Blake Corum Is Crushing NIL

In a recent article by Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg about NIL, Blake Corum is highlighted as one of the most successful players in college football. Obviously on the field Corum has been killing it, but off of it he's been doing a phenomenal job as well.

A school that was reluctant to dive into the NIL world has thrived in it—thanks in part to a star who recognizes who benefits from the system and who doesn’t.

Blake Corum was a rising sophomore when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in NCAA v. Alston in June 2021. He did the math quickly. “The way I look at NIL—for our team, and just in general—is: Usually the most marketable guys are the guys that are scoring the touchdowns, right?” the running back says. “When NIL kicked off, I’m like, ‘All right, I’m gonna have a great chance because I’m the one scoring.’ "

Corum has struck at least a dozen NIL deals, including partnerships with Bose, Subway, the National Guard and Wolverine boots. He blends the pragmatism of a smart businessperson with the idealism of a college student. He declines to share his exact income but says he is in “the 1 percent”—a nod to the Occupy Wall Street movement and an indication that he has income inequality on his mind. (A Michigan resident would need to earn roughly $480,000 to be in the top 1% of state earners.) He raises money for various charities and donated 300 turkeys to local families last Thanksgiving.

Corum’s reaction to the NIL revolution two years ago was correct. And yet, what really separates him is his second thought: A system that rewards the guys who score touchdowns could neglect the guys who don’t. “I understood it right away,” Corum says. “You watch the commercials with NFL players; it’s always quarterbacks. You might get Marshawn Lynch here and there. You never see the offensive line. You really hardly ever see defensive players, unless you’re a Jalen Ramsey or something.”

That is the kind of conflict some coaches feared. But Michigan guard Trevor Keegan says, “Blake is probably the most down-to-earth, least selfish human being I’ve ever met.” Sometimes Corum uses his stature to redirect business: “If a deal comes to me and I say, ‘I don’t want that deal,’ I might ask [for] someone else: ‘Hey, would it be possible if I asked him? Can he have the deal?’ I try my best to help some other guys put some cheese in their pocket.”

Last December, Corum and fellow running back Donovan Edwards (who has had deals with NASCAR and his own NFT) each left cash gifts for the offensive linemen in their lockers. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (Bose, Dunkin’ and Topps, among others) gave them AirPods Max headphones, which retail for $500. But Corum says he generally does not hand money to teammates: “I don’t say, ‘Here’s $1,000.’ ” As Keegan says, “I don’t think many guys on the team would be comfortable with that.”

Corum prefers a more polished form of largesse: “If we’re out, I’ll put my card out: Y’all care if I pay?” Yes, picking up the tab is a new form of leadership in college sports. With one tap of his credit card, Corum eases the financial burden on his teammates, shows them he is a team player and provides an example of what they can become, with a caveat.

The rest of the article is filled with very specific examples of Corum's earnings and how all of it is meshing with his on-field success and relationships with his teammates. Overall, Corum is thriving, and others can too if they follow his lead.