NIL

Podcast: El Paso’s biggest high school football star navigates NIL

Published

6 months ago

June 19, 2025

Star El Paso football player navigates NIL, shifti | RSS.com

Diego Mendoza-Moyers: In a new era of college athletics, where athletes at powerhouse programs are staring at bigger paydays – and higher expectations – than ever before, El Paso has its own star.

Jake Fette is a senior quarterback at Del Valle High School who has committed to play at Arizona State University in Phoenix (Tempe). He’s considered among the absolute best quarterbacks in the country at his age.

The city’s biggest high school football star illustrates how the path for big-time athletes has changed in the college NIL era – with athletes now compensated for their name, image and likeness. Gone are the days of broke college athletes, when receiving a university scholarship was considered adequate compensation for an athlete.

And while a more regulated system may be on the horizon, the NIL era has created what some have called a wild, wild west in recent years, with collegiate athletes hiring agents and jumping from school to school to chase a pay day while they can.

But, Fette is a little different. Even as his profile on the national recruiting stage has grown over the last year, he’s remained committed to Arizona State, and has tried to strike a balance between landing in a good situation, and also securing compensation commensurate with his skills. And Fette isn’t the only high-level Division 1 prospect in El Paso walking this path.

El Paso Matters assistant editor and reporter Pablo Villa published a story this week about Fette’s recruitment journey amid a new, moneyed landscape in college sports.

And in a moment, we’ll welcome Pablo to the El Paso Matters Podcast to talk about his coverage of Fette’s journey, and the broader shift that El Paso high school athletes are having to navigate.

But, before we start: This El Paso Matters Podcast episode is sponsored by Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro: Truck Crash and Injury Attorneys. Their team of local, seasoned trial attorneys are ready to help if you’ve been injured in a crash.

Pablo, thanks for joining me.

Pablo: Always a pleasure, Diego. Thank you for having me.

Diego: So, Pablo, how good is Jake Fette? Are we witnessing the best high school football player in El Paso’s history?

Pablo: Man, you come out swinging with that question. This is the kind of question that can start fights at Thanksgiving dinner, right? I’ll address the second part of your question first.

I mean, is he the best high school football player in El Paso’s history? I mean, you can make the argument that guys like Andre Jones, who played at Andress, who was, I think, one of three Parade All-Americans that El Paso has ever had, maybe he was the best ever. I mean, there’s certainly been a lot of talented guys. And even guys who are 5-foot nothing, 100-and-nothing (pounds) who have put forth these Lilliputian efforts, right, and had spectacular seasons who arguably are great players, too. So, it’s just going to depend on who you are and where you’re from and what kind of mood you’re in that particular day, right?

But in terms of Jake Fette, I mean, he’s a spectacular talent, right? He’s not just physically gifted, he’s mentally sharp, he’s grounded. As we speak, he’s competing in the Elite 11 finals in Los Angeles. He’s the first player from El Paso to ever participate in that. Another Del Valle alum, Steven Montez, made it to the regional round of the Elite 11, but he never advanced to the finals.

So, this is something that Jake Fette is sort of pioneering for El Paso athletes, right? He’s currently ranked as the number four quarterback in the nation, which alone puts him in historic territory, right? I mentioned Steven Montez, and I spoke with him as part of this story, and he played at Colorado and he played in the NFL, right, with the Washington Football Team they were called at the time. Montez said that Jake’s accuracy at age 16-17 surpasses what he himself had at 18, right, as a senior at Del Valle.

So, you combine that with what everybody says about Jake Fette’s leadership, his work ethic and the respect he commands in the locker room, and you start to understand why coaches and scouts are calling him one of the best to ever come out of the borderland.

Diego: How big of a deal is it that he committed to Arizona State?

Pablo: So, I think it’s always spectacular when a player from El Paso gets the opportunity to play at a Division 1 school, and in this case, it’s one of the Power Four schools, right? I think it’s just really awesome that El Paso players are getting to represent our region on those big stages, right? And he’s not the first. I mean, there’s been plenty that have come before him that have done this. I think he just comes with a lot of ballyhoo and a lot of high expectations. And those are things that I know that he’s aware of. I know his coaching coaches are aware of, and I know he’s going to work really hard to represent Arizona State really well.

The other thing to consider here is that he still has a whole senior year to go through. I mean, I know he’s really focused on that and just, right now, the only thing he’s really focused on is making sure that Del Valle football gets to repeat as district champion.

Diego: Yeah. And, so, we know Fette’s ascendance, right – as you said, he’s still entering his senior year, but he committed to Arizona State at the beginning of his junior year – but his ascendance onto the national stage seems really to have started with a chance encounter with Texas Tech scouts, right?

Pablo: Yeah, that’s right. So, in the spring of his sophomore year, it was actually January of last year, of 2024. Texas Tech coaches, they came to visit El Paso as coaches from all kinds of schools often do. They’re just kind of, just visiting schools, talking to coaches, trying to gauge the level of talent that exists so that they might be able to go back to wherever they’re from, to report back on some of the targets they might start to try to hone in on for their programs in the future years.

And, so, coach Rudy Contreras, head coach out at Del Valle, had a conversation with these coaches, one of them in particular. And he was telling him, ‘Hey, I’ve got this guy you might want to come look at.’ And the guy he was talking about was Jake Fette, right. And the coaches were heading out. They were going to catch a flight out of the El Paso airport. And, so, it kind of ended there, right? The conversation ended there.

Give it a little time, a half-hour later, the coaches call back and say “‘Hey our flight got cancelled or delayed. Is it cool if we come visit the Del Valle campus to check your guy out?’” And coach, of course, says “Yeah, come on down,” and rolled out the red carpet for them, and had them go out and watch Jake throw a few passes out during a workout right there at the stadium.

They were impressed, and I think the really unique thing about this story, which it is in the story that was published on our website, is that one of the coaches just took out his phone and started recording Jake = Fette as he went through the route tree progressions and all the things he does as part of a workout. And he started facetiming with the more senior coaches back in Lubbock. And they’re just – it’s amazing, right? They’re just watching this through a phone. You’ve got to question the quality of that phone. It must have been an impressive phone to be able to record these clear images.

But, it was really just based on that one workout, and over a phone, that the coaching staff at Texas Tech decided to offer him on the spot, right? So it’s just kind of cool to think of this, like you mentioned, it was a chance encounter. If that flight left El Paso on time, or didn’t didn’t experience any problems, we might not even be having this conversation, right? So it is just cool how sometimes luck is just sort of when opportunity meets preparation, right? And, so, that’s kind of what happened here and that’s kind of what touched off all this national recruiting whirlwind.

Diego: Yeah. So he got an offer in his sophomore year of high school. So, that’s pretty impressive.

One thing I thought that was really interesting in your story was you, you use the word “brand” and “branding” a few times to refer to the image players have to cultivate even as, you know, freshman or sophomores in high school. Can you expand on what you mean by branding and talk about how players want potential college recruiters to perceive them in this NIL era?

Pablo: So, I think branding, in this context, it’s not just talking about social media following and those kinds of things. I mean, it’s about how a student athlete presents themselves publicly, and privately to an extent, and how consistent they are on the field, and whether they carry the kind of professionalism that college programs want to invest in.

I think in the NIL era, schools, they’re effectively making business decisions, right, when they recruit. They’re asking, ‘Is this a player who can represent our program? Is he coachable? Is he marketable? Is he mature? And Fette’s coaches and his dad, who is an assistant coach at Del Valle, and who I also talked to as part of this story. They’ve talked about how, Jake, he’s been mindful of that, that from really early on and he’s not someone who chases attention, but rather he kind of just stays focused on the task at hand, right, and keeps the focus on his team and as well as the things he’s supposed to do as as a high school student.

That’s part of what makes his brand so appealing. Right. I do think, though, that branding has sort of been part of what a player has to do. Even before NIL existed – I mentioned I talked to Steven Montez, the former Del Valle quarterback who played at Colorado – and he talked to me about “I had to start a Twitter account, and I had to. I had to put things out on Twitter and share links to my highlights,” and that kind of thing. And predating that, all the players who have come out of El Paso who played for big-time programs, they’ve had to do things of that nature to sort of get exposure for themselves. But they did it in different ways, right?

And I know one of the things you might want to talk about as we progress through this podcast is talking about Ed Stansbury, a former Irvin High School great, who ended up playing at UCLA and played in the NFL for a bit. He did it a little differently, too, right? But he had to maintain a brand as well, but he didn’t have the things that we have today, right?

He didn’t have the modern day tools like Twitter, Hudl reels, that kind of thing. His coach helped him do it a little differently. And I know, I know, we’ll talk about that a little later, but I think that’s what branding is here. It’s just a way of showcasing not just your athletic talent, but the kind of person you are, and to make yourself more marketable to universities.

Diego: You have to have – or at least exhibit – a high level of maturity these days to maybe get a big offer?

Pablo: It helps, and I mean, I think that’s probably been true forever. I mean, I mean if you think of old school coaches, like a coach Paul Bryant of Alabama or those guys, they always expected you to conduct yourself like a gentleman, right? With your “yes, sirs” and “no sirs” and all those kinds of things that I think just someone who is well-mannered and eloquent and all those things has always been someone who people want to deal with a lot more than people who aren’t those things, who don’t have those attributes, right?

So, I think, in a sense, marketability of an athlete has always been a thing. It’s evolved over the years and certainly some of the athletes. They have the day, the things they have to do to maintain that brand. I mean, it can be kind of daunting, right? So, in a sense, I don’t know that it’s gotten easier. I think in some ways it’s probably gotten harder but, but Jake Fette is someone who is exhibiting all those positive attributes and doing it in a real good way, in a real mature way. And that’s why I think he’s in this position.

Diego: Yeah. And you mentioned you spoke to Jake’s father, Rick, who played at UTEP. And Rick Fette had a quote to you where he said “There’s two ways we could probably do it right now,” referring to his son’s recruitment process. And he said, “You can go get an agent and have that agent go to work for you and shop you around to the highest bidder … or you go where you want to go.” He also said the players these days have to quote “show proof of value”. And, so, I’m curious, what did you make of those comments? And just curious what you can tell us about the recruitment process for a star player now in 2025 versus 10 or 15 or even 25 years ago when you were playing at Montwood High School?

Pablo: Ha, you threw the Montwood High School thing in there. Yeah, I did play there and I’m very proud to be a Ram, so I’ll say that first.

But, so, I think what coach Rick Fette, I think what his comments really cut, they really cut to the heart of how recruiting has changed a little bit, right? Twenty years ago, even five years ago, Diego, honestly a kid’s value was mostly determined by film, in-person visits, that kind of thing.

Now, in this NIL era, which has only been around for less than five years – it started in 2021 – schools are investing real dollars, right? Real dollars, and they want evidence that the player, the student-athlete, is going to deliver for them. So, I think proof of value, it means performance, it means character and it’s how well a player fits into a broader program strategy, right? So, I think the biggest change is that recruiting, it’s not just a football decision anymore, it’s a financial one.

And, so, Jake and his family, they’ve taken a measured approach through this, and they’ve emphasized education and fit over chasing the highest bidder, which I think is pretty admirable. And I think there’s things – and I know we’re going to get into this a little later – there are things that sort of limit what they can do now anyway, just because of UIL rules, Texas education code rules, those kinds of things. So, they’re not exactly able to partake in these things where they would be able to chase the highest bidders anyway. I don’t think that’s something they’re interested in.

I just mention that as something that they have to contend with as well. It’s sort of something that makes the NIL picture a lot more muddled, and I know there are efforts currently underway, and things that have happened very recently that are helping to sort of clear that picture.

Diego: Yeah. So, maybe not high school athletes, but – obviously the dollars are out there, right, if you’re a high-level recruit? And, so, even college athletes themselves are hiring agents, right? And sort of going to programs and saying, hey, how much can you offer? That’s what’s been going on in recent years, right?

Pablo: Right. That’s right. And, I mean, the numbers vary widely. There are all kinds of stories and things out there that, quite frankly, a lot of it is speculation and some of those reports are grounded in true things. But it’s really tough to get your arms around, right? Because, I mean, as I mentioned, there’s things in Texas that sort of limit what the Fettes can do.

That being said, there are 49 other states in this country, and all of them approach this differently, right? And, so, it’s really hard to, like, emphatically say that someone is making X amount. Because the truth is, I don’t think we all really know. I mean, we can guess and there are some deals that have been very generous, but I don’t know that we’d be able to put a number on what any of these players are actually making.

Diego: Yeah. And I guess, just to kind of touch on that one more time, I mean, you put in your story – and, again, there’s obviously a lack of clarity around what the student athlete compensation really is, right? But there are some estimates that the current ASU quarterback, his NIL deal is valued at $3 million right? And, again, maybe there’s some uncertainty in that, but I just wonder if you can give us a sense of sort of, is that common? Are college athletes, the majority of them out there, making six and seven figures? Or is that sort of – just a select few? And I also wonder, I mean ASU really, they went beyond expectations this past year. So, that also has to affect your compensation too, right, as a player?

Pablo: That’s right. So, the majority of players aren’t making those large amounts of money, right? I think you do have some guys, like an Arch Manning at Texas or a Carson Beck at Miami, who command a little more attention just because of their skill set. I mean, they do have deals that are reportedly worth multiple millions of dollars, right? But those deals are rare. I think most players get NIL earnings in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands.

The top quarterbacks at Power 4 schools, they can be maybe in the seven-figure range, barely touching that – high six-figures, that kind of thing. But those numbers, they’re not the norm. And what’s new is that schools, not just third-party boosters, they’ll likely have a formal role in direct compensation going forward, right? So, you know I talked about Jake Fette and some of the things he has to deal with now. So, right now that he’s still in high school, right, he’s a senior-to-be at Del Valle under UIL rules and under Texas Education Code, he’s not permitted to receive compensation. He’s not permitted to sign an NIL deal. He’s not permitted to enter into any agreement related to NIL until he’s officially enrolled in college, right? So, even things like promised future payments or representation arrangements from an agent or or things like that, those are things that could render him ineligible. And his team could be subject to whatever disciplinary action, forfeits, that kind of thing.

So, maintaining that amateurism is still something that he has to do through the end of his high school career, which will be later in the fall. Once he enrolls at Arizona State, presuming that that’s where we’re headed, then the NIL deal is going to be legal and it’s going to be structured, right? Upon his enrollment at ASU, Jake will be eligible to participate in NIL deals under NCAA and the state specific-rules. Arizona has its own laws. I’m not an expert in them. But I know that, right now, Jake and his family, they’re doing their preliminary work to learn everything they need to learn about all this.

And as you mentioned or as you alluded to, they’re considering two routes, two pathways to NIL. And one is the agent route, where an agent will shop Jake around for the most lucrative deal. That’s an approach that a lot of – or that a fair amount of players are taking right now. I mean, you have your stories like your Nico Iamalaeva from Tennessee, who had a great year at Tennessee last year, took them to the (College Football Playoff), had no danger of losing his starting spot and left, right? Took off, and landed at UCLA, eventually. But he did it for the dollar, right? Or at least, reportedly, he did it for the dollar, and that’s a route that players can take in this new environment that we have.

The other route is just going the relationship route. And that’s where you just go where you want to go, because that’s where you actually want to play. You like what you hear. You like the program. You like the players that are within it and you just believe in what they’re doing, right? And, so, that’s sort of the route that Jake is taking, is seemingly taking. He’s going to honor his verbal commitment to Arizona State, which he made last September.

By all accounts, his family prefers this. They want to focus on education and trust over those top-dollar offers. So, that’s where we are right now, right? I think Jake’s NIL mindset is that he and his family, they emphasize education, they emphasize loyalty and development, right? Over chasing the highest bidder.

And, honestly, I think part of it is they want to sort of put this conversation to bed, so that Jake can just focus on his senior year of high school and enjoy it and just have the decision part behind it. Because – and he shared some of this with me – but it must be exhausting. In some ways, you think “Man, I’m a top-flight recruit. Like, I’d have a cush life when I’m in high school,” right? But, you do have to consider that these coaches are haranguing you day and night. They’re texting you while you’re trying to be in class or before you even go to school. They keep you up late at night because they’re trying to call you, trying to maintain contact with you, asking you, “What can we do to make you come to this school?” I mean, that can be exhausting, man, when you’re just trying to be a high school kid. You think back to when you were at Franklin, and just trying to enjoy and plan your weekend and those kinds of things. Those are things you can’t do when, or at least you can’t do them effectively, or you don’t have a lot of time for them when you’re just having to have all these other conversations.

So, I think it was important for Jake and his family to just make a decision, and they happen to like what ASU – the way they run their program, they happen to like the coaching staff and they think he’ll have a real shot at seeing the field there, or at least to compete for a spot, fairly, to see the field there. And I think they were happy with what they did, and I’m not sure that they’re going to – that there’s any way that they’re going to get out of this.

Del Valle High School quarterback Jake Fette throws a pass as the team warms up for a spring scrimmage, May 22, 2025. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)

Diego: And I’m curious if you could touch on sort of the recruitment process for other high school stars in El Paso. I mentioned Jake Fette isn’t the only high-level Division 1 recruit or prospect in town.

We know about standouts such as Daveon Singleton at Chapin, and Ernie Powers at Franklin, who have committed to play at UTEP, and offensive lineman Justin Morales, who’s also at Franklin, is set to play at Kansas State. And then running back Ryan Estrada over at El Dorado is also a D1 prospect. And, so, I’m just curious if you can sort of just touch on maybe how their recruiting journeys might differ from a really high-level national recruit like Fette, right? They’re high-level players in their own right. But just curious what that sort of looks like maybe in comparison to this big national recruitment search for Fette, right?

Pablo: So, it’s a great year for El Paso talent, right? It’s one of the strongest in recent memory with regard to the young men that you mentioned. I think, for the most part, I’m not sure that the actual recruiting process is much different. All of these guys, they still have to engage in all that grueling physical preparation. They’ve got to lift weights, they’ve got to run, they’ve got to work out and they’ve got to do all the things they need to do in the classroom, too, right? To make sure that they can perform on the field, and they still have to do all the same things that Jake Fette does right, with regard to the coaches that are courting them for their services in college. They’ve still got to deal with the phone calls, the text messages, they’ve still got to respond to the social media messages, the DMs, whatever, all those things, right?

So, for all these guys, like, in that sense, I think the process is still competitive. It’s very similar. When you’re playing ball, I think whether you’re a lineman, quarterback, skill position, whatever. I mean, you still have to do all these things to prepare yourself. And if attention does come to you, I think it’s the same whether you’re being recruited by Arizona State or by Blinn College, right?

I think the conversations are very similar. The way you go through them is very similar. So, in that sense, I don’t know that things are much different for these other guys you mentioned. What might be slightly different is sort of the scale of the actual exposure, right? Players like Jake Fette who drew these upper-echelon talent rankings — and who is at the Elite 11, right? I mean, those things, they come with a little additional attention, they maybe bring potentially bigger NIL stakes, right? But, again, like, I don’t know that other players – the media conversations they have, the NIL conversations they have, they might be a little more modest, but they’re still the same thing. You’re still going through the same thing. I think Jake would be able to relate to any player who’s going through these things, that they’re very similar.

That being said, I think it’s exciting that the landscape is changing for all these recruits. Branding, performance, composure, those things matter a lot more now than they ever did, right? Even at schools that are outside the Power Four.

Diego: Yeah. And just last question here, Pablo. You mentioned here and in your story about past athletes in El Paso who have gone on to play Division 1 schools, like Ed Stansbury, who played at Irvin and went to go play at UCLA in the late 90s. Steven Montez, who was also a starter at Del Valle and then became a multi-year starter at Colorado about a decade ago, before a stint in the NFL. And before that, when I was younger, I remember John Skelton from Burges going to play for the Arizona Cardinals. And, of course, we all know about Aaron Jones, who played at UTEP and is still starring in the NFL. But, at the time, it kind of felt like those guys were the exception. And, so, I just wonder if you think it’s fair to say that there are more El Paso athletes going on to play at prominent Division 1 colleges in recent years? And do you think we could see that continue?

Pablo: So, this is an interesting question. I think there’s probably slightly more players that are getting to go to Power Four schools or Division 1 schools nowadays than there were in the past. But that’s not to say that El Paso was lacking in talent in years prior.

I think we talked about this a little bit before we started recording. If you think back 20, 30 years, before the advent of social media and those things, the only way you’re going to know about an El Paso kid is if you actually come down here. And back in those days, coaches from colleges, they would arrange trips and they would look for efficiencies within their recruiting trips, right?

So, if you can go to an area like Dallas, you can hit Fort Worth. You can even take a drive down to Austin, maybe even San Antonio. And you can do that all in a matter of days, right? And see a bunch of kids and all those kinds of things. Similarly, if you go to some big metro areas in Georgia or Florida or California, you can get a lot out of those trips because you can see all these kids in close proximity, relatively close proximity to each other.

So, when you think about El Paso, just geographically, we are isolated. I mean, this is a thing you hear and not just with regard to football, but with all kinds of things, right? And that isolation really limited the willingness of coaching staffs to take the trip down here, because from here, I mean, it’s 10 hours to Dallas, it’s four hours to Albuquerque, six (hours) to Phoenix. All that kind of thing just costs money, right? And it’s tough to figure that into your travel budget. And, I think, because of that, I really do think – I believe that a lot of colleges missed out on recruiting really special players from here.

It took someone really special or it took some really big efforts from coaches to make those things happen for their players. You mentioned Ed Stansbury, and one of my favorite stories that he shared with me was just the fact that he came up in the mid 90s, right? There was no Google, there was no Twitter, there was no Facebook. There was no Hudl, no Max Preps, nothing like that, right? That didn’t exist back then.

So, Ed got exposure because his coach, Tony Shaw – who was one of the best coaches in the region, very celebrated coach out of Irvin High School, who has guys who coached with him, who are still coaching today – but Tony Shaw saw something special in Ed, and he went through the pains himself to sit in that film room with VHS tapes, right? And splice them together to send out to schools, because he really felt Ed was a special talent. And that came to fruition for Ed, right? I mean, he ended up playing at UCLA, but he had offers from really big schools: Texas, he had Syracuse, programs like that – really, really top-flight programs. And he got his opportunity because his coach went to those lengths, right? It’s not because anyone came down here and spotted him.

So, yeah, I do think it’s fair to say that there are more Division 1 athletes getting recruited out of El Paso in all sports, not just football. That’s not to say that the talent didn’t exist here before. I just think there are so many more avenues to expose these kids to the rest of the world, and they’re finally starting to gain a lot of attention, you know? So, that’s been fun to watch and hopefully it continues into the future.

Diego: Yeah. And we can’t forget to mention Tristen Newton, who was on the national championship (University of Connecticut) as well. And a lot of El Paso athletes are doing great things on the national stage.

And then, of course, this fall, we’ll be really curious to see how Jake Fette’s senior season goes and just the kind of season he can put together at Del Valle. And, even as a Westside guy, I might have to get out there for a game on a Friday this fall. So, we’ll see.

But anyways, we’ll leave it there. Pablo. Always good to chat with you about El Paso athletics, and we’ll maybe have you come on to talk about Fette’s season later this year.

Pablo: Yeah. Appreciate the opportunity Diego. And, just for kicks, Del Valle does open the season at my alma mater, they’ll be traveling to Montwood. So, that’ll be an interesting game.

Diego: For sure. Alright, talk to you soon, Pablo.

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Attorneys in Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit vs. NCAA cite James Nnaji decision in new filing

Published

40 minutes ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Attorneys in the Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit criticized the NCAA’s decision on former NBA draftee James Nnaji in a new filing. The “memorandum in support of a preliminary injunction” also included a poem.

The filing took inspiration from The Night Before Christmas before criticizing Nnaji’s eligibility decision. He was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but committed to Baylor on Christmas Eve after the NCAA awarded him four years of eligibility. Nnaji never played in an NBA game or signed a standard NBA contract, and he played professionally in Europe.

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In Friday’s filing, attorneys representing Pavia and the other plaintiffs in the suit ripped the NCAA’s handling of the situation. As the former junior college players seek an additional year of eligibility, the lawyers argued for a preliminary injunction in light of the Nnaji decision. Pavia previously said 2025 would be his final season.

“When what to my wandering eyes should appear, but… the hypocrisy of the NCAA granting four years of eligibility to a 21-year-old European professional basketball player with four years of professional experience who was drafted by an NBA team two years ago,” the filing reads.

“He will be 25 before he runs out of eligibility. Meanwhile, the NCAA argues to this Court that high school seniors are harmed if a 22- or 23-year-old former junior college player gets one more year of college football.”

In addition, Pavia’s lawyers are seeking to file another amended complaint while adding more plaintiffs. The suit still does not have class-action status, meaning it would only impact plaintiffs listed. Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar is one of the plaintiffs after his addition last month.

More on the Diego Pavia eligibility lawsuit

Diego Pavia received a sixth season of eligibility following a preliminary injunction late last year as a result of his suit against the NCAA. He argued his time at New Mexico Military Institute should not count against his eligibility. As his attorneys worked to make it a class-action case, though, the Vanderbilt quarterback said he does not intend on playing another year at Vanderbilt.

In September, a hearing took place in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in which Diego Pavia’s attorneys threatened to stack a challenge to the redshirt rule. They also said they would ask for another injunction that would allow Pavia to play again in 2026, according to sports law professor Sam Ehrlich. Pavia took to social media to make it clear 2025 would be his final season.

“A big part of the hearing was about whether the NCAA’s appeal was moot, meaning that the appellate opinion wouldn’t actually affect anything and thus doesn’t really matter, because Pavia would still be able to play for 2025 based on the waiver, and the appeal is on an injunction based on that waiver,” Ehrlich previously told On3’s Pete Nakos. “Pavia’s attorney argued that the appellate decision is still relevant because if the court finds that the rules are commercial and thus subject to antitrust law, he’ll be filing for a new injunction or an expedited trial schedule at the district court seeking to play 2026 as well.

“It makes sense given that his attorney is also involved in the new class action lawsuit challenging the four seasons rule overall, and Pavia would be seeking — if you take the JUCO year out of the picture — his fifth season in five years.”

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What’s Next: 3 Priorities for Kyle Whittingham, Reportedly Michigan’s New Coach

Published

2 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Michigan hired a winner — literally and figuratively in Kyle Whittingham, with whom the Wolverines reportedly finalized a five-year deal on Friday.

Most importantly, he’s a clean name, with no ties to the Jim Harbaugh regime, who can stabilize the program at a moment of great tumult.

“Someone better tell [Ohio State coach] Ryan Day there’s a real ball coach at Michigan now,” an SEC assistant coach told me.

Whittingham brings more than two decades of coaching experience to one of the biggest brands and best-known programs in the sport. After succeeding Urban Meyer — who is widely regarded as one of the best college football coaches of all-time — at Utah, Whittingham put together an impressive 21-year run as the program’s head coach.

While Whittingham was traveling Friday with the Utes to the Las Vegas Bowl, where Utah plays against Nebraska on Dec. 31., he is expected to join Michigan at the Citrus Bowl, where the Wolverines will take on Texas, also on New Year’s Eve.

[Let’s Debate: 9 Best College Football Players Entering the Transfer Portal]

Last season, Whittingham capped off a 177-88 record in Salt Lake City with a 10-win season and a No. 15 ranking. He’s shown he can win on the biggest stages the sport can offer, too. Alongside two Pac-12 Conference titles and one Mountain West Conference title, he led the Utes to a 2005 Fiesta Bowl win and, in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, a dominant 31-17 win against Nick Saban’s Alabama to cap an undefeated 2008-09 season.

Whittingham is one of the most highly-regarded head coaches in the sport and more than ready for the opportunities and challenges the Wolverines face.

“They fell into a perfect hire for their situation,” an industry source told me.

Now, at 66, Whittingham will bring that experience to a Michigan program in turmoil following the surprising but necessary decision to fire former Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore. What’s next are the three most important action items on a list of to-dos for the Wolverines and their new head coach.

1. Retain Michigan QB Bryce Underwood

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

This one hasn’t changed since I wrote about Michigan’s to-do list back on Dec. 11. Since Moore’s firing for cause, Underwood is the most important person to retain in the entire Michigan program.

“If he enters the portal, that could put them back further than losing the head coach,” a Big Ten assistant coach told me.

As a true freshman, Underwood accounted for more than 2,500 total yards, 14 touchdowns and eight giveaways through this season. Retaining QB1 in Ann Arbor, regardless of who the next head coach is, gives the Wolverines the best chance to compete for conference and national championships in 2026.

Along with Underwood, running back Jordan Marshall, wide receiver Andrew Marsh, cornerback Jyaire Hill and offensive tackle Andrew Sprague enjoyed breakout years for the Wolverines and, as core players, are expected to be integral to their success in 2026.

[2025 CFP Odds: Lines, Spreads for Each Quarterfinal Game]

2. Hire a staff that improves the roster immediately

(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Michigan is in the midst of a trying time for itself, its fans and its alumni.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel moved swiftly to install Biff Poggi as interim head coach, and one reason was to give the team the best chance to stay intact while it identified its next permanent head coach. Amid the coaching search, the No. 18 Wolverines are also trying to finish this season with 10 wins and a victory against No. 13 Texas in the Citrus Bowl.

“If they get through the bowl game, beat Texas and hire the right guy, it’s the best save they can hope for,” a Big Ten assistant coach recently told me.

Since then, Poggi has been candid about the dire situation the Wolverines are in just days before the program’s game against the Longhorns.

“We sent them home for Christmas [Monday], and I think there’s a really good chance that we’re going to have many more opt-outs for the game unfortunately,” Poggi told a recent episode of The Stampede, a Texas Longhorns podcast.

“Because we’re in such a state of flux, and when they get to this business of it, they think, ‘We don’t have a coach, we’ve had this situation with our former coach, there’s investigations, all these things. I don’t know who’s going to coach me. Why do I want to play in that game?’ I can see some of that happening.”

Poggi revealed no Michigan players currently are in ongoing negotiations for agreements for the upcoming season.

“We’re not able to give anybody a financial agreement because we don’t have a permanent coach,” he said on The Stampede.

That moratorium will need to come to an end — fast. The Wolverines need to not only hire a general manager to retain the current roster but also to hit the portal hard when it opens from Jan. 2 to 16.

3. Layer your winning traits over the top of the Wolverines

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

The Wolverines rank No. 12 in the 2026 recruiting cycle in the On3 Industry Comparison, a composite of the three major recruiting services. Players like five-star Savion Hiter, a two-time MaxPreps All-American tail back, are signed to the program.

Moving to hire offensive coordinator at Utah Jason Beck will help with that. Beck, who joined Utah last year, vastly improved the Utes offense. Utah averaged the second-most points (41.1) and yards per game (478.6) in 2025, and quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 2,867 total yards, 29 total touchdowns and three just five interceptions last season.

With Underwood at quarterback, Beck would have a passer in Ann Arbor with a comparable skillset to Dampier but who is younger and, arguably, more talented.

The offense, though, won’t be built around the quarterback’s ability to throw the ball, but rather the offense’s ability to run it. Whittingham’s teams have, like Michigan, prided themselves on being dominant in the trenches.

“I can say with confidence we should be the best offensive line since I’ve been at the University of Utah, which has been forever,” Whittingham said last July at Big 12 Media Days.

In 2025, Utah produced the Outland Trophy winner, awarded to the nation’s best interior lineman, in offensive tackle Spencer Fano, who expects to be a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Given the resources that will be provided to him at Michigan, there’s no reason to believe he cannot outdo his 2025 offensive line and produce the kind of unit upfront that is capable of winning the national title.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.

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Texas college football: Will NIL reform help or hurt in 2026?

Published

2 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

2026 NIL changes could change Texas college sports

For many college football players in Texas, the game has moved off the playing field and to a bargaining table. The transfer portal opens Jan. 2, sparking a bidding war sports analyst Eric Kasimov anticipated.

AUSTIN, Texas – For many Texas college football players, the game has moved off the playing field and to a bargaining table.

The transfer portal opens Jan. 2, sparking a bidding war that sports analyst Eric Kasimov anticipated.

What they’re saying:

“So, what’s going to happen. It’s wide open and the rules are being written as we’re having this conversation right now,” said Eric Kasimov the CEO and founder of SportsEpreneur.

In October, Kasimov wrote about the new NIL rules in Texas.

He predicted compensation would be part of “every serious recruiting conversation.” Direct pay, which is now allowed under a new state law, would be selling points and Texas would be one of the most aggressive NIL markets in 2026. The changes are already paying off.

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing that right now, and it’s close to home for you guys is Texas Tech, right? Texas Tech is a top four team in the playoffs and obviously like a candidate to win it all and they have their mantra of let’s win at all costs,” said Kasimov.

Powerhouse programs like the Longhorns and Aggies are no longer odds-on favorites by recruits. The schools in Austin and College Station have to battle more in-state programs for players who are graduating from high school and must protect those currently on their rosters. Out-of-state programs — with deep pockets — are also making moves.

“You look at an Ohio State University who comes in and they secure one of the best players from Texas, Devin Sanchez last year, five-star recruit and Devin, Sanchez now plays at Ohio State. And I’m sure there’s a lot of schools in the state of Texas that would have said, Hey, why didn’t you stay home? Well, things are different now,” said Kasimov.
A recent $2 billion proposal involving a private equity group by the Big 10 escalated the bidding war. The idea has stalled but still raises a big question.

“If Michigan, Ohio state, Oregon, USC are coming into Texas and taking the top talent because they have the brands and they have extra money that they can give, what is Texas and the SEC going to do,” said Kasimov.

The current NIL situation, according to Kasimov, has no guardrails to it and is just the Wild West. He believes it’s confusing for fans.

FOX 7 Austin asked several fans what they thought. Paul Friedman said he is happy to see student athletes compensated for their services and is not concerned that football has essentially gone pro.

“No, I am not. That’s a direction we’ve been heading for 30 years, and it’s the correct direction. The wrong direction was where they called student-athletes amateurs and paid them under the table illegally,” said Friedman.

Another fan, Kevine Dean, told FOX 7 Austin he doesn’t like what NIL has done to the college game he grew up watching.

Congress may now get involved. Legislation may come up in 2026 with new restrictions.

“And it’s like, you know, you’re in class and you’re, you know you don’t want the teacher giving you too many rules, but you’ve kind of like kind of bent the rules too far. Now, we’re going to get the teachers involved. We’re going to be the bring the principal in here. I don’t think that’s what they want. But they’ve gone so far out of bounds that they need someone to bring it in,” said Kasimov.

There’s talk about a salary cap like in the NFL and a luxury tax like baseball for teams that have big payrolls. Some want modified free agency deals to prevent year-to-year jumps. Some are also calling for a commissioner of college football.

Kasimov doubts the NIL genie will be put back in the bottle.

“If they resolve it, I don’t think it’s resolved forever. I think it gets resolved for that time being,” said Kasimov.

In the meantime, this advice was offered by Kasimov:

For athletes, seize the opportunity
For parents, understand the system
For coaches and schools, adapt fast
For fans, watch the evolution in real time

“I don’t know if it’ll be the end of kids staying in Texas, I just think it opens it up more,” said Kasimov.

The Texas NIL law was written to automatically adjust to any changes made on the national level.

Interview with SportsEpreneur CEO Eric Kasimov

Dig deeper:

FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski sat down with Eric Kasimov, CEO and founder of SportsEprenuer, to discuss NIL reform and its impact on Texas college football next year.

ERIC KASIMOV: Well, I’ll tell you one thing that right now, and it’s close to home for you guys is Texas Tech, right? Texas Tech is a top four team in the playoffs and obviously a candidate to win it all and they have their mantra of ‘let’s win at all costs’. And I think some of the bigger programs that we’re used to seeing, Texas A&M, University of Texas. They’re like, ‘Hey, what’s going on here? They’ve raised a lot of money.’ And next thing you know, you see a university that wants to go all in with this new way of living. In the college sports world and college football, specifically, a school like Texas Tech can become a big name. So I think in 2026, I think it’s the universities that want to make noise have an opportunity to make noise.

You could look at another university like SMU who joins the ACC, right? And SMU is a program that said when they got to go to the ACC. They didn’t get a TV deal with them. They’re not earning any of the revenue, but what they did is they went out and they earned money on their own. So they’ve already secured $159 million in cash, and then they’ve secured donors down the line of $200 million to cover that gap. So a school like an SMU might be on the forefront of having opportunities to do it. And then you throw everything else that’s going on right now, conversations about private equity deals with the Big 10, $2.4 billion, where each university would get roughly, they’d get different amounts based on which university it is, but roughly $150 million, whether that happens or not, we don’t know. Recruiting is the other one. Recruiting is part of the whole ecosystem, recruiting is a national sport by itself. It always has been to some degree, but now these universities are coming in with more money. You look at an Ohio State University who comes in and secures one of the best players from Texas, Devin Sanchez last year, a five-star recruit and Sanchez now plays at Ohio State. And I’m sure there’s a lot of schools in the state of Texas that would have said, ‘Hey, why didn’t you stay home?’ Well, things are different now. Right. So what’s going to happen, it’s wide open and the rules are being written as we’re having this conversation right now.

RUDY KOSKI: You know, in talking with people, just in general conversation, the average fan, they’re saying, all right, well, yeah, the kids deserve to make some money. And I’ve also heard instead of having the under the table bag men, it’s now out in the open. So what’s the big deal? But you know is it one of those things that no one likes to see the wizard behind the curtain? Is that what this is?

KASIMOV: It could be, you know, sometimes I think we, uh, we know it’s happening, and then you see the video of it, like you work in news, right? Like you hear about the story and then you see the video of it. You’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that happened.’ It happened anyway, right. It was going on. And yeah, I think that’s, that’s a lot to do with it. Ed Orgeron of LSU said, you know, they used to come in the back door, the bag men, and now they’re just coming through the front door. It’s concerning. It’s been going on. And I think it’s going on now and they are coming through the front door. But there’s still no guardrails to it. So it’s just the Wild West. And so that’s confusing to people. And I think it’s confusing to the fans. Like you said, the average fan.

KOSKI: As you look at what’s coming down the pack, and as you analyze what’s happening, do you think the future is the Big Ten private equity, bringing in big dollar donors like this, getting a cut of the pie, or is it more like what Congress is thinking about doing in regards to just setting caps and turning it into maybe like baseball?

KASIMOV: Yeah, it’s hard to say. I mean, for the big 10, you had 18 universities. Sixteen of them seemed to be OK with the private equity deal, where they would give up 10% of the stake of their media deal. Two universities, University of Southern Cal and Michigan said no. Michigan called it a payday loan. They need all 18 universities to be on the side of that sort of private equity deal. Does that happen? I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s the future of it. I think, and I don’t think the SEC, Greg Sankey, I don’t think they’re on board with it. I don’t think Texas is on board with it, I don’t think Texas A&M is on board with it. At the same time, if the Big 10 were to show up with that, it’s going to force the hand of the SEC to do something. I don’t think the SEC in the state of Texas, which is fertile ground for college football talent right now. I believe there’s for the 2025 NFL season, 199 players in the NFL are from the state of Texas. That’s by far the most; California and Florida follow that up. They do not want to lose that talent. If Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, USC are coming into Texas and taking the top talent because they have the brands and they have extra money that they can give, what is Texas and the SEC going to do.

At the same time, I don’t know if the Big 10 truly wants this. Obviously some universities do, but they don’t all. And what is, what happens down there? You know, then you have to commit to the Big Ten until 2046 is what they’re saying. That’s a payday that the UC investments, who’s the private equity people behind the deal are going to get. That’s a lot. So I don’t know. I could see if you were to ask me like, ‘Hey, what’s your prediction?’ I think a lot of people might agree with this. Sure, two conferences, the SEC and the Big Ten and more format like the NFL. I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but I guess the other thing to say is Congress is now involved. And it’s like, you know, you’re in class and you don’t want the teacher giving you too many rules, but you’ve kind of like kind of bent the rules too far. Now, we’re going to get the teachers involved. We’re gonna be ‘bring the principal in here.’ I don’t think that’s what they want. But they’ve gone so far out of bounds that they need someone to bring it in.

KOSKI: You touched on this just a moment ago in regards to recruiting. Texas is a big pot for players nationwide. What does this new future mean for recruiting in Texas? Are the days of Texas getting the top running back, A&M, you mentioned Texas Tech, all the kids staying home, that’s not gonna happen anymore?

KASIMOV: These kids grow up, and I think this will always be the case. They want to play for the school that they watched, right? If their parents were fans, if their families were fans and they rooted for A&M, that’s where they want to go. And that’s what they want to play. And that, that letter comes in and that offer comes in. That still holds a lot of value at the same time. I mean, people travel. It’s okay. You know, if you live in Texas and your kid ends up at Oregon or Florida or Florida State, right, you can go and visit and you can travel. I don’t know. If it’ll be the end of kids staying in Texas, I just think it opens it up more. These kids from Texas have been going out of state already. That’s not a new thing. It’s just at what level. So if they’re keeping a certain percentage of the top players to stay in Texas. Does that percentage dwindle down now? And all of a sudden are more of these kids going out there. Like I referenced before, Devin Sanchez, he goes to Ohio State. That’s one of the top corners, one of the top players in the country. People liken him to the Jeremiah Smith of defense. Like that’s the type of impact he could have. With all these universities that we’ve referenced in the state of Texas, how does not one of them kind of keep that kid there? But again, it’s a one-off. Does it happen on a consistent basis where these kids are traveling and go into different places like USC, Oregon, Ohio State?

KOSKI: So is the good thing out of all this as we debate whether or not is the good thing, out of this schools like Texas State, Texas Tech, SMU, UTSA, they now can be players.

KASIMOV: Yes.The problem though is on the other side of it, Houston, who was running a deficit of, of, I believe around $8 to $9 million does not have that sort of money, but that’s the society we live in, right? They have to figure out a way to kind of climb back up in there. But yes, to your point, Texas Tech can compete now because they can play, you know, how do they want to earn money, right? Do they have oil money that they can go out and get and bring this in here and say, ‘Hey, let’s go win at all costs. What do we have to do to bring in the best talent, the best coaches and the best facilities and resources?’ It’s a combination of both. So you’ll have schools that are going to commit to this. They’re going to rise to the challenge. They’re gonna raise the money and they’ll have an opportunity to compete just because you spend a lot of money, doesn’t mean you’ll win. But at the same time, we’re gonna have universities that won’t be able to play, they’ll run a deficit and they’re going to get in trouble, which is like what Trev Albert said, when he says we have a spending problem. So if we just, just because we have the money and we spend it incorrectly, does it mean it’s gonna work out?

KOSKI: And that bodes this next comment, you know, didn’t we see this movie before with Major League Baseball? You know, the Yankees, the Dodgers, they had all the money. Milwaukee didn’t, Cleveland didn’t and something had to be done because you had the haves and the haves not. And where do you go?

KASIMOV: Yeah, it’s frustrating for fans. No doubt. I mean, we had an amazing game seven of the world series, right? If you watch that tune in like amazing baseball top player players, but at the same time in the back end of that, you said, of course the Dodgers want it because they spend the most amount of money. This isn’t a fair system where other teams are out here and they can’t compete at that level, right? A game here, a series there. Yes, they can, but overall it becomes problematic and people tune out. And that’s the big thing, right, TV dollars are going to rule this. The SEC and the Big 10 don’t have the big TV contract. They do now they’re okay. You know, SEC with ESPN, right? All that kind of stuff. Big Ten with FOX. If they lose that down the road, that, that becomes a problem. That’s where they lose the money.

KOSKI: What do you think? What’s your crystal ball say about 26? Do we resolve this? Or does this can keep, do we keep on kicking the can?

KASIMOV: If they resolve it, I don’t think it’s resolved forever. I think it gets resolved for that time being. Unless a commissioner comes in, which I know like Nick Saban has commented, like college ball needs a commissioner. They need a system in place. They need guard rails. I don’t think they can figure that out in time. I think things will change. I think the college ball playoffs will change. I think they’ll continue to adjust that. Uh, it seems though that they’re not running all the different scenarios, right? So they ran the scenarios of like, let’s expand to 12 teams. Okay. So they do that and then Boise state joins the playoff and they get a buy. And it’s like, well, that doesn’t make sense. Why would a group of five team get a bye? Okay. So let’s change it for the second year. Then they change it. For the second. And all of a sudden they’re upset because, uh, Uh, JMU and Tulane are now taking two spots from a team like a Notre Dame or a Texas or a Vanderbilt and that people are upset about that. So what are they going to change it again for the third year? Are they running all the scenarios of what could happen? Right. We don’t know. So I think that becomes a problem is who’s running it and are they thinking through everything. And I just don’t think they are.

KOSKI: That was another question that I want to ask you, please. A lot of people say the bowl system is dead. I don’t think it’s dead. I think it’ going to contract and get back to a core group. What do you think?

KASIMOV: That would be great. I think bowl season, I think what you’re just getting into the nostalgia of it. People are very in, into nostalgia, right? You go to a store today and like the nineties are back and in different times, right, it’d be the seventies and different clothes and different music are coming back. That’s fun. People are excited about that. Let’s go watch some old movies, but in, and in college ball bowl season is so much like that. It’s like, we remember sitting down New Year’s Day and just, well, how much college ball can we watch and right now It’s just not a thing. I mean, there’s bowl games happening and you go ask someone on the street and they’re like, I had no idea there was a game on today. It’s not a, that’s important. Now the playoffs, different people are going to tune in, especially for this round of the playoffs that are coming up and in the future, they’ll continue to do that, but yeah, I think they need to create a system where the bowls matter and a part of that has to do with the fact that these are sponsored, right? They’re spending millions of dollars and I don’t understand how the sponsors are going to want to stay in the game of bowl season. When no one’s watching, no one is going to the games. They’re showing half empty stadiums. So they’re going to have to come up with something to give an advantage. But there’s a lot that goes into it, including the NFL drafts. So a lot of the top players are going to opt out because they want to get ready for the combine and the draft that follows just like soon after. I mean, think about the team that makes a championship game in late January, the combines in late February in the drafts in late April, these players have to get themselves ready to deal with all that comes with that timeline, right. And then that’s. Yeah, it’s serious stuff.

The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski.

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Dante Moore’s NIL Valuation As He Weighs NFL Draft Or Oregon Ducks

Published

3 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore NIL valuation name image likeness NFL Draft decision Dan Lanning Will Stein cfp — Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass during the third quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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Predicting landing spots for the top 5 college football transfers (Dec. 26)

Published

4 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Your Sports Nation

A week out from the transfer portal officially opening, some top college football stars have indicated the intention to move on to a new school. Per On3sports’s rankings, here are the top five portal prospects, and a likely landing spot (or two) for each.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State QB

Despite many more QBs entering the portal, Leavitt remains at the top of the list of the top portal passers. Leavitt’s 2025 season was limited to just seven games, in which he threw for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns. He showed more in 2024, taking ASU to the College Football Playoff with over 3,300 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns.

Leavitt is thought to be focusing in on Indiana and Oregon as potential landing spots. He’ll have two years to play and figures to be one of the top passers in college football, wherever he lands.

In 2024, he helped Arizona State reach the College Football Playoff by passing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 443 yards and five more scores. His 2025 season was cut short by an injury in October, but in the portion of the year he could play, Leavitt passed for 1,628 yards and 10 scores in just seven games.

Chaz Coleman, Penn State DE

Colemani is an elite 6’4″ edge rusher who didn’t see a ton of time at Penn State in 2025 as a freshman. Coleman played in nine games, making eight tackles, including three tackles for loss with one QB sack.

Coleman has been projected as likely to end up at Ohio State, where the Buckeyes have done well in developing pass rushers. His position coach at Penn State has now been hired at South Carolina, so the Gamecocks might be a surprise contender on his recruitment.

Drew Mestemaker, North Texas QB

Mestemaker is one of those players who seemingly emerged from nowhere. A former-walk on, he passed for 4,129 yards and 31 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman at North Texas. The 6’4″ QB has three years of eligibility left.

The likely landing spot for Mestemaker remains Oklahoma State, where his North Texas coach Eric Morris has settled. He has also been linked with Texas Tech as one of several other schools interested in the talented young QB.

Byrum Brown, South Florida QB

Brown has spent four years at South Florida, but did preseve his redshirt year in 2022. Last season, he threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns while running for another 1,008 yards and 14 scores on the ground. He’s the premier dual-threat QB in this transfer class.

Brown’s most likely landing spot will be Auburn, where his USF coach Alex Golesh has landed. Florida is another school that has been documented as a possibility, as former Tulane boss Jon Sumrall will need a talented passer to lead his offense.

Jontez Williams, Iowa State CB

Williams was injured in late September and missed most of the 2025 season, but is a talented defensive back. The 6’2″ defender picked off four passes in 2024 and broke up five more passes. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

Williams hails from Florida and Miami has been notable as a contender for his next landing spot. Of course, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has moved on to Penn State, so the Nittany Lions should probably be in the conversation as well.

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Iverson Hooks Triggers NIL Money Dispute With UAB Contract

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Iverson Hooks NIL buyout UAB Contract Pay Back Transfer Portal — iStockphoto / © Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

UAB star Iverson Hooks is choosing to enter the transfer portal. His decision not to continue his college football career creates an interesting situation regarding his NIL money.

Does he owe it all back to the Blazers?

I do not know the specific terms of Hooks’ agreement with the university but it appears as though he is on the hook (pun intended) for every single penny he has ever received while in Birmingham. This could get litigious.

Who is Iverson Hooks?

Hooks is not a name you would know unless you are a diehard fan of college football. He was one of the best players on the Group of Six level in 2025.

The former three-star recruit committed to UAB in the Class of 2022 over 11 other offers from schools like UCF, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and Troy. His first three years with the program saw him record 25 catches for ~300 yards and three touchdowns.

This past season was a huge breakout year for the 5-foot-10, 175-pound pass-catcher.

History for Hooks ‼️

Iverson Hooks became the first player in school history with multiple 10+ reception games in a single season on Saturday.

He is the first player since Roddy White to have multiple games with 10 or more receptions, and just the third player in school history… pic.twitter.com/v9nvVnvaJo

— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) November 23, 2025

Hooks caught a team-high 72 passes for a team-high 927 yards and seven touchdowns. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

However, the rising redshirt junior does not plan to finish out his career in Birmingham. Hooks is going to enter the transfer portal.

How much money does he owe back to UAB?

This is where things get murky.

The exact details of Iverson Hooks’ financial agreement at UAB are unknown. Perhaps it had already reached its conclusion after four seasons. I don’t know. Maybe there is no buyout attached to his deal.

However, there is a specific clause for termination attached to a majority of contracts with Blazer Impact, the primary NIL arm in Birmingham.

“If Blazer Impact terminates the Agreement pursuant to Section 13.1.2, 13.1.3, 13.1.4, or 13.1.7, Licensor shall pay Blazer Impact a lump sum payment, as liquidated damages and not a penalty, 100% of all Licensing Fees and Endorsement Activity Fees that were paid to Licensor under the Agreement through the date of termination, or 100% of the total Licensing Fees and Enforcement Activity Fees that were scheduled to be paid to Licensor under the remaining term of the Agreement, whichever amount is more. Licensor shall pay the above liquidated damages within 30 days of termination by Blazer Impact.”

This may not apply to Hooks. He might be exempt based off of the unique language in his unique contract. We don’t know.

If he is not exempt, Hooks will be expected to pay back every last dollar he was paid by Blazer Impact over the last four years. Maybe the bigger school that ultimately receives his commitment will pay the buyout? Maybe this will go to court. We’ll see.

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