NIL Developments Continue To Run Rampant
NIL is becoming more open in the past few months. Outlets are beginning to report staggering figures - for example, The Athletic confirmed Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada initially had a $13.85 million agreement with a company when signing with the Florida Gators.
Tennessee defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs also was offered over $600,000 by a booster to choose Utah over the Volunteers, though Utah never actually recruited him. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently passed a bill allowing coaching staffs in the Sunshine State more access to negotiations between players and collectives.
The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is that these things are becoming more open. We got two more recent developments on the NIL front this week, two that could change recruiting even more than it already has been.
2026 quarterback Julian Lewis just wrapped up his freshman season at Carrollton High School in Georgia. Lewis posted 4,118 passing yards and 48 passing touchdowns, leading Carrollton to a 14-1 record and state title appearance.
Lewis may be the next great quarterback prospect and has the social media presence to back it up. He's one of the most identifiable recruits in America, which will lead to big earnings in the future. However, he wouldn't have to wait until college to achieve generational wealth in other states.
Approximately half of the states have legalized NIL at the high school level in some capacity, yet Georgia has held off on legalizing it. ESPN's Pete Thamel released a column about how Lewis will likely be the "face of the case" for Georgia to adopt new NIL laws.
"T.C. Lewis [Julian's father] estimates that, "on the low end," his son could make $500,000 while in high school. He estimates the high end at $1.5 million and pointed out that they recently turned down a $60,000 opportunity." - Pete Thamel
Lewis has been impressing NFL quarterbacks since he was in middle school, had unprecedented success in his first season in high school, and is one of the most marketable self-made high school athletes in recent memory.
His career could alter the trajectory of Georgia's NIL laws. GHSAA executive director Robin Hines confirmed to ESPN that the board is currently investigating making changes and indicated an April timetable for a possible announcement.
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