My mid kid is committing to Drake University today. It’s a verbal, because he missed the signing day. He should’ve done the verbal earlier, but that would’ve forced him to early sign, which he wasn’t prepared to do with BYU still in the running. Since they’ve fallen back, he’s gotten to the point where he is ready to lock in with the Bulldogs and find his future in Iowa. The business of recruitment and NIL has changed college football in ways I had not seen coming. It has always been a business. In fact, College Football make more money than the NFL. There are more teams and less per capita income, but the fact remains that players at good schools can expect $300,000 a year easy. My kid wasn’t put in that position to be successful. I have one more coming down the line who ought to be able to achieve at that level. If so, I want to make sure I am there to be helpful in a business sense as his agent, because, I don’t trust anyone else to do right by him.
Sports is money and it is starting earlier and earlier. Unfortunately, the hype machine aspect of it is built around things that are not real football. Reading an off the record interview with several recently signed players (posted in the athletic) served to confirm suspicions that they earned their star status playing 7 on 7 for notable teams. That is part of the business. Holding your kid back so he is older and more developed is part of the business. I did the opposite. My senior is only 16. If he had two more years he’d be an All American. Heck, he’s one year removed from being all state, having just missed the cut to a 4-star player who played with him a year ago and, by that players and players family’s own admission got his stars and offers from 7 on 7 play.
The system is broken, but that doesn’t mean we cannot play the system.