Move over, Quinn Ewers.
Less than a year after Ohio State quarterback signee reportedly inked a $1 million NIL deal while he should have been in high school, another five-star prospect is cashing in on his name, image, and likeness before his high school graduation.
Except, this deal makes Ewers' look like chump change.
On Friday, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023 signed an agreement with a school’s NIL collective that could pay him more than $8 million by the end of his junior year of college, The Athletic has learned. He’ll be paid $350,000 almost immediately, followed by monthly payouts escalating to more than $2 million per year once he begins his college career, in exchange for making public appearances and taking part in social media promotions and other NIL activities “on behalf of (the collective) or a third party.”
While there’s no centralized database to reference other contracts, two NIL experts believe it’s the largest individual NIL deal signed by a non-professional athlete.
The deal is reportedly to entice the player to sign with a particular school. While the contract explicitly states that "nothing in this Agreement constitutes any form of inducement for (the athlete) to enroll at any school and/or join any athletic team," in accordance with NCAA rules, there's an implied understanding an "an element of trust," according to lawyer Mike Caspino, who drafted the contract.
The Athletic viewed and verified the contract, but is keeping both the player, the collective, and the potential school anonymous, at the request of Caspino.
However, Caspino is based in California, and you have to assume the prospect is a quarterback. So, speculate away.
