BREAKING: Utah football lands massive commitment in OT Kelvin Obot
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Glad to get him. I will overlook that he plays for Fruitland, me being a Homedale fan.
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That is one big kid! Looks like a great get.
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There was also the 5-star OL from Texas who visited, right? I realize he’s a longshot.
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Yeah, he is undecided but a lean elsewhere.
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This was a bidding war and not a recruiting battle for Utah. Kind of wild:
https://x.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1941203585745944886
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Who’s he signing the contract for the $5.1MM? Tech, or some NIL entity, or what? Well, good for him, but damn if college sports aren’t getting irksome.
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It’s a revenue-sharing contract. I guess the kid didn’t even have them listed. I am a big supporter of kids being paid but we’re still operating with no real rules to regulate how to guarantee they get paid this “fully guaranteed” or what happens if they transfer.
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The thing about Texas Tech is they have a Ryan Smith type but richer person who is buying up players. They bought the great Stanford softball pitcher and, boom, they go from mediocre to the championship game.
Look for Texas Tech to start being good in many sports.
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Just read that former Ute Derrick Shelby is the agent for Felix Ojo
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Is that why Utah was a factor in the recruitment? Sounds like he got his client paid. That’s a testament to the power of hiring a Ute!
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Good to see Derrick Shelby being successful after his playing days. It might be that he played a role in getting this kid to visit the U.
It was probably unlikely that we could sign him, but hopefully we learned from having the shot. It’s anyone’s guess if the NCAA gets enforcement power on the plausibility of ROI in NIL deals to start to reign in the insanity… but until that happens, still have to compete.
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The board hates this pay-for-play nonsense. Frankly, I’m starting to join their fold in this current setup. But let’s not act like a loaded collective and a cool city don’t turn heads, especially for those hotshot kids from Texas, California, the Rockies, and the desert. Utah is gonna win some of these battles if they want to. Some of these players still care about books too, believe it or not. That’s where schools like Michigan and Notre Dame are playing chess while others play checkers. Their pitch? We’ll pay you now, sure, but this degree? That’s your lifetime signing bonus.
Having toured schools (my kid is a rising junior) recently, out west, NE, and Big 1G country, I’ve really become baffled. Anyone choosing to go to a mediocre school in the SEC would be insane. I know Vandy, Florida and Texas have great academics. After those SEC schools, I am considering ND, Michigan, Illinois (I said what I said) Northwestern, Duke, and maybe a UVA. Granted my 40 is less than desirable and I more likely to roll my ankle in warmups.
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I don’t know any serious-minded person who thinks an unregulated arms race is good for college sports.
The transfer portal is a different issue, but here’s what seems like some serious progress on NIL:
NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025
An NIL clearinghouse (“NIL Go”) has also been created to assess the validity of all third-party NIL deals exceeding $ 600. The objective is to ensure that compensation is being made for legitimate NIL and not prohibited payments such as pay to play. Deloitte will be managing NIL Go and has reportedly shared data with athletic directors and coaches showing that 70% of past payments from NIL / booster collectives would have been denied, while conversely, over 90% of payments from public companies would have been approved. This is one reason (among several) why the influence of NIL collectives will greatly diminish in the upcoming revenue sharing era.
Here are the expected averages for revenue sharing / salaries per sport, based on polling 20 Power 4 schools:
Does this bring us back from the brink? Do schools focus on some sports and let the others become the “Washington Generals” wearing the school uniform? Or just slim down the number of sports we compete in? Will the NIL enforcement be swept away in court?
Stay tuned, but this looks like a serious attempt at reform.
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I think some schools hyper-focus on where they can be successful. Like Cornell university. They will most likely go all in on Hockey. Even though they and the rest of the IVY are resisting allowing it to take over how they do business.
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I think this will help a lot. And the part about supplemental NIL having to show that it is actually money for something (e.g. endorsements, signatures, appearances, product sales, etc.). That’s where it should be. The stars can still make big money, but that’s because they are on a Dr. Pepper commercial or bringing value to those giving them the money (3rd party, not just a collective).
Still have to clean up the transfer portal.
I think having buyouts would be useful. Break contract? The player has to buy it out (maybe allow the destination school to do so, but from their rev share funds?). Probably would lead to a lawsuit about restricting movement, but there could be some allowances (coach leaves, family medical, etc.).
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I will say it again, given the ruling the University ought to begin the wind-down program to spin these teams to a “University-Affiliated” status and just let them become whatever they become.
When getting a full ride scholarship that includes housing and meals isn’t enough anymore, it’s time to let the intercollegiate athletics program go stand on its own. Making them affiliated allows the separation. As affiliated, the student body would get a tuition reduction with the athletic fees being eliminated from their bill.
These kids are pros now. Let’s just quit pretending there is something else here.
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Yep…something about walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.
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Sounds like Obot is now a 5-star. He’s the 7th-rated recruit in the nation and Utah’s highest-ranked recruit ever.
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