NIL

The Brave New World of college football

Published

3 months ago

October 19, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HH Diego Pavia graphic 10-19-25 — Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia helped lead his Commodores to victory over LSU on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (NonDoc)

Aldous Huxley published his world-renown novel Brave New World way back in 1931.

In his dystopian piece of fiction (one of my favorite genres), Huxley described a future still unidentifiable to modern readers even almost a full century later. Without burrowing in and describing the many details and nuances of the plot, I’m pretty sure after my most recent read of the book, I realized something startling.

Huxley would have been a damn-good modern-day sportswriter.

Among the AP top 10 poll in college football entering this week were No. 3 Indiana, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 5 Mississippi and No. 7 Texas Tech. None of these teams would be described as a traditional heavyweight in the sport, as the only one with an outright national title was Texas A&M way back in 1939. Indiana has the second-worst winning percentage of all time among Division I schools. Ole Miss has not won a conference title since 1963.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, celebrated its last “conference title” in 1994 when they finished in a FIVE-way tie for second in the Southwest Conference. First-place Texas A&M was ineligible that season because of NCAA sanctions, and Tech “claimed” the title because it was picked to represent the conference in Cotton Bowl since the Red Raiders had gone the longest without appearing in the bowl game among the quintet of second-place finishers. That’s some serious “conference title” mental ju-jitsu right there … although Tech sure isn’t ashamed.

For many reasons, we certainly have reached a brave new world in college football for both the traditional elite and the great unwashed masses. It’s to the point Peter Venkman’s quote in Ghostbusters about “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together … mass hysteria!” offers a solid description of how those steeped in college football’s long traditions feel right now.

To understand how everyone has come to belong to everyone else, we must review a pair of major additions to the college football scene over the past five years: NIL (name, image, likeness) payments and the transfer portal. With the capacity for schools and their supporters essentially to pay players for their service — without the salary cap, contracts or other guardrails you usually see in professional sports — and the ability for those players to transfer wherever they’d like every year, football fans are seeing greater parity than ever before.

Long-established powers have found themselves in unexpected dogfights to recruit talent. The ability to pay players has lessened the influence of tradition-packed trophy cases and increased the importance of cash-filled briefcases. It automatically gives an advantage to oil-rich schools, like A&M and Tech, whose catalog of successes and championships is dwarfed by their lists of millionaire — and even billionaire — donors.

At the same time, the transfer portal has made it much harder for traditional programs to keep players they recruit — especially younger, uber-talented backups antsy for a starting gig. Less-heralded programs — such as Indiana — can make serious waves in the portal, recruiting players who might not be starters at traditional programs but are still plenty good enough to make major impacts.

It’s one reason the long-bedraggled Hoosiers were able to lock up their outstanding head coach, Curt Cignetti, to a long-term contract this week. There’s little reason for Cignetti to look elsewhere, as he can win at Indiana nowadays just as easily as he can at place like, say, Penn State.

Of course, opinions on all of this upheaval likely vary with the mileage one gets in enjoying parity. College football fans are notorious for being snooty to “Cinderella” teams, looking down their noses at nouveau-riche programs as the unwanted usurpers to a much-preferred fight between the biggest bullies on the block. At the same time, more schools having a real shot at conference, and even national, titles means a sport with broader appeal.

As a person who regularly touts games involving schools like New Mexico State and Bowling Green in this space, I enjoy parity and can relish this new world order. Still, I think there’s a saner middle ground that keeps former offensive linemen with billions of dollars from simply purchasing a competitive team for their alma maters.

Whatever happens, I suspect we will continue to plunge forward into a future that Huxley himself would no doubt call brave and new — one that sees upstart programs like Vanderbilt defeat established football schools like Louisiana State this past weekend.

It all gave me acid indigestion this weekend, unaided by the many ales I quaffed, and it left me parsing through another edition of Hangover Highlights:

I can be a bit bitchy about the OU football team, focusing on its foibles. With that in mind, fair is fair, and when the Sooners absolutely whip someone’s ass, I should acknowledge it as well.
That’s what happened Saturday in OU’s 26-7 win at South Carolina. The Sooners pretty much dominated every aspect of the game, particularly on the lines of scrimmage, en route to about as comfortable a win as one could expect in the Southeastern Conference.
Sure, things seemed a bit dicey around halftime when South Carolina cut the score to 14-7. Considering, however, the only Gamecocks scoring drive took 11 plays to go a whopping 47 yards, helped by no fewer than THREE OU penalties along with a questionable first-down measurement, it wasn’t exactly like they had grabbed momentum.
The second half of the game constituted the best 30 minutes I’ve seen the Sooners play all season. They allowed just 113 yards of total Gamecock offense — only 30 of which came in the third quarter when the game was being decided. OU’s offense may have been unspectacular, but it felt consistent and effective. When you have a defense as dominant as the Sooners displayed Saturday, those offensive adjectives make for a winning formula.
It reminded me very much of 10 years ago when OU came off a gross loss to an inferior Texas team, only to regroup and play its best game of the season in a blowout win on the road at Kansas State. That proved to be the spark for the 2015 team to make it to the College Football Playoff. Will history repeat itself?
I really don’t have a lot to add about Oklahoma State football, which lost … again … this week to Cincinnati, 49-17. The Cowboys did keep it competitive for a while, trailing just 28-17 going into the fourth quarter. Yet, I’m on record saying I despise “moral victories,” so I’m not going to change my thinking now.
It was another week and yet another disaster behind center for the Cowboys as Sam Jackon V, again, had to take the snaps, despite being a wide receiver by trade. He honestly didn’t fair tragically, going 11-of-19 passing for 149 yards and an interception. When you set the bar at “catastrophe,” however, it isn’t hard to clear.
Honestly, what’s been happening off the field in Stillwater has been far more interesting than what happens on the field. This weekend’s homecoming featured another shirts-off showing from fans, as well as a conga line of boys in banana costumes.
And then we have the calamity and hilarity of watching the spat between @OKSTProbs and a former federal inmate local business owner, which has featured a lawsuit filing and other dramatic developments. With a 1-6 record to ponder, Oklahoma State fans should probably watch this soap opera instead. It’s a bit like when Harry got mad at Lloyd in Dumb And Dumber.
Anyway, OU will have its hands full next week against an Ole Miss team indubitably irritated by a 43-35 loss at Georgia on Saturday. The Rebels led for most of the game, only to see their defense finally tire out at the end. Ole Miss was ahead 35-26 going into the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t hang on between the hedges.
I’ll be interested to see if Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who started the season as a Division II transfer and the Rebels’ backup, can continue his own Rocky Balboa story against the Sooners’ defense. Is Chambliss as good as his stats say, or has he benefited from playing mostly questionable defenses like Arkansas, Tulane and Washington State?
Second-ranked Miami was stunned by Louisville 24-21 on Friday night at home when its quarterback, Carson Beck, couldn’t quit throwing to the wrong team. Beck had four interceptions in the game and had a fifth called back on a spurious roughing-the-passer call.
If Miami were an airplane crash, however, then — to borrow from the old joke — they should have built the entire plane out of freshman receiver Malachi Toney. Like the fabled black box on an aircraft, Toney was the only Hurricane who emerged from the wreckage unscathed, at least in my opinion. It was the first time I’ve really had the chance to watch Toney play and not be distracted by other games, and he might be the best player in the country.
Nebraska didn’t last long in the top 25, celebrating its No. 25 ranking by immediately dropping a road game at Minnesota, 24-6. If OU fans want to feel better about the Sooners’ running game and woeful offensive line performances, just look at the Big Red of the north. The ’Huskers might have the worst offensive line on any team identified as being “pretty good.” I’m sure OSU or North Carolina or some other objectively terrible team has a worse line, but Nebraska manages to be decent despite the leaky sieve that is its front five.
Texas Tech finally met its maker, and it came in the form of a Sun Devil. Tech fell 26-22 at Arizona State in a wild game where both teams scored in the final two minutes.
Tech played the entire contest with its backup quarterback, Will Hammond, who has been a true find this season when thrust into the quarterback role because of injuries. But it may have been too much to ask him to win on the road in Tempe, Arizona. With the loss, it’s hard for me to imagine Tech making the College Football Playoff without winning the conference title — a possibility that might face every Big 12 team at this point.
There’s a reason traffic gets jammed up in the OPPOSITE lane of a wreck. I call it “gawker’s block,” and I had a case of it this weekend as I watched a bit of Penn State’s 25-24 loss to Iowa — leering eagerly to see the smoking wreckage of what’s left of the preseason No. 2 team.
The game was surprisingly competitive, but it was weird not to see James Franklin patrolling the sidelines as PSU’s head man after he was shockingly let go last weekend. Hey, one thing you can say about Penn State University is that whenever there’s an issue in its athletic department or with the football coach, the administration is absolutely quick and decisive with necessary action.
Finally, I mentioned Vanderbilt earlier as being an upstart program, particularly after a 31-24 win Saturday against No. 10 LSU. It marked the first time the Commodores were Las Vegas favorites against LSU in 77 years, and it was the first time they’ve been favored against a top-10 team in 77 games.
My everlasting man-crush on New Mexico State/Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia reached fever levels Saturday on the patio of Cowenstan National Stadium. Pavia passed for 150 yards, rushed for 86, and combined for three touchdowns between his throwing and running. At this point, if he’s not at least a contender for the Heisman Trophy, then I don’t understand the qualifications to be one.

Jeremy Cowen

Jeremy Cowen has been a NonDoc commentator and contributing reporter since the site launched in 2015. After growing up in Hartshorne, he graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. His 30-year career in journalism and public relations has included teaching courses about writing for hundreds of OU mass communications students.

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Brendan Sorsby commits to Texas Tech: Cincinnati transfer QB joins Red Raiders

Published

47 minutes ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Cincinnati transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby has committed to Texas Tech, CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz report, choosing the Red Raiders after a quick visit schedule that also included LSU.

Sorsby is rated as the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 2 overall transfer prospect in this cycle in the 247Sports transfer rankings.

Sorsby’s decision keeps him in the Big 12 and gives Texas Tech an experienced option at quarterback after a season that ended with lingering questions at the position. The Red Raiders won the Big 12 Championship for their first out-right conference title since 1955 but struggled offensively in their College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Oregon at the Orange Bowl, where Behren Morton was unable to generate much production in a 23-0 shutout.

Drew Mestemaker commits to Oklahoma State: Former North Texas QB joins coach Eric Morris in Stillwater

Cody Nagel

Texas Tech has already demonstrated a willingness to be aggressive in the transfer portal, using resources and NIL opportunities to target impact players at positions of need. Sorsby’s addition signals that the Red Raiders are prepared to continue that approach, blending proven experience with a roster built to compete at the highest level of the conference.

How Sorsby fits with Texas Tech

Sorsby joins a room that includes rising sophomore Will Hammond, who suffered a torn ACL this season. While he could be ready for the start of 2026, Sorsby provides immediate experience and the option for Hammond to gain more experience in a backup role before taking over the reins in 2027.

When Sorsby initially made his decision to enter the transfer portal, there was speculation he could also explore the NFL Draft after a breakout season that put him on the radar as a potential early-round pick. Instead, he appears ready to return to college for a final year, giving him an opportunity to further refine his game and improve his draft stock.

Sorsby will arrive at Texas Tech with three years of starting experience and a track record of production at the Power Four level, though team success has varied. He is 13-17 (.433) as a starter in his career, including a 1-6 mark at Indiana as a redshirt freshman in 2023. After that season, he transferred to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 campaign and went on to establish himself as one of the Big 12’s more efficient passers across two seasons with the Bearcats.

Sorsby does it with arm, legs

During his time at Cincinnati, Sorsby passed for 5,613 yards and 45 touchdowns, completing 62.9% of his passes. He led the Big 12 in yards per completion (13.5) this season. He showed consistent command of the offense early in the season, including a seven-game stretch without an interception. Sorsby matched a career-low with only five picks in 12 games this season. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

Sorsby also adds value as a runner, becoming more involved in the ground game as his career progressed. He finished this year at Cincinnati with a career-high 580 rushing yards on 100 carries and nine rushing touchdowns, matching his total from the previous season. While Cincinnati closed the year with four straight losses and his passing efficiency dipped late, his overall body of work made him one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the portal.

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IU football picks up commitment from Wisconsin transfer safety Preston Zachman – The Daily Hoosier

Published

2 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Wisconsin transfer safety Preston Zachman is headed to Indiana according to multiple Sunday reports.

The 6-foot-1 and 212-pound Zachman will be entering his seventh and final season of college football in 2026.

He has played in 35 career games (20 starts, nearly 1,500 snaps), all with Wisconsin, and has 130 tackles and seven interceptions.

Zachman will help fill the void to be left by starters Louis Moore and Devan Boykin.

In 2025 Zachman played in three games and had 12 tackles and two interceptions. He missed the final nine games of 2025 due to a leg injury. Both of the takeaways came in the second half of the season opener against Miami (Ohio). Zachman was named Big Ten defensive player of the week.

Zachman is seeking a medical hardship waiver to play the seventh season in 2026. After only playing three games, he should qualify.

In 2024 he started all 12 games at safety for the Badgers and made a career-high 58 tackles (39 solos), two interceptions, three TFLs and four pass breakups.

In 2023 Zachman played in all 13 games, making five starts. He totaled 49 tackles and two interceptions.

In 2022 Zachman played in six games before missing the rest of the season due to injury. He had 11 tackles and 0.5 TFLs, and grabbed his first career interception in the season opener vs. Illinois State.

In the 2020 season that did not count against eligibility, Zachman played one game. He didn’t play at all in 2021 and took a redshirt season.

Out of Southern Columbia H.S. in Elysburg, Pa., Zachman was a three-star high school recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals in the class of 2020.

More transfer portal information:

For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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Under Armour announces first ‘Click-Clack’ class of NIL deals

Published

3 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Following this weekend’s Under Armour All-America Game, the brand announced its first “Click Clack” NIL class. Under Armour signed six highly rated recruits to NIL deals.

Notre Dame safety signee Joey O’Brien, BYU quarterback signee Ryder Lyons, Maryland EDGE signee Zion Elee and Alabama safety signee Jireh Edwards are all part of the group, Under Armour announced Sunday. Two touted 2027 recruits – Texas wide receiver commit Easton Royal and four-star wide receiver Eric McFarland – are also on board.

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All six players competed in the Under Armour All-America Game on Saturday. O’Brien and Royal were two of Rivals’ top performers in the game, which took place at Spec Martin Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

“I think you hear us coming,” Under Armour wrote in its Instagram post. “Meet the inaugural Click-Clack Class — Under Armour’s first NIL squad.”

Under Armour capitalizing on star power

Ryder Lyons previously announced an NIL deal with Under Armour in September 2025 after committing to BYU. The four-star quarterback signed with BYU, but will embark on a one-year mission and will not enroll at school until the following January. He is the No. 5-ranked quarterback from the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

As a whole, Under Armour’s Click-Clack NIL class features four of the top 50 players in the nation out of the 2026 cycle. With Easton Royal and Eric McFarland, the brand also has two of the top 25 prospects in 2027.

The group includes some of the highest-profile high school football players, as well. Zion Elee’s $687,000 On3 NIL Valuation is the highest of the group and ranks No. 11 in the high school football NIL rankings. Lyons also sits at No. 13 with a $656,000 On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and personal NIL. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands.

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The NCAA further fails high schoolers with G League Rulings

Published

3 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

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Player of the Year Star QB Bolts College Football Playoff Team for Big 12

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

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The college football transfer portal is heating up with a wave of early moves.

One star quarterback from the College Football Playoff has already found a new home after entering the transfer portal. As the final four teams battle for the national championship, the rest of the country is focused on the college football transfer portal.

Fresh off a career season, former James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett entered the portal and found a new team in a matter of days. Barnett is headed to the Big 12 announcing his decision to join UCF where the dual-threat signal-caller is the early favorite to be the Knights starter. The quarterback is expected to replace Tayven Jackson.

Barnett threw for 2,806 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 58.4% of his passes in 14 appearances for JMU in 2025. The quarterback also added 589 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground as well.

Beyond impressive stats, Barnett led James Madison to a Sun Belt championship as JMU crashed the College Football Playoff party. Barnett was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2025.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest college football news.

New UCF QB Alonza Barnett Is Projected to Have a $321,000 NIL Value

NIL deals are not made public, but Barnett’s value is projected at $321,000, per On3. During Scott Frost’s first season in his second stint at UCF, the Knights struggled with volatility at quarterback. After transferring from Indiana, Jackson failed to provide consistent play at the position in 2025.

“Quarterback is no different than other positions,” Frost said on December 10, 2025, per On3’s Brandon Helwig. “In a perfect world, we’re developing them all in-house. We didn’t have the opportunity to do that much last year because I got here after Signing Day. So this is really our first step in trying to recruit some building blocks at several positions, quarterback certainly being one.

“If you were experiencing this every day and seeing the drama and the price tags that go along with transfer quarterbacks, it’d certainly benefit us to have a homegrown one. I love the two guys that we got. We’re going to pour into them and try to build somebody that we can keep for a while.”

Transfer Portal Rumors: Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt & Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby Among the Top QBs Searching for New Teams

Amid star quarterbacks like Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Cincinnati Brendan Sorsby in the portal generating buzz, Barnett has flown a bit under the radar. Barnett gives UCF a dynamic dual-threat quarterback that Frost covets in addition to having College Football Playoff experience, even if James Madison’s CFP game against Oregon did not go as planned.

The quarterback may not have consistently played elite competition at James Madison, but the signal-caller performed well against the best team’s on JMU’s schedule. Barnett threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. The dual-threat quarterback also added 45 rushing yards and TD on the ground.

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams

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NIL

Notre Dame’s Joey O’Brien Joins Under Armour’s First NIL Squad

Published

5 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Notre Dame safety signee Joey O’Brien is one of six members of Under Armour’s first NIL squad, the athletic apparel brand announced on Instagram on Sunday.

O’Brien represents one of four players in the incoming Fighting Irish class who earned five-star status, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound defensive back will arrive in South Bend, Ind., as the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 2 safety in the country.

Last fall, he suited up for La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Penn., where he dominated on both sides of the ball. He had snagged 86 receptions for 1,247 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns and a 2-point conversion.

On defense, O’Brien had registered 49 tackles (1.0 for a loss), four interceptions, including a 94-yard pick-six, 11 passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Additionally, he blocked a punt on special teams.

“We’ve continued to add size at the defensive back position,” Notre Dame general manager Mike Martin said about the position group. “We talked about some [like] Joey O’Brien’s just long, rangy, unique ability to sort of get his hands on the ball and take the ball away…

“Not to backtrack, but Joey O’Brien [played] receiver and setting records on the offensive side. I think [he] recently broke Marvin Harrison’s receiving record, something crazy like that.”

Notre Dame has had its own partnership with UA since 2014, which will continue at least until the 2030s. The University finalized a 10-year contract extension with the brand in August 2023.

“10 more years of partnering with the Fighting Irish and supporting student-athletes both on AND off the field,” Under Armour wrote on social media at the time.

O’Brien isn’t the only Fighting Irish football player whose had his own apparel deal.

In 2025, Notre Dame Heisman Trophy finalist Jeremiyah Love signed a deal with New Balance. Recently, Jordan Faison, Kyle Hamilton, Michael Mayer, Audric Estimè, Benjamin Morrison and Riley Leonard have all inked contracts with Rhoback.

UA signed five other players to its first NIL squad:

Ryder Lyons, BYU QB Signee

Zion Lee, Maryland EDGE Signee

Jireh Edwards, Alabama S Signee

Easton Royal, 2027 Texas Tech WR Commit

Eric McFarland, 2027 Four-Star WR Prospect