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.

The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team, when they take the floor again in October, will look completely different than they did last season. Of course, that isn’t anything new. In the transfer portal/NIL era, under Ben Johnson, the U of M had more new faces on its basketball team each year than they did familiar ones.

But in 2025-26, they will take it to another level. Not only will they have a new head coach on the sideline — after Johnson was fired and replaced with Niko Medved shortly after the Golden Gophers were eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament, back in March — but there are only two freshman from last year remaining on this roster… along with nine new players out of the transfer portal.

Minnesota Gophers MBB get commitment from Cade Tyson (UNC)

And on Sunday, they got their latest transfer addition, and this one is tied for the highest-rated portal commit they have received yet this offseason. Cade Tyson is coming to Dinkytown from the University of North Carolina, where the 6’7″ sharpshooting wing averaged 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds, in just 7.9 minutes per game during his one season as a Tar Heel.

One more thing @GopherMBB fans… pic.twitter.com/YX9dbD6jZD

— DinkytownAthletes (@DTAthletes) June 1, 2025

Good morning. Get your Sunday started with all 5 threes from Cade Tyson yesterday. pic.twitter.com/fownsAq90G

— Jacob Rhymer (@Rhymetime05) December 15, 2024

But Tyson isn’t new to college basketball. Prior to arriving at Chapel Hill, the 91-rated four-star small forward (according to 247Sports) played two seasons at Belmont, where he averaged 30.4 minutes per game between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Related: Ben Johnson was the NIL Problem for Gophers Men’s Basketball

As a senior for the Bruins in 2023-24, Tyson put up 16.2 points per game, second most on his team. He also led Belmont in rebounds, at 5.9 per game. He also averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a freshman.

Big time portal grab for Hubert Davis and UNC. Cade Tyson is a long, elite shooter and can score off the bounce

Could not be more excited for what he will bring to Chapel Hill next season. pic.twitter.com/aDoQ0ee95L

— Jacob Rhymer (@Rhymetime05) April 28, 2024

But when Cade — who is from Monroe, North Carolina — got an opportunity to go home, he jumped on it. Unfortunately, he was not able to make as big of an impact as he had hoped, while playing for his hometown UNC. Even after a down year, Tyson was contacted by Kentucky, Iowa, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Purdue, BYU and Virginia Tech, according to Ryan James (247Sports).

In his career, Cade Tyson is a 43% three point shooter (48.3% FG). Last season, as a member of the Tar Heels, he shot just 40% from the field and 29% from deep. Coming to Minnesota as a senior, Tyson hopes to get back to the sharpshooter he was at Belmont.

Mentioned in this article: Cade Tyson North Carolina Transfer Portal

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