LEARFIELD Executive Vice President for NIL Growth and Development Solly Fulp sits down with Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, Memphis Senior Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Ed Scott and LEARFIELD NIL Partnerships & Operations Coordinator and Alabama student-athlete alumna Jenna Johnson to discuss real NIL in the post-House era and how […]
LEARFIELD Executive Vice President for NIL Growth and Development Solly Fulp sits down with Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, Memphis Senior Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Ed Scott and LEARFIELD NIL Partnerships & Operations Coordinator and Alabama student-athlete alumna Jenna Johnson to discuss real NIL in the post-House era and how both the Tigers and Crimson Tide are embracing the concept of “transformational” versus “transactional” NIL opportunities by prioritizing academics, life skills and institutional values into the deal-making process.
Johnson provides insight into how Alabama’s Advantage Center and Crimson Tide Sports Marketing are connecting student-athletes with marketing partners that best align with their interests, talents and personalities while Byrne and Scott discuss the impact of the House settlement on budgets and how they’re educating coaches on the need for discipline and accountability. Byrne: “The House settlement gives us our best opportunity to [sustain 21 sports long-term] and hopefully continue those legitimate NIL opportunities for the young men and young women, balancing that with their academic and athletic responsibilities… I’m optimistic about what’s ahead.”
The conversation is indexed below for efficient viewing (click the time stamp to jump to a specific question/topic).
Aaron Torres and Arnie Spanier talk to 5-Star Texas Tech recruit’s agent Derrick Shelby, who negotiated the $5.1M deal for his client Felix Ojo. Shelby goes into how this unprecedented deal came to fruition and how the College Football world continues to change with NIL. Derrick Shelby: “We’ve been working on this deal for probably […]
Aaron Torres and Arnie Spanier talk to 5-Star Texas Tech recruit’s agent Derrick Shelby, who negotiated the $5.1M deal for his client Felix Ojo. Shelby goes into how this unprecedented deal came to fruition and how the College Football world continues to change with NIL.
Derrick Shelby:
“We’ve been working on this deal for probably about 30 days, maybe 40 days total. Once he did his visit things ramped up pretty quickly. I thought Texas Tech would be a major contender as long as he liked the school. Of course, everybody was after him from Texas to Ohio State, Florida, Michigan. I think he ended up with probably 70 high major offers. I told him you need to go to Lubbock and see it. Because Lubbock had been calling me, Texas Tech had been calling me like, man we’d love to have a shot at Ojo. A lot of people don’t realize I represent NiJaree Canady the All American Softball pitcher at Texas Tech. So I had a relationship there and they were calling me asking can the kid come out and at least see what we have. And we did just that. A lot of people don’t realize Texas Tech just invested about $250 Million in their football facility. It’s top three in America. Texas Tech was the second scholarship offer for Felix and they stuck with the recruiting.
Arnie Spanier:
“Was it that Texas Tech give you the most money? And did you have to say, hey, this is what it’s going to take to get it done.”
Derrick Shelby:
“The biggest offer ended up being Texas Tech, and we didn’t start at the number we finished with. But going into this thing, my number one plan for Felix was to find the best place we can get to play early. And at his position, that’s hard to get. That left tackle position, I mean that’s the crown jewel right? So he wanted to play early but also be able to maximize his most earning potential at the same time. So I knew it would be hard to get both, but that’s what we shot for”.
Aaron Torres:
“One, as much as you can share, how often are these agreements beyond one year. But then two, I would have to assume there has to be some sort of language, because you know, god forbid the coach gets fired. I mean how does this work? I would have to assume there are opt outs. God forbid something happens.”
Derrick Shelby:
“It’s very far in between to get any type of multi year deal. Except no one wants to do that in football. They want a one year deal because it protects them. And what the football people will say, it also protects the kid. So lets say you’re bringing a kid in and you give them $300,000 and he has a fantastic year. He can ask for more the following year. But in the same token, you get $300,000 and he gets hurt. Then he gets nothing the following year, so there’s risk on both sides in my opinion. And when you sign with a school, you’re not signing with the coach, you’re signing with the school. So if a coach leaves, it doesn’t really matter.”
The fireworks began early for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football program on the Fourth of July. On Friday morning, Lake Ridge (Texas) five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo chose Texas Tech over fellow finalist Texas and others. Advertisement The 6-foot-6, 275-pound lineman is the highest-rated commitment in program history – by a wide margin. He […]
The fireworks began early for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football program on the Fourth of July.
On Friday morning, Lake Ridge (Texas) five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo chose Texas Tech over fellow finalist Texas and others.
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The 6-foot-6, 275-pound lineman is the highest-rated commitment in program history – by a wide margin.
He is the school’s first-ever top-20 pledge, currently listed as the nation’s No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle in the class of 2026.
And no one is being shy about the details of how that stunning development happened.
According to ESPN, his agent, Derrick Shelby, has reported Ojo signed a full-guaranteed three-star, $5.1-million deal – one of the largest guaranteed deals in the history of college football.
For his part, Ojo expressed excitement about his new situation.
“Let’s change (college football),” he posted to social media.
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Whether Ojo dominates on the field or not in Lubbock, his NIL deal may mean he’s already accomplished that feat before arriving on campus.
Here’s what 247Sports had to say about Ojo as a prospect:
“Tall offensive tackle prospect who’s very young for his recruiting class with a July DOB. Verified at 6-foot-6, 272 pounds post-junior season with adequate length numbers in arm (33 5/8) and wingspan (81 1/2). Owns a lean, athletic look and plays with impressive functional athleticism and movement ability.”
“Live evaluation during 2025 Navy Army All-American Bowl revealed a consistent mean streak in pads. Stood out physically, athletically, and in field demeanor despite being among the youngest competitors in the event. Hand placement/technique have improved from sophomore to junior year, along with ability to stand up to POA strength. Gets good extension and uses length to his advantage. Still developing consistent pop; can be grabby, but looks to finish with authority. Plays upright at times and can show more frequent bend ability. Will continue to bulk given immense frame potential.”
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“Bolsters athletic profile with discus reps. Capacities for strength and power are high given excellent physical tools and relative youth. Looks like one of the top OT prospects in the 2026 class with potential to become a multi-year high-major tackle with ample pro potential.”
Five-star recruit signs historic $5.1M revenue sharing deal with Big 12 school
Texas Tech have beaten out the likes of Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and in-state rivals Texas to the blockbuster signing of five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo to add to their 2026 class Andrew Gamble Sports Trends Writer 23:40 ET, 04 Jul 2025Updated 23:41 ET, 04 Jul 2025 Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech as part […]
Texas Tech have beaten out the likes of Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and in-state rivals Texas to the blockbuster signing of five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo to add to their 2026 class
Andrew Gamble Sports Trends Writer
23:40 ET, 04 Jul 2025Updated 23:41 ET, 04 Jul 2025
Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech as part of the 2026 class(Image: Instagram @felixtheol)
Five-star offensive tackle prospect Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech on a fully guaranteed deal worth $5.1 million.
With the 2025 college football season fast approaching, recruiting for the 2026 class is heating up. On Friday, Ojo inked a historic seven-figure revenue deal with Texas Tech in a huge statement signing for the ambitious Red Raiders.
Ojo is a highly rated prospect having dominated in high school. Standing an imperious 6-7, the starlet tackle chose Texas Tech — who also had success in the transfer portal — over Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and even Steve Sarkisian’s Texas following several official visits this spring.
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Ojo is the program’s highest-ranked addition since ESPN began ranking high school prospects in the 2006 recruiting cycle. The money seemed too good to turn down; Ojo’s deal is believed to be one of the largest fully guaranteed revenue-share agreements in college football history.
Ojo’s agent, Derrick Shelby, of Prestige Management, confirmed the contract. He said: “Football is a brutal sport, and athletes are not able to play professionally until their graduating class has been in college three years.
“It was important to be able to secure Felix Ojo’s future and give him and his family some security as he continues to develop into a first-round NFL draft pick.”
Ojo is the latest big name to sign with Texas Tech, which has been splashing the cash to recruit recently.
The Red Raiders reportedly spent more than $10 million on 17 new players in the winter transfer portal. Texas Tech has made 21 portal additions to assemble the nation’s second-ranked transfer class this offseason, per ESPN.
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Felix Ojo chose Texas Tech after visiting several major programs(Image: Instagram @felixtheol)
Ojo is a big get for Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders. He was a multi-year starter at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas, and represents one of the top offensive line prospects in the nation.
He will join Texas Tech in 2026 as the program’s first five-star signee since wide receiver Micah Hudson in 2024. Ojo is also the headline commit in Texas Tech’s offensive line class, which also features a pair of spring pledges in three-star offensive guard Jerald Mays and offensive tackle Jacob Crow
NIL deals and revenue sharing have forever changed the face of college sports. Football undoubtedly commands the most significant outlay, but other sports are feeling the impact, too; Jack Nicklaus recently criticized the NCAA’s inability to “control” NIL.
Last month, a judge ruled that college athletes will receive money directly from schools in a momentous change to the collegiate revenue model. Starting on July 1, schools will be able to pay athletes up to $20.5 million a year starting in 2025-26, and this figure is expected to increase by a certain percentage each year.
Effectively, this means college sports will no longer be treated as amateur. Athletes will be compensated more than through the previous NIL program started in 2021; they will be paid directly by universities — and Ojo will be one of many looking to cash in.
Current Husky Infielder Ethan Cole Enters Transfer Portal
Over the course of three seasons, Cole had a batting average of .295 with 16 home runs and 74 runs batted in. 4 hours ago DULUTH, Minn.- UMD infielder and pitcher Ethan Cole has entered the transfer portal. Over the course of three seasons, he had a batting average of .295 with 16 home runs […]
Air Force Falcons Football and the Transfer Portal
We aren’t even to fall camps yet, but 2025 has already generated plenty of polarizing storylines. None may be as gripping as the transfer portal. While the bags of money that were historically exchanged under the cover of night are now proudly displayed for all to see, NIL monies are part of the transfer portal […]
We aren’t even to fall camps yet, but 2025 has already generated plenty of polarizing storylines. None may be as gripping as the transfer portal. While the bags of money that were historically exchanged under the cover of night are now proudly displayed for all to see, NIL monies are part of the transfer portal biography. The interesting thing about the transfer portal as it relates to Air Force, it’s really nothing new. Teams have been benefiting from players transferring out of the Military Academies long before “The Portal” was a thing.
As the landscape of college football is shifting quickly, the effects of player transfers have long been a reality for Troy Calhoun and company. While there is a preponderance of long-term benefits that come with attending a Military Academy, life as a Cadet is not for everyone. And for years, even if conforming to military life wasn’t an issue for a cadet, once they excelled on the field, the lure of a program with no military service commitment strings attached could always rear their prospect.
For those who may not know, a player can depart the United States Air Force Academy for another institution with little to no financial or military responsibility if they do so prior to their Junior season. For context, that could be three years of development when you consider players that spend their first year at the Prep school. That’s a lot of investment and development of an individual from an elite coaching staff. And these are circumstances Air Force, Army and Navy have had to navigate long before the transfer portal. The transfer portal has only amplified this challenge.
So, what do the new changes with the transfer portal mean for Air Force? A slightly smaller window for which players to seek new opportunities, or tampering attempts to lure players away perhaps. Not a great deal of change overall. In terms of the transfer portal, the Falcons are what financial institutions would deem “savers”. The reason being, they only contribute to the account, they are never making withdrawals. That is the exact relationship between the Military Academies and the transfer portals. Yes, technically student’s and athletes can come to Air Force after being at another school if they choose. But to do so, they reset their academic clock because transfer credits don’t apply. This is more than an anomaly scenario.
In this most recent cycle, the Falcons did lose some talent. Two very promising defensive players in Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner (Southern Utah) and David Santiago (Michigan State) figured to be impact players on the 2025 team. There even saw an offensive line departure Tyler Lawrence go to Mountain West rivals, New Mexico. Here again, this is nothing new for Air Force.
It’s not all woe-is-me for the Birds though. Air Force is very particular about the athletes they recruit. The academic and military rigors demand a certain kind of person, and the system Troy Calhoun and staff have leaned on has proven reliable. So, while departures do occur, the program or “system” they have in Colorado Springs has been constructed with such attrition considered. And despite a 5-7 down year, this is why Air Force has been able to sustain a high level of success with consistency above many of their counterparts, including their Military brethren out East.
In case you’re wondering, since Troy Calhoun took over as the head coach at Air Force in 2007, they’ve had 13 winning seasons. Army and Navy have 16 winning seasons combined over that period. In that same time, there are only five active coaches in all of college football who have won more games, and none of them are in the group of five. If you want to throw in retirees like Nick Saban and Chris Peterson, Troy still ranks top 10.
No quick fixes to attrition through the portal. No bags of NIL money to attract players. Just winning football. Simply put, Troy Calhoun can coach. He’s assembled an incredible coaching staff. Between OC Mike Thiessen, DC Brian Knorr, and O-Line coach Steede Lobotzke, you’re hard-pressed to find a stronger trio at what they do. And that has a lot to do with the United States Air Force Academy’s ability to navigate the changes with enduring success. The byproduct is a culture of graduating officers and winning football. A lot of both.
Syracuse football has toughest ACC schedule, No. 5 nationwide, per expert Phil Steele
Phil Steele, one of the top experts in college football, has reinforced what many Syracuse fans already knew: the Orange’s 2025 schedule is brutal, brutal, brutal. Steele, per this On3 article and also via philsteele.com, notes that in the 2025 season, Syracuse football has the toughest schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Recruiting service and […]
Phil Steele, one of the top experts in college football, has reinforced what many Syracuse fans already knew: the Orange’s 2025 schedule is brutal, brutal, brutal.
Steele, per this On3 article and also via philsteele.com, notes that in the 2025 season, Syracuse football has the toughest schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Recruiting service and media outlet 247Sports also recently echoed that sentiment.
Awesome.
It makes sense, though. Just look at the Orange’s four ACC road games. The ‘Cuse is traveling to Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech and Miami. Clemson won the ACC title in 2024 and is likely the favorite to repeat in 2025.
SMU made the 12-team College Football Playoff a season ago. As did Clemson. I think that Miami will contend for the No. 2 spot in the ACC this coming term. Georgia Tech, led by quarterback Haynes King, should be sneaky good.
Syracuse football’s home ACC calendar is more manageable. It includes Duke, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Boston College. If the Orange wants to come close to mirroring its record from 2024, the ‘Cuse has to go at least 3-1, if not 4-0, at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Phil Steele also grades Syracuse football’s 2025 schedule on a national scale.
Per Steele, if we’re talking about nationally speaking, the Orange’s 2025 slate is No. 5 overall.
Awesome.
Again, I get it. On top of the ‘Cuse ACC calendar, the team’s non-conference schedule is pretty darn enticing – and challenging. The Orange has September home affairs with UConn and Colgate, and Syracuse football should win both of these.
But its other two non-conference encounters are against Tennessee, in Atlanta, to open the 2025 season, as well as a late November trip to Notre Dame. The Volunteers made the most recent CFP, while the Fighting Irish got to the national championship game, losing to Ohio State.
It’s no wonder that when Steele recently projected the ACC’s order of finish in 2025, he placed Syracuse football at No. 12 in a league that has 17 members in football.
Let’s keep in mind that preseason prognostications are just that – preseason prognostications. In 2024, as Fran Brown made his head-coaching debut on the Hill, the Orange was projected to finish No. 12 in the ACC. The ‘Cuse would end up in a tie for the fourth spot.
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