Before Damon Wilson was a five-star recruit, he began his football journey at the youth level in his hometown of Venice, Fla. He went on to play college football at Georgia before transferring to Missouri this year.

As he prepares for his first season in Columbia, Wilson saw an opportunity to give back. Using his NIL dollars, he donated to his hometown Pop Warner program.

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Wilson made a donation to the Venice Vikings youth team, vowing to match donations made during a fundraising drive which brought in more than $6,000. He also previously donated to the Venice high school program, where he developed into a five-star recruit and a Top-20 player from the 2022 cycle.

Between the two, Wilson’s donations totaled more than $10,000, per the St Louis Post-Dispatch. The former highly rated recruit said it’s part of his goal to give back using the NIL money he’s earning in the SEC and remembering where it all started.

“NIL is not going anywhere,” Wilson told the Post-Dispatch. “It’s probably gonna be here forever. Just starting a cycle of athletes who come back and give back to their community and to their local Pop Warner or youth football team, because we were all kids at one point who played football. That’s just what we’re meant to do.”

Wilson – who has a $989,000 On3 NIL Valuation – spent two years at Georgia and turned in his most productive season in 2024. He totaled 22 tackles, including six tackles for loss and three sacks, while adding two fumble recoveries across 14 games.

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Following his sophomore campaign, Wilson entered the transfer portal and came in as the No. 7-ranked player to hit the open market this past cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He announced his commitment to Missouri in January and is set to take his first snaps with the Tigers next month.

But even before his Mizzou debut, Damon Wilson said he wants to join the group of college football stars giving back through NIL. While it’s not always possible, he pointed out more players across the sport are making donations with their dollars.

“I just hope they’re able to see what I can do,” Wilson said. “Not everybody has the ability (to donate NIL earnings) because other people might be trying to take care of their family or other situations like that. Some people aren’t in the position to donate a large amount. But if they are, I feel like a lot of people in college football are kind of trending towards that and trying to better their own communities.

“That’s one thing that a lot of college football teams talk about: giving back to your community instead of just taking, taking, taking, taking all the time.”

About to embark on his freshman year of college, Jasper Johnson could easily be putting on pads and a helmet, preparing for the start of the college football season in just a few weeks.

A native of Lexington, Johnson comes from a football family. His father, Dennis, was a First-Team All-SEC defensive end at the University of Kentucky. His late grandfather, Alvis, was a coaching icon across central Kentucky. Three of his uncles played football for the Wildcats, including First-Team All-SEC performer Craig Yeast. From a young age, football was, understandably, all he knew.

“I come from a football family,” Johnson told reporters last Thursday. “My dad played football here, three of my uncles played football here. I have a cousin that plays football here. Football has always been in my life since I was younger. It was actually my first sport that I played. But I always loved the game of football… I feel like it just came to me naturally.”

Johnson quickly took to the game, eventually suiting up for Woodford County High School, coached by his dad, as a quarterback and safety during his freshman and sophomore years. But he was quite the basketball player by this time, too. Johnson’s mom was also a talented hooper in her own right.

His talents reached the point where a decision needed to be made. Half his family was thinking football, the other half was thinking basketball. More experienced voices stepped in to help push him in the right direction. His football-minded dad and grandfather knew the hardwood was his calling.

“After my sophomore year, I had a great football and basketball season over at Woodford County,” Johnson, who grew to be 6-foot-4 with a crafty jump shot, said. “My dad and my grandfather came to a decision that they think I should travel elsewhere.”

The summer going into his junior year, Johnson transferred to prep school for basketball, moving out to Missouri where he attended Link Academy, well-known for developing high-level prospects into Division I prospects. That transition wasn’t always easy for the young teenager.

“I’m struggling,” Johnson said of his early experiences at Link Academy. “I’m playing against guys that are older than me, better than me, more elite. But it definitely helped my game grow mentally. I really appreciate that move from my dad. I never understood it in the moment. I was sad to leave home and my friends, but I feel like it was the best decision for me.”

When Johnson returned home following his year at Link, he was even more all-in on basketball. His dad didn’t stand a chance in the backyard one-on-one games anymore. Johnson was a national recruit by this point. From there, he transferred one more time to Overtime Elite for his senior year. Kentucky men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope did whatever it took to land his commitment, which he did back in the fall.

The decision to choose basketball over football has been a smart one. Johnson is viewed as a key piece to Kentucky’s upcoming run in 2025-26. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still curious about what life would have been like had he stuck around at Woodford County.

“I still talk to my friends about it to this day,” he said. “Like dang, if I had stayed one more year, maybe we could have been state champs in basketball and football. But I know it was for a good reason and a good cause, and you see where I’m at now.“

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The findings, published Friday in the Sociology of Sport Journal, reveal a growing recognition among athletes that they are more than the two-dimensional “student-athlete” model that is traditionally used in research and policy. 

“With the shift in NIL policies, athletes are starting to develop roles and identities related to that of the influencer,” Harry said. “Historically, we’ve viewed them through the lens of athletics or academics, but they’re daughters, brothers, role models, and increasingly, they’re now cultivating public personas and marketing skills.” 

Through survey responses across seven major sports — football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and softball — Harry and UF doctoral student Hannah Kloetzer examined athletes’ engagement with NIL opportunities, as well as the personal sacrifices they made to pursue them. They found that many athletes now view NIL as a platform to promote causes they care about, build connections with their communities and explore career pathways after college. 

One softball player described the value of NIL in a way that highlights the broader impact: “It’s been great to feel seen and have your hard work in a sport help in other parts of life. It’s really nice to use NIL on a resume as marketing experience.” 

Athletes surveyed said they found deals not just with big-name brands, but more often with local businesses like restaurants, boutiques and community partners. This entrepreneurial approach often required initiative and personal outreach, something many athletes had to learn on their own. 

“Some athletes told us they felt lost when trying to navigate NIL,” Harry said. “Others shared how they reached out to local businesses or organized their own camps.” 

One particularly striking finding, Harry said, was that some athletes were making athletic sacrifices — like spending less time training — to pursue NIL work, a shift that underscores the importance of these opportunities. Harry stressed that while no one reported skipping practices, athletes did acknowledge shifting their priorities to make room for NIL-related endeavors. 

“If you’re willing to give up something in your athletic routine, that speaks volumes about how central NIL — and influencer identities — could become for some athletes,” she said. 

Another key insight: football players of color from low socioeconomic backgrounds were most likely to self-identify as influencers. This emerging pattern stands in contrast to perceived broader trends in the social media world. 

“That was one of the most fascinating takeaways,” Harry said. “We have this unique subset of influencers — college football athletes — that are starting to enter this space.” 

Harry’s research builds on a growing conversation in the academic community about the evolving identity of college athletes. A few conceptual pieces have previously proposed the idea of a “student-athlete-influencer,” but Harry’s team is one of the first to gather empirical data to back it up. 

This new perspective has broad implications for how universities and organizations like the NCAA support college athletes, both during their playing years and as they prepare for life after sport. 

“As fans, we often see athletes as commodities on the field,” Harry said. “But they’re humans first, and they’re starting to recognize their own value and tap into their potential beyond the playing field.” 

In addition to academic and athletic support, Harry believes universities should invest in more targeted resources tailored to influencer pressures, like mentorship opportunities and training that goes beyond basic social media etiquette. 

“Athletes who take on influencer roles may deal with unique stressors, whether it’s comparing engagement numbers or coping with public scrutiny,” she said. “It would be valuable to provide opportunities where athlete-influencers can support each other, share strategies and protect their mental health.” 

A football player who participated in the study summed up the broader potential of NIL: “I’m very appreciative of NIL opportunities and the ability to continue to grow my camp and greater brand outside of my football program.” 

Looking ahead, Harry plans to explore this evolving identity through more qualitative research, with a focus on what it truly means to be an “influencer” in the context of college athletics. 

“Athletes are more than football players. They are more than swimmers,” she said. “They are people who we walk with on our college campuses, and they are people who bring value to our society in a host of ways.” 

One week after SEC Media Days, the conference remained a popular piece of conversation elsewhere, just ask Greg Sankey. Two coaches, in particular, found themselves in headlines — SMU‘s Rhett Lashlee and Curt Cignetti of Indiana. Neither one made folks inside the SEC quite happy with what was said.

Lashlee wanted to make sure everyone understood the difference between the two, though. He commented on how the SEC has been “top-heavy” and pointed out only six schools have won the conference over the course of 60 years. Different from Cignetti, in his opinion, who threw “shade” at the SEC at Big Ten Media Days.

“I will differentiate from what I said to what Cignetti said,” Lashlee said via The Paul Finebaum Show. “Again, I just brought up a historical fact that can be backed up by data. I didn’t come out and throw shade at the SEC scheduling when I didn’t play a power four team on my schedule myself.”

Indiana once again sparked up a Strength of Schedule conversation this month after canceling a home-and-home series with Virginia. Instead, Cignetti will lead his team onto the field against FCS opponents during the 2027 and 2028 seasons. When asked about the decision, he ended his quote by going after the SEC’s scheduling.

“Twelve of the 16 SEC teams play three G5 or an FCS game,” Cignetti said. “Twelve of those teams play 36 games – 29 G5 games and seven FCS games, and one less conference game. So we figured we’d just adopt [an] SEC scheduling philosophy. Some people don’t like it. I’m more focused in on those nine conference games.”

As Lashlee subtly pointed out on Finebaum, the only power conference games Indiana played last season came during Big Ten play. The Hooisers’ nonconference games were against FIU, Western Illinois, and Charlotte. To pile on, many SEC fans and coaches would then signal to only one ranked opponent being against Ohio State, a game IU lost 38-15. Almost no topic was discussed more leading into the College Football Playoff.

What the SMU head coach said may have upset people inside the SEC as he looks to politic in favor of the ACC. But he believes coming into the argument with some data is different than what Cignetti presented while talking with the media. While you might be able to argue about the term “top-heavy,” there is no denying Lashlee’s main point about the same six programs continually winning the SEC Championship.