Flying T Club signs NIL deals with four TCU transfers

The Flying T Club made sure not to wait too long.

The TCU-focused NIL collective has agreed to terms on deals with four incoming transfers, announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday afternoon. Alabama transfers JoJo Earle and Trey Sanders inked partnerships, along with former Oklahoma State receiver John Paul Richardson and Florida cornerback Avery Helm.

Making sure incoming transfers sign NIL agreements soon after arriving on campus has become a priority for NIL collectives across the country, especially in college football. While roster retention has become a driving theme, signing transfer sets a tone for the athlete’s career at the school.

The Horned Frogs lost seven players to the portal, but they also added seven. Earle and Sanders were two of the biggest wins for Sonny Dykes, along with their former teammate Tommy Brockermeyer. A five-star offensive lineman coming out of All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Brockermeyer saw minimal playing time in his two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Earle never broke into the wide receiver rotation this past season in Tuscaloosa, while Sanders rushed for 528 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons.

The Flying T Club was established back in August 2021 as a non-profit for TCU athlete. Founded by Ches Williams, Jeff Patman and Bryan Harlan, the collective named longtime Horned Frogs football and basketball color analyst John Denton as executive director in November. He also served in a multitude of development and fundraising roles for TCU in the past 15 years.

With a 501(c)(3) status secured, donations to The Flying T Club can be written off. According to a report from the Fort Worth Magazine in September, the collective has raised more than $3 million from over 200 members.

TCU’s shrinking NIL collective market

Winning the Fiesta Bowl and making the national title game has brought TCU into the spotlight. It also did not double the institution’s alumni base.

With roughly roughly 75,000 living alumni, that does not leave the largest group to tap into. For comparison, the Ohio State alumni association estimates 600,000 living alumni.

TCU-focused Think NIL announced this week it would put a pause button on its operations.

“Think NIL announces (an) indefinite pause of operations following a memorable year of NIL activations for TCU student-athletes,” Think NIL announced on social media. “Over the past year, Think NIL has sought out and created numerous NIL opportunities for TCU student-athletes. It has been our honor to have had a direct impact on the overall student-athlete experience at TCU.

“During this pause, Think NIL will be evaluating and navigating the next steps of the organization. We look forward to watching the continued success of all our incredible student-athletes at TCU.”

That leaves The Flying T Club as the prominent collective in Fort Worth. Many NIL experts believe more collective consolidation is on the way in many markets. That’s especially true as athletic departments officially tap their preferred collectives and boosters grow tiresome of donating to multiple groups.