The Vestavia Hills High School football program has produced several high-profile players over the years, but one stands out above the rest in terms of the recruiting process he faced.

Defensive end Jordan Ross was one of the most highly sought prospects in America before he signed with the

University of Tennessee in late 2023. He put together an illustrious career at Vestavia, and with that came plenty of attention.

“His recruitment was eye-opening,” Vestavia Hills football coach Robert Evans said. “He and his family handled the process with much grace.”

While Ross’ recruitment gaining him plenty of attention was nothing abnormal, the type of attention was different than it would have been five or 10 years ago. Top football prospects formerly gained notoriety and hype for National Signing Day decisions. Now, it has more to do with monetary discussions surrounding name, image and likeness.

Elite prospects like Ross aren’t quite as affected by the new landscape of college athletics — one that has seen opportunities for high schoolers diminish over the years. But he is the exception to the new rule.

“We try to have honest discussions about the landscape of recruiting, including how difficult it is for walk-ons to make a roster now,” Evans said. “Players and parents alike both need to have an understanding of how the process has been affected by the portal and NIL, and what the realistic options are …

“From my perspective, recruiting has not changed for the really high-end prospect or the D3 prospect. Everyone in between has been pushed down a level or two. The kid signing with UAB 10 years ago is fortunate to have a D2 offer now.”

Evans knows the territory well. As a two-sport star himself at Vestavia, he received interest from schools like Auburn before landing a scholarship to Samford University, where he was a standout in both football and baseball. Today, his options might be limited.

“There are fewer scholarship spots,” said ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill. “Schools used to divide

scholarships among high school prospects. Now, they save 12 to 14 for portal players. High school kids have fewer options, and many are being forced into choices they wouldn’t have made otherwise.”

SHIFTING SAND

Coaches are no longer building around potential. They’re buying certainty. Between the rise of the transfer portal, the explosion of name, image and likeness (NIL) dollars and the impending House v. NCAA court settlement — which could allow direct revenue-sharing paychecks from schools to athletes — the entire scholarship model has changed.

For high school seniors, that means fewer opportunities. Unless you’re elite, the message is clear: wait your turn — or get left behind.

In place of the old system is a new billion-dollar industry in which high school prospects are still commodities — just ones with less value than they held before the money started flowing.

Not all college programs play on the same field. The Power Four conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC — have TV deals, booster collectives and NIL opportunities.

Below them are Group of Five schools like UAB, Jacksonville State or Troy — with fewer scholarships, smaller budgets and less exposure. Then come FCS, D2 and junior colleges, where many now land by necessity.

THE PORTAL JAM

For decades, high school football was the bedrock of college recruiting. Talent rose, coaches scouted, scholarships followed and dreams materialized on National Signing Day.

That world is gone.

It started with COVID. In 2020, the NCAA granted all athletes an extra year of eligibility. That decision created a massive traffic jam. Fifth-year seniors stayed. Sixth-year players reclassified. Scholarships that would have gone to high school seniors disappeared.

Then came NIL. In July 2021, athletes could finally earn money off their name, image and likeness. But what was meant to reward marketability became a loosely disguised pay-for-play market.

“Monetary compensation is no longer based on results,” Luginbill said. “It’s not about ‘if I produce, schools will want me.’ Now, it’s ‘how much are you going to pay me to play here?’ There’s no accountability from the player’s side, and that’s not what NIL was intended for — certainly not in recruiting.”

At the same time, the transfer portal exploded. The NCAA removed the sit-out rule for first-time transfers, and a flood of player movement followed. A new reality emerged: Why recruit a high school senior you’ll have to develop when you can buy a 22-year-old with experience?

Evans said that is proving true at Vestavia. Despite being a tradition-rich program with a history of sending players to Division I, he said Ross is really the only player he’s had during the NIL era to get much recruiting attention.

“I would be using the portal too if I was coaching in college,” he said. “When you are the provider for your family, would you rather play with a 21-year-old man who has played well at a Group of Five school or a high school kid who still needs development? The answer is really easy.”

And that’s where it becomes a numbers game for high school prospects.

“The math doesn’t add up,” Luginbill said. “There just aren’t enough roster spots. Kids are being misled, believing they’re worth more than they are. This is happening to thousands of players.”

According to On3 Sports, more than 4,000 FBS football players entered the NCAA transfer portal during this cycle — and more than 1,600 are still looking for a home. In men’s basketball, 2,320 players entered the portal this spring, per Verbal Commits — a jump of more than 11 percent from last year and nearly 2.5 times more than five years ago.

This trend extends beyond just football and basketball. Since the NCAA eliminated its one-year sit-out rule in 2021, tens of thousands of athletes across all sports have entered the portal — many of them two, three or even four times. Each year of the NIL era has accelerated the cycle. In 2024, the NCAA opened the door to unlimited transfers.

Combined with the backlog of COVID-era players, the result is a recruiting funnel that narrows further every season. And it’s about to get even tighter, as schools prepare for revenue sharing and potential roster caps tied to the House settlement.

Coach Trent Dilfer came to UAB with a plan to build his program through high school recruiting — but that vision didn’t hold. He watched promising redshirt freshmen get poached, impact players leave mid-development and recruiting timelines shift beneath him. Now, he’s saving scholarships for older transfers. Like most coaches, he’s frustrated by the chaos and eager for structure.

“All I need is guardrails, all I need is boundaries, all I need is where it is,” Dilfer told Birmingham’s CBS 42. “I don’t care where the goal post is, just keep it stationary… Because right now this goal post is going around 360 degrees because there’s zero leadership, there’s zero boundaries, there’s zero guardrails.”

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

But this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about expectations — and the widening gap between what kids believe they’re walking into and what actually waits.

For years, high school athletes have been surrounded by talk of NIL money, brand building and recruiting leverage. Highlight reels and exposure camps have reinforced a simple message: play well, get noticed, get paid. But most never make it that far.

“High school kids now believe they’re entitled to compensation,” Luginbill said. “But the original intent was that if a college athlete… became a marketable commodity, they could earn income. What we’re seeing now is far removed from that.”

Even for players who eventually cash in, the road usually starts somewhere less glamorous — a Group of Five

school, a redshirt year, a position change, a climb.

“The transfer portal has made it harder for high schoolers to land spots at Power Four programs,” said Jim Cavale, CEO of Athletes.org. “Starting at a Group of Five school and working your way up may be the best path.”

BACK-END FALLOUT

While these dynamics affect every sport, the epicenter is football and men’s basketball — where the bulk of the money flows and the pressure to win immediately is highest.

According to research on signing day trends, once-powerhouse programs are producing fewer high-major signees and more D2, JUCO and NAIA placements. In other sports — baseball, wrestling, lacrosse, even track — the scholarship slots are already shrinking. If roster caps go into effect, they may vanish altogether.

Whatever happens next — roster limits, direct pay, new NIL rules — the path for high school athletes is narrowing fast. And for coaches like Evans, that means more than just navigating offers. It means trying to help his players stay in the game.

That’s why Vestavia Hills hosts two recruiting fairs each season.

“We try to drive interest, not only for our players, but for other high schools as well. There is a shared interest amongst high school coaches to give every opportunity to current players,” Evans said.

Eventually, many on both sides of the recruiting line hope there will be system sanity — or at least clarity. Until then?

“At some point, there will be a riveting documentary about the last 3 years of college football,” Evans said. “The only problem is there is too much content to choose from. I don’t even know where you start.”

Four-star defensive back Davon Benjamin was a surprise addition to the official visitors hosted this weekend by the Michigan football program.

Benjamin, a 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back who could play cornerback or safety, was in Ann Arbor for his official visit, and despite being viewed by some recruiting experts as an Oregon lean, the No. 36 overall recruit in the 2026 class, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, was impressed by the Wolverines.

“Michigan stood out with how serious they are about player development. They’re all about building you up on & off the field, & you can tell they’ve got a plan to help you succeed long term,” he said to Hayes Fawcett of On3.com.

Elite defensive back impressed by Michigan football visit

Michigan offered Benjamin over a year ago. Texas, Ohio State, Miami, and Oregon are all listed as “warm” on his 247 Sports recruiting profile, along with the Wolverines.

Going into the weekend, it felt like Michigan landing his commitment was going to be a long shot. But all it takes is one visit to change a recruitment. It’s possible that Michigan has done that, although it still feels like Oregon will be tough to beat.

Michigan could use another defensive back in the 2026 class, and there is no shortage of options, Benjamin included, especially since four-star cornerback Brody Jennings is looking around and sounds like he could be flipping his commitment to the Hurricanes.

Jennings also has some other official visits set with Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, all heavy hitters in college football recruiting, and in the NIL space.

Michigan’s NIL prowess will be tested in the coming weeks, but the fact that Benjamin visited and is showing a strong interest could be a sign that things have already started to turn the corner.

College football recruiting reached new territory when Mark Bowman, the nation’s top tight end prospect, committed to USC amid reports of a staggering $7 million NIL deal over three years. The Mater Dei High School standout chose the Trojans over Texas and Georgia in a move that has sent shockwaves through the recruiting world.

Industry insiders are raising serious questions about the sustainability and approval process for massive, multi-year contracts being offered to unproven college players. The deal is one of the largest NIL packages ever reported for a high school recruit, sparking debate about where college football’s financial arms race is heading.

NIL Uncertainty Grows, Questions Mount Around USC’s Bold Recruiting Contracts

Recruiting analyst Bobby Burton shared major concerns about the deal’s structure during a recent podcast appearance. “I don’t know how these deals are getting approved for multi-year when we don’t know exactly what the landscape for NIL is going to look like,” Burton said while discussing the unprecedented contract.

The confusion comes from current NIL regulations that don’t technically allow multi-year agreements. Burton pointed out the unclear future of oversight. “If there’s going to be essentially a third party that has to approve these large-dollar NIL deals, how are they going to follow through on these promises down the stretch?”

Bowman’s commitment came after USC made him their top priority in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-4 tight end from Santa Ana, Calif., had long been seen as a Texas-Georgia battle before USC became a serious contender with its aggressive NIL strategy.

The Trojans have overhauled their recruiting approach under new leadership, landing more than 25 commits before June. They hired Notre Dame’s recruiting coordinator this offseason, putting in place a system that clearly emphasizes financial incentives to land top-tier prospects.

Burton noted a broader trend of NIL inflation nationwide. He referenced Missouri offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell committing to Miami for approximately $3 million per year, illustrating just how rapidly the market is growing for elite recruits.

The timing appears strategic as schools push to lock in commitments before potential NIL rule changes. “You want to get the guys in the boat quickly,” Burton said, referencing the upcoming House settlement and revenue-sharing plans that could shift the entire system.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey recently stated that some non-SEC schools are offering high school players $20,000 per month to commit, with clawback clauses in place if they decommit. That highlights just how complicated these deals are becoming.

Bowman’s deal brings up big-picture questions about where college sports are headed. While his talent is evident — he had 32 catches for 435 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season — the size of the investment is still a major gamble.

Now, the spotlight is on USC to see if they can hang on to these big-money recruits through signing day, especially after five-star linebacker Xavier Griffin recently decommitted. With rule changes looming, it’s unclear how long these types of deals can last.

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Florida Beats Out Three SEC Rivals For Elite OL Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Last season, the Florida Gators won eight games for the first time since 2020. Leading the offense for the second half of the season was quarterback DJ Lagway, a five-star true freshman quarterback and the future of the program. With his health a priority for at least the next two seasons, Florida added a key building block to their future offensive line on Sunday.

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Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported that G’Nivre Carr, a towering 6-foot-5, 320-pound interior lineman, has committed to Florida’s 2026 class. The three-star recruit chose the Gators over SEC rivals Tennessee and South Carolina. He also held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among others.

“Once a Gator, always a Gator! Proud to be a Gator 5=1,” Carr said in a statement per Fawcett.

Carr becomes the third hard commit in Florida’s 2026 class, joining defensive lineman Jamir Perez and quarterback Will Griffin. His commitment signals another long-term win for third-year head coach Billy Napier, who has gone 19-19 in Gainesville but is fresh off his best season at the helm with the Gators.

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Carr’s path could align perfectly with the rise of former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a true freshman last fall. By 2026, Lagway will be in his third season under center, with Carr potentially ready to shore up any holes on the offensive line.

Following the conclusion of this season, Florida will graduate multiple seniors on the offensive line, including veteran guard Damieon George Jr. Noel Portnjagin and Roderick Kearney sit as the only non-upperclassmen on the two-deep of Florida’s depth chart, per Ourlads.

Related: College Basketball World Reacts to Xaivian Lee’s $6 Million NIL Move

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.