2023 5-Star CFB Recruit Reportedly Signs Historic NIL Deal Worth Up to $8M

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An unnamed college football recruit from the class of 2023 has reportedly signed a record-breaking name, image and likeness contract.

According to Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, the 5-star male athlete signed a NIL deal that could pay him $8 million by the end of his junior year.

The contract would pay the athlete $350,000 almost immediately and then give him escalating monthly payouts to the point where he would eventually make over $2 million per year.

Two experts told Mandel they believe the deal is the largest NIL contract ever signed by a non-professional athlete.

The contract is reportedly between the athlete and a school’s “NIL collective,” but it is stated that “nothing in this agreement constitutes any form of inducement for [the athlete] to enroll at any school and/or join any athletic team,” which is required under the NCAA’s NIL rules.

It is reportedly laid out in the contract that the athlete must be “enrolled at an NCAA member institution and a member of the football team at such institution.”

The athlete will be paid in exchange for public appearances, social media promotions and other similar responsibilities, and Mandel noted that the deal will see him turn over exclusive NIL rights to the collective.

Collegiate athletes were not permitted to earn money off their names, images and likenesses for many years, but that changed last year with the NCAA’s new NIL rules.

Many high-profile college athletes have landed sizable NIL contracts as a result, including Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Before ever taking a snap as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback, Young landed an NIL deal worth more than $800,000, per ESPN’s Alex Scarborough.

Young went on to win the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player in 2021, which led to more opportunities, including a deal with BMW of Tuscaloosa.

Per SI.com’s Tony Tsoukalas, Young also has NIL contracts with Cash App, Subway and Logan’s Roadhouse.

NIL deals only seem to be getting bigger as the new rules become further established, and there is reportedly a new benchmark for top-flight high school athletes to aim for moving forward.