Texas Tech football: On3 provides clarity on Felix Ojo's reported $5 million NIL deal
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When five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo committed to Texas Tech earlier this month, it made waves on a national level. Rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Texas, it was believed that the Longhorns and Buckeyes were the top contenders for Ojo. But as he neared his commitment date, rumors began to swirl that a new top contender had emerged — Texas Tech. And when commitment day finally arrived for Ojo on July 4, he provided his own fireworks by committing to the Red Raiders.
Although the college football world was stunned at the seemingly strange turn of events, reports of a $5 million NIL deal from Texas Tech helped it make a little more sense. But those reports received some pushback from the folks in Lubbock, who suggested the deal was much closer to 2.5 million.
2026 recruits in line for monster NIL pay days💰
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) July 23, 2025
(via @PeteNakos_)
List: https://t.co/I8PuBdbAZa pic.twitter.com/oX07fRGNHd
According to a recent report from On3's Pete Nakos, the deal is expected to pay an average of $775,000 annually, with potential for a significant increase depending on what happens with NIL moving forward.
"Ojo’s agent, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management, publicized that the offensive tackle inked a fully guaranteed three-year, $5.1 million revenue-sharing deal. Sources around Texas Tech pushed back on the number, telling On3 that Ojo’s three-year deal is expected to pay an average of $775,000 annually. Shelby declined to share Ojo’s contract but backed his publicized financial figure. Texas Tech and Ojo have a verbal agreement that if the college football market shifts back to an NIL-driven format, the parties could renegotiate the contract up to the $5 million mark."
Despite discrepancies in reporting, Ojo remains one of the top-earning prospects in the 2026 class. This underscores Texas Tech's emergence as a major force in recruiting, leveraging NIL resources that few programs can rival. If head coach Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders can translate that momentum into wins on Saturdays, their influence on the recruiting trail will only continue to rise.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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