Daevin Hobbs Was Offered Massive NIL Amounts; How Does He View It?
NIL has done a lot of good for recruits. It allows them financial flexibility during one of their life's busiest times and creates new avenues for some who come from poor financial situations.
However, it also creates unwanted attention and confusion. The NCAA hasn't issued clear rules on what NIL is or how they plan to regulate it, making college athletics like a Wild West movie.
Tennessee defensive end Daevin Hobbs found this out firsthand. 247Sports' Chris Hummer recently released an article detailing the world of NIL and led his story with the following quote.
"Daevin Hobbs couldn’t believe the direct message on Instagram. He gets random ones from time to time. This is expected. The Tennessee commit is the No. 36 overall player in the 2023 Top247. He’s in demand. On more than one occasion, a third party reached out about a potential name, image and likeness opportunity. However, this one stuck out. The message came from a verified account with millions of followers offering $600,000 for him to go to Utah. Hobbs couldn’t believe it. That’s a ton of money. He showed his mom. Hobbs had one tiny issue with the account reaching out — Utah wasn’t recruiting him."
NIL has completely changed how players get recruited. Hummer went on to explain that when Alabama offensive tackle signee Kadyn Proctor flipped from Iowa, a NIL company made Proctor return the truck they gave him in return for committing to the Hawkeyes.
The recruits Hummer interviewed made NIL seem like an added bonus, not an essential part of the equation. Hobbs explained that he loves Tennessee and likely would have signed without compensation, but the money made things easier.
This column comes days after quarterback Jaden Rashada ended a weeks-long saga by committing to Arizona State. Rashada was initially a Florida signee who planned to enroll early, but a NIL deal fell through at the eleventh hour.
There has been a lot of speculation about the deal's valuation. Some reports indicate it could have been $13.5 million; multiple sources indicate that would be an unprecedented number in the NIL space and question the report's validity.
Nonetheless, money was supposed to be exchanged and wasn't. While athletes should be compensated for their performance, this story makes it clear that the NCAA must define this new legislation before things spiral.
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