ($5,527,560 guaranteed)
• Isaiah Jackson, 2021: $2.45 million in Year 1, four-year, $12.2 million deal (all guaranteed)
• Zeke Nnaji, 2020: $2.38 in Year 1, four-year, $11.8 million ($4.9 million guaranteed; has since signed four-year, $32 million deal)

Looking at the NBA’s rookie scale, being drafted in the first round means Lendeborg could make at least $2.7 million in his first year of professional play and $14 million throughout his rookie contract.

It’s important to note the rookie wage scale does not apply to players picked outside the first 30 selections, meaning teams can sign second-round picks to whatever contracts they want. Last year’s 40th overall pick, Oso Ighodaro, made $1.15 million last season as part of a four-year, $7.8 million contract.

So based on these numbers, if Michigan wanted to offer Lendeborg more money than he’d make in the first year of an NBA contract, a little more than $3 million would likely do the trick.

On paper, that seems like a lot for a player with one season of eligibility left. While it’s unclear how much NIL money Michigan has or can raise, Matt Norlander with CBS Sports projected that Michigan is one of 10 schools believed to have at least $10 million in NIL.

So if Lendeborg’s draft stock stays where it’s at, if Michigan wants to outspend his first season of NBA play, it would have to devote a little more than 30 percent of that projected NIL budget to do it.

That may seem like a lot for one player, but Lendeborg raises Michigan’s ceiling significantly as the headliner of a transfer class regarded as one of the best in the country. 247Sports and Evan Miya both rank Michigan as having the top transfer class, and On3 has it second behind Kentucky. Without Lendeborg, those rankings would drop drastically.

While the NBA can provide Lendeborg more long-term money, Michigan can give him a significant influx of cash for one season. NIL certainly isn’t the only factor at play here — if Lendeborg is one of Michigan’s best players and leads the Wolverines on a deep NCAA Tournament run, his draft stock would certainly improve. And May and his staff have proven they can help transfers improve their draft stock, with Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin being prime examples of that.

There’s a lot to consider here, there’s a lot of unknown in the world of NIL, and a lot can change between now and the deadline to withdrawal from the draft on June 15. But if money is a big factor for Lendeborg, Michigan reportedly has the capital to pay up.

The Unsettling Reality of College Football in the NIL Era

In a world where dreams of gridiron glory collide with the harsh realities of modern sports, Deion Sanders finds himself at the epicenter of a storm that is reshaping the landscape of college football. Once poised to enjoy the fruits of his labor, watching his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, ascend in their football careers, Sanders’ vision of a tranquil moment in the sun has been abruptly clouded by the tumultuous shifts within the sport he loves.

The NIL Revolution and Its Discontents

The introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements promised a new era of empowerment for college athletes, a shift towards fairness in a system long criticized for its exploitation. Yet, as the dust begins to settle, a more complex picture emerges, one that Sanders, with his keen insight into the sport’s inner workings, finds deeply troubling. The NIL landscape, while groundbreaking, has also opened Pandora’s box, revealing a side of college football that few were prepared to confront.

A Father’s Perspective on a Changing Game

Watching his sons navigate their burgeoning careers, Sanders’ pride as a father is palpable. Shilo, making strides with the Buccaneers, and Shedeur, showcasing his prowess at the Browns’ camp, have both risen to the occasion, embodying the work ethic and talent that their surname evokes. Yet, Sanders’ role as a spectator is overshadowed by his concern for the game’s integrity amidst the NIL upheaval.

The Chaos Unleashed: Beyond the Field

Sanders’ observations reveal a landscape where the spirit of competition risks being overshadowed by financial maneuverings. The NIL era, for all its potential, has also ushered in a level of chaos reminiscent of a video game gone awry, where the rules of the game are bent and broken in pursuit of advantage. This wild west scenario, far from the structured discipline that football teaches, poses questions about the future of the sport.

The Heart of the Matter: Integrity on the Line

At the heart of Sanders’ concerns is the integrity of college football. The sport, celebrated as much for its ability to instill discipline and teamwork as for its athletic spectacle, finds itself at a crossroads. The unchecked flow of NIL money, while beneficial in correcting long-standing inequities, also threatens to undermine the foundational values of the game. Sanders, ever the competitor, recognizes the need for a balance that preserves the sport’s soul.

Looking Ahead: Navigating Uncharted Waters

As college football continues to navigate the choppy waters of the NIL era, figures like Deion Sanders serve as both a compass and a cautionary tale. Their insights, born out of a deep love for the game, highlight the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The path forward is not one of rejection but of adaptation, ensuring that the essence of college football, with its blend of athletic brilliance and character-building trials, remains intact.

A Reflection on Legacy and the Future of Football

In the end, the unfolding saga of NIL money and its impact on college football is more than a story of regulations and financial transactions. It’s a narrative about what the sport stands for and the legacy it leaves for future generations. As Sanders watches his sons make their mark on the field, his concerns reflect a broader question: How can college football evolve without losing its soul? The answer to this question will shape not only the future of aspiring athletes like Shilo and Shedeur but the very heart of the sport itself.

Georgia football just had one of the wildest days on the recruiting trail on Sunday, May 11. This day was so crazy that they accomplished something that potentially no other program has ever accomplished before.

So without teasing what transpired anymore, let’s first begins with the massive commitment the Bulldogs earned on Sunday.

4-star safety Jordan Smith commits to Georgia

Georgia football is still riding the high from landing a commitment from five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, and that momentum continued in a big way on Sunday. The Bulldogs earned another commitment on Sunday, this time from four-star safety Jordan Smith.

Smith is the No. 56 overall player in the country as well as the No. 6 safety and No. 5 player from Georgia, according to 247Sports. This commitment gives Georgia two commits ranked inside the top 60 in the last week, with the chance for that number to improve in the coming days.

Georgia received 8 crystal ball predictions

Something happened to Georgia on Sunday that potentially has never happened to any program in the history of college football. The Bulldogs received predictions to land a whopping eight different recruits on Sunday. No, that is not a typo, eight different recruits were predicted on Sunday to commit to Georgia.

One of those predictions was for the already mentioned Smith who committed to Georgia on Sunday, but here is a list of the other seven recruits predicted to land with Georgia and their ranking according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

1. 5-star OT Jackson Cantwell – No. 1

2. 4-star ATH Tyriq Green – No. 146

3. 4-star WR Ryan Mosley – No. 181

4. 4-star IOL Breck Kolojay – No. 278

5. 4-star DL Carter Luckie – No. 317

6. 4-star WR Craig Dandridge – No. 328

7. 3-star IOL Malcolm Gaston – No. 472

Just because players are predicted to Georgia does not mean they will end up with UGA, but Sunday showed just how impressive Georgia’s 2026 recruiting class can be.

Jared Curtis has a unique NIL clause

Now that Curtis is committed to Georgia, everyone wants to know how much NIL money he’ll be making. The No. 1 quarterback in the country usually will be paid millions every season, but that isn’t the case with Curtis at Georgia.

Reports have surfaced that Curtis will make less than $1 million his true freshman season before making a little over $1 million in 2027 during his second season with the Bulldogs. But it’s 2028 where things get interesting with his NIL deal.

Georgia and Curtis plan to renegotiate his NIL contract ahead of the 2028 season, which will be his third in Athens. If Curtis is the starter and playing well he will be paid as much money as anyone in the country. But if he isn’t the starter and is struggling then he won’t receive a raise.

This is the first time an NIL deal like this has been made public, but it should give Curtis enough incentive to work hard and not transfer away from the program in the future.