TAMPA — College football fans looking to understand the evolving impact of ambiguous name, image and likeness (NIL) transactions should keep an eye on this week's NFL Draft.
Drafted players (and importantly, undrafted players) provide the clearest view yet on how indirect payments to college athletes have affected the sport as a whole. will be provided.
Just ask former Florida State defenders Hakeem Dent and Fabian Lovett.
Both players were considering turning pro after the 2022 season. Both had the potential to end up on NFL rosters.
However, both remained with the Seminoles and became starters for the ACC champions.
“If it wasn't for the NIL, and if we didn't have a chance to win this season, I probably wouldn't have come back,” Lovett said.
Dent was even more direct. Without his name, image and likeness, he said during his recent training at Athlete Innovations in Tampa, “I would have gone pro.”
The numbers suggest Dent and Lovett are not alone. Five years ago, 135 underclassmen left school to enter the draft before players started earning NIL money in college. Last year there were 69 people, but this year the number has decreased to 58.
It would be unfair to assume that name, image and likeness trading is the sole reason for this trend, as each player's situation is different. But at least it's a driving factor.
“It gave people an opportunity to make money before they go to the next stage (the NFL) to actually make money,” said former Oregon State running back Deshaun Fenwick, a Bradenton native and NFL prospect. Ta.
The previous amateurism model indirectly pushed players to the next stage. NCAA rules limited athletes to free tuition, room and board, and subsistence, so players who needed money right now (perhaps to help their families back home) had no choice but to turn pro early. There was an incentive to do so. The immediate paycheck was more important to him than the long-term benefit of a year of development.
Name, image, and likeness changed the equation. Established prospects like FSU defensive end Jared Verse and Tampa Bay Tech graduate Michael Penix Jr. didn't have to choose between going to college and making money. They were able to do both last season and are expected to have an early-round pick this week. The name, image and likeness deal would benefit the Gators, not the NFL, if quarterback Graham Mertz stays in Florida for another year instead of pursuing the NFL.
“Everyone plays football to better their lives,” said Dent, a third-day defensive back prospect from Pahokee. “NIL could help with that. It's not a last resort. Professionals are the last straw. But NIL can help reduce stress at home.”
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Stress at home varies from person to person, and it's real. For some players, it's the difference between eating ramen and chicken rice. For others it's family. Mr. Fenwick used the money to support his nieces and nephews. Dent said he makes enough money to care for his two young children.
“People don’t understand,” said Lovett, a defensive lineman who is scheduled to play on Day 3. “It's helpful to be able to accept NIL, be able to pay it back, and not have to worry about money issues at home.'' It will allow me to focus more on soccer. ”
“I get to help people at home, help my mom, take care of things around the house, so I don't get as stressed out about things off the field as I do when I'm on the field. When it’s time to play soccer, I can focus more.”
Lovett's point directly contradicts a common concern about name, image and likeness: that money distracts players from the game.
Dent said the concept comes from people who have never worn his shoes.
“Right now, I'm not feeling stressed. I'm not in any pain,” Dent said. “My family and children are not hungry.
“Those who say NIL is bad are just delusional. They've never had that amount of money before, and whether it's family wealth or not, they're just delusional. You don't really understand the significance it can have, NIL is just a blessing, and anyone who has experienced NIL will tell you the same thing.”
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