Does NIL trump perfect recruiting pitch? Coaches across country weigh in

Penn State coach James Franklin recently suggested college coaches can’t compete against a lucrative NIL deal on the recruiting trail.

“It’s such a factor now you could do everything right and do everything perfect and out-recruit everybody, but you can lose a guy because of the NIL opportunities,” Franklin said.

These Name, Image and Likeness opportunities are largely coming from collectives. Collectives, which are independent of a university, pool funds from boosters and businesses to help facilitate NIL deals for athletes. Collectives and NIL have become lightning rods in college athletics over the past few weeks. Coaches say NIL disguises “pay-for-play” deals choreographed by collectives. Coaches say the groups are using money to persuade recruits and target players on other college teams.

But is Franklin right? Have NIL deals become the ultimate recruiting tool?

On3 queried coaches from all over the country and asked them simply: Can the perfect recruiting pitch be beaten by NIL deals? We gave the coaches anonymity so they could speak freely on the subject, and we received feedback from recruiters in each of the Power 5 conferences.

Pac-12 defensive coordinator

“It’s no longer about culture. We have kids come to our school on a visit and say, ‘We love you. Love you, coach. Love your scheme. It’s a great fit. But what can you offer?’ And then you still have to recruit kids in your program. Shoot, we have a kid in our program that an SEC school’s boosters came after. If it wasn’t his last year and we didn’t have a good quarterback coming back, he’d be gone because of the offer he got from them. It was a big offer that most kids wouldn’t turn down.

“You know what we call NIL around our office? We call it ‘Now It’s Legal’ because it’s legalized everything that used to get people in trouble for.”

SEC assistant

“The perfect recruiting pitch, the perfect academics and the opportunity to play right away are without question being beaten by the NIL. It all depends on the family and the kid and what they’re looking for in the process. But guys you used to think were layups that were in your backyard or they grew up a fan of your school aren’t anymore. Guys that have aunts and uncles, brothers and cousins right up the street are going elsewhere. Now someone can come in and offer a NIL deal and it’s out the window.

“There’s now a financial piece to it. I don’t want to villainize these young men, either. Everybody in the country can talk about it however they want to talk about it. And that’s fine. Everybody has different views, just like everything else. But if someone walks up to you and says, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you $250,000 to do XYZ while doing what you love,’ we’re all going to take it. We’re all taking that. Plus, when we’re 16 or 17? Come on. If somebody would have offered me $25, I would have done whatever.”

Big 12 assistant

“I was at a school today with a coach I’ve known for years and trust. He said he sat in on a meeting with a recruit and a high school coach. He said the kid was offered $100K and a car. And an apartment for his parents to stay at when they visit. There is so much misinformation out there it’s hard to know what is real and what isn’t. If all the crazy stories I hear out true, there is no way college football can sustain this.”

ACC recruiting coordinator

“I 100% agree with James Franklin. It all depends on a case-by-case basis. You don’t know the financial backgrounds of some of these families. So, if a family is suffering, they will definitely succumb to that money bag always. At some point, it needs to be regulated because the market is scattered and not defined at this point. The perfect pitch can be beat when it comes to a family living below or around that poverty threshold.”

Pac-12 recruiting coordinator

“You can be a great recruiter and not have a chance with NIL. Some schools are being very aggressive with it, and others have taken a wait-and-see approach. I do believe the legislation needs to be introduced as soon as possible to level the playing field. It’s out of hand right now. College football can’t sustain this model unless all the Power 5’s are going to do it. Then college football just becomes another version of professional football.”

Big Ten recruiting coordinator

“Money is trumping just about everything right now. Pretty incredible that schools are now buying teams. But, unfortunately, it is the world we are living in. The craziest part of all of this is what some schools are paying or guaranteeing certain kids. It’s mind-blowing! I am just waiting for current players on teams to find out what incoming freshmen are making and see how coaches handle that. It is coming at some point.”