“If it’s not illegal, it’s not cheating.”

Had this little observation about Corch yesterday:

If he ever comes back to the college coaching ranks, I have a feeling he's in for a shock. Between NIL compensation and the transfer portal, it's not as easy to intimidate college athletes as it was before.

— Senator Blutarsky (@MummePoll) March 21, 2022

So, now I can’t help but wonder after reading this piece on “inducement concerns” —

It has been less than two weeks since The Athletic reported that a five-star high school football player has signed a name, image and likeness contract with a collective that could pay him $8 million by the end of his junior year. That’s a clear indication the limits for NIL deals — $8 million for a high school athlete! — are still tough to define…

The contract states that, in exchange for a payment of almost $350,000, the Class of 2023 athlete will sign over his NIL rights to the collective. What follows is escalating monthly payments worth almost $2 million per year. The money would be earned for the usual in the NIL sphere — public appearances and social media.

Could the collective withhold money if the athlete decides to transfer?

(Well, I’d say if the kid manages to bank, say, the better part of $4 million over a couple of years, I doubt he’s gonna be overly concerned about the collective’s threat if he wants to transfer, should he perceive a better opportunity elsewhere.  Not to mention the second a collective announces that tactic, it’s publicly acknowledged that there’s no longer the mere appearance of an inducement in play.  Even the chickenshit NCAA would have enough to react at that point.  But I digress.)

— how long, exactly, would Urban Meyer keep his shit together with a star player making more than any of his assistant coaches, a player who also could walk away if he didn’t feel like putting up with Meyer’s act?  Yeah, that’s what I think, too.

Now, for “Urban Meyer”, substitute the name of any insecure control freak who is the head coach at a college football program.

Recruiting experts contacted by CBS Sports agreed on that the identity of the five-star prospect who signed the contract could be narrowed down.

Given the amount of money, it is almost certainly a skill player. CBS Sports was told it is not quarterback Arch Manning, the New Orleans-based grandson of Archie Manning and No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2023.

The player’s identity is less relevant than the fact that a high school junior has signed what’s believed to be the largest NIL deal to date. It certainly is the largest known NIL compensation ever given to a high school player.

Coaches continue to freak.

The biggest question now: How high is up when it comes to the next NIL blockbuster?

Kirby isn’t insecure, but if he does in fact wind up signing Arch Manning, it’s bound to be a wild ride in Athens.

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