WOW! No. 1 TE Reportedly Set to Earn Around $10 Million After Committing to USC?

[NJDuck]

 

USC is putting out the big bucks for recruits 

 

The USC Trojans have pulled off a massive recruiting win, landing five-star tight end Mark Bowman, the No. 1 TE in the 2026 class. On Friday, the Mater Dei standout committed to the Trojans, choosing USC over powerhouse programs like Georgia, Texas, and Oregon. His decision not only strengthened USC’s top-ranked recruiting class but also brought a major financial boost. Bowman is reportedly set to earn around $10 million in NIL deals.

 

No. 1 TE Reportedly Set to Earn Around $10 Million After Committing to Historic College Football Program

SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

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The number one tight end recruit is set to earn around $10 million after committing to a historic program.

 

[Charles Fischer]

Absolutely crazy and unsustainable.

 

This is one way to get legislation figured out!

 

 

[The Kamikaze Kid]

Beyond ridiculous. SUC will soon bloat themselves up with a $100,000,000 plus roster of prima donnas that will just demand being handed the bag without feeling the need to put in the work. How soon does the era of load management hit college football? They aren't under any contract to actually play in the games.

 

Do these multi millionaire college kids start skipping the less viewer rated games like Rutgers or Northwestern and just play in the highly viewed match ups? There are so many ways this mega bucks era can blow up on itself and I'm glad that SUC is so willing to be the guinea pig that finds out first!

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

I agree with Charles, IF this report is accurate, this is INSANE! Will this young man be better next season than OBD's TE Jamari Johnson, who transferred in from Louisville at less than 10 MILL?

 

For benchmark purposes and FWIW, Sark has vehemently denied that Texas has a $40 million NIL payroll. 

 

House Settlement - $20.5 million 1st year direct payment cap. 75% is estimated to go to football, $15.375 million. 65% to one untested player? 

 

If the House settlement is approved, every NIL deal over $600 () will be disclosed. What team bid this guy up to $10 million? Bama? Georgia? I don't see it. Why go gaga for the 2026 class when the floor and ceiling for a position will most likely soon be set? 

 

Is this a 'Recruiting Win' or an 'Auction Win?' At least at an auction, you have a good idea of what the item is worth. Frankly, I don't see this as any kind of win unless the young man single-handedly leads SC to a Natty, which under the current payout would be a $16 million return.

 

Paying a recruit close to what you are paying the head coach? 

 

Maybe, maybe, $10 million if the guy plays ball for four seasons in South Central, but $10 million a year? 14 NFL TEs are being paid over $10 million a season. TEs under a 'rookie pay-scale contract' are earning @ $2.75 million a year.

 

If this is true, please $C, do not $top paying absurd amounts of dinero! 

[Jon Joseph]

 

I wonder if a top 5 O-line is making $10 million in NIL dough?

 

 

PFF says Oregon has one of the top offensive lines in the country

DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM

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Oregon football has one of the most talented offensive lines in college football according to the analytical site PFF.

 

 

[Duxster]

And people accuse OBD of buying our roster.

[Jon Joseph]

 

On the Other Hand -

 

 

Cooper Flagg reportedly earned staggering amount of NIL money at Duke

WWW.YARDBARKER.COM

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Cooper Flagg was a can’t-miss prospect during his time at Duke, and he was apparently compensated more than accordingly.

 

$28 Mill in NIL deals. This may exceed the total salaries paid to folks in Maine, at least, Newport, Maine.

[Tandaian]

If I don't see a contract, I take all this with heaping grains of salt.  The 10 million also could be over all 4 years, still staggering, but less eye popping than 10 million for 1 year.

[JabbaNoBargain]

So many conundrums.
 

Clearly needs to be a cap, yet no one is authorized to create, let alone enforce one. And yet no matter the rule set, it’s the same teams always on top. I mean, when has USC not had 4 and 5 star talent the last 25 years?

[Charles Fischer]

On 6/2/2025 at 10:12 AM, Tandaian said:

If I don't see a contract, I take all this with heaping grains of salt.  The 10 million also could be over all 4 years, still staggering, but less eye popping than 10 million for 1 year.

The linked article refers to a 50 million package, so I believe it very well might be 10 million a year...

 

[NJDuck]

On 6/2/2025 at 1:47 PM, Charles Fischer said:

The linked article refers to a 50 million package, so I believe it very well might be 10 million a year...

Yes, that is why it shocked me about the amount!  Instead of a signed Letter of Intent, should be changed to a binding contract.

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

Good Luck, Yuck, Yuck. The cap on direct payments likely stands. But a cap on NIL?

 

 

Dabo Swinney on transfer portal guidelines: ‘We just want some rules’ - On3

WWW.ON3.COM

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[30Duck]

On 6/2/2025 at 10:36 AM, JabbaNoBargain said:

Clearly needs to be a cap, yet no one is authorized to create, let alone enforce one. And yet no matter the rule set, it’s the same teams always on top. I mean, when has USC not had 4 and 5 star talent the last 25 years?

This is too good to be true. Since PC, USC is all about noise, as noted college football fan, William Shakespeare put it, all this recruiting hoopla is "sound and fury signifying nothing"

 

On 6/2/2025 at 9:48 AM, Duxster said:

And people accuse OBD of buying our roster.

If you can't beat 'em...

[Mudslide]

A cap on NIL payments to individual players does not make legal sense.  Like the pros, only salary caps can be mandated by the league, in agreement with the Players Union, but not player salaries.  Even the feds cannot legislate a player's worth.  The NCAA can require "salary caps" on teams, I suppose.  But not NIL.

 

Jon Joseph, being the legal mind here, what say you?

[Jon Joseph]

On 6/2/2025 at 4:15 PM, Mudslide said:

A cap on NIL payments to individual players does not make legal sense.  Like the pros, only salary caps can be mandated by the league, in agreement with the Players Union, but not player salaries.  Even the feds cannot legislate a player's worth.  The NCAA can require "salary caps" on teams, I suppose.  But not NIL.

 

Jon Joseph, being the legal mind here, what say you?

 

Counselor Mudslide, your pleading is affirmed. 

[Washington Waddler]

     Not sure which is crazier, the Troylets paying Bowman 10 mil to play in the top revenue generating sport, or Texas Tech’s 1 year deal for 1 mil+ (her senior year has yet to be negotiated) to NiJaree Canady to play in a non-revenue generating sport.

Edited Monday at 08:56 PM by Washington Waddler
content

[kirklandduck]

Didn't Texas A&M just go through this a few years ago? Didn't turn out well from my recollection. 

[Mike West]

On 6/2/2025 at 1:15 PM, Mudslide said:

A cap on NIL payments to individual players does not make legal sense.  Like the pros, only salary caps can be mandated by the league, in agreement with the Players Union, but not player salaries.  Even the feds cannot legislate a player's worth.  The NCAA can require "salary caps" on teams, I suppose.  But not NIL.

 

Jon Joseph, being the legal mind here, what say you?

Mudslide,

 

Did you even know who this kid was before this year?  Again, pointing to our "Legal Analyst"-Mr. Jon Joseph: under the House Settlement, does the contract specify justification for an NIL deal?  Could Mark Bowman secure a Caitlin Clark type Nike Deal for $28M?  

 

In other words, can a high school phenom actually draw a fan following to the degree fans wait hours to get his autograph, want to buy his jersey, want some other collection item like a signed sock?  If so, then $10M a year makes sense.  If not, how does any high school prospect justify anything close to $1M because he somehow has a brand?

 

I surely would like to know if the commission that is supposed to regulate these contracts is salivating at the thought of getting sued.  For I do not see a single high school player that has anywhere near the draw of Caitlin Clark, much less the demand from the marketplace that would start marketing a kid at that financial level.  I don't believe the conferences need to cap the NIL Market, they just need to force the kids to prove their Name, Likeness, and Image would justify multi million dollar marketing contracts.

 

It sure would be nice if Congress actually earned their money and legislated laws that actually do something for this country(instead of pocketing tons of money for legislation earmarked for benefitting the highest bidders).  If there ever was a time to put some common sense to college sports and the interests of the players (instead of allowing these snakes to claim high school kids are worth millions of dollars-what a joke), now would be the time.

[2002duck]

On 6/2/2025 at 9:29 AM, Jon Joseph said:

 

I wonder if a top 5 O-line is making $10 million in NIL dough?

I just went on a trip to Europe with my fellow Gen-X friends. We played the board game Risk, and I cleaned up just like old times. Take care of the trenches- the lines. Invest there.

[1Funduck]

I can't believe I'm saying this.

1) continue recruiting kids that WANT to come to Oregon

2) when these 4/5* kids are 2/3rd string somewhere else and aren't playing yet, portal them to Oregon

3) I think you would clean up the stratospheric cost for the unproven High schooler for the hungry Red Shirt Freshman

 

Portal is a reality, and this is the new CFB. NFL only gets ~$1 million per year guaranteed. This is insane!!!

 

[Mudslide]

On 6/2/2025 at 4:00 PM, Mike West said:

Mudslide,

 

Did you even know who this kid was before this year?  Again, pointing to our "Legal Analyst"-Mr. Jon Joseph: under the House Settlement, does the contract specify justification for an NIL deal?  Could Mark Bowman secure a Caitlin Clark type Nike Deal for $28M?  

 

In other words, can a high school phenom actually draw a fan following to the degree fans wait hours to get his autograph, want to buy his jersey, want some other collection item like a signed sock?  If so, then $10M a year makes sense.  If not, how does any high school prospect justify anything close to $1M because he somehow has a brand?

 

I surely would like to know if the commission that is supposed to regulate these contracts is salivating at the thought of getting sued.  For I do not see a single high school player that has anywhere near the draw of Caitlin Clark, much less the demand from the marketplace that would start marketing a kid at that financial level.  I don't believe the conferences need to cap the NIL Market, they just need to force the kids to prove their Name, Likeness, and Image would justify multi million dollar marketing contracts.

 

It sure would be nice if Congress actually earned their money and legislated laws that actually do something for this country(instead of pocketing tons of money for legislation earmarked for benefitting the highest bidders).  If there ever was a time to put some common sense to college sports and the interests of the players (instead of allowing these snakes to claim high school kids are worth millions of dollars-what a joke), now would be the time.

Unfortunately, Mike, NIL doesn't require proof of value or worth.  NIL is set by whatever college supporters are willing to pay for player commitments.  What we are witnessing, as I averred two years ago, is the end of college sports as we know it.  The strong will get stronger, and the little guys, those in low wealth communities, will be eating mud pies.  I agree with you regarding the aggrandizement of legislators, but I fear that there is nothing they can do to limit college NIL payments (essentially salaries).  If they were state of federal employees, or deemed essential for the safety of the union, then there could be congressional action to restrict these insane payments.

 

Fortunately, I believe that university club teams will eventually carry the college spirit flag of the soon-to-be past.

[Mike West]

Mudslide,

 

Great point on market value.  But is that really NIL?  To me, that's more a signing bonus for joining the team.  

 

Of course, we don't know what the language is in the House Settlement, so what exactly are we paying for when we shell out $10M a year to a serious unknown entity?

 

I'm quite sure all those attorneys feeding off the system are salivating at their chance to slop off the gravy train.  

 

It really is a matter of the schools being wise.  The NFL is already stupid.  But they're all pulling in $500M a year in revenue.  That is not going to happen in college football.  Ever.  

 

So if it's an arms race (including the portal), this year is more important than last year.  Draft picks and a Natty appearance are a must for OBD.  We need 10 kids plus drafted in the NFL this year.  And that Natty appearance depends on a hell of a performance from kids we most haven't seen.

 

If we're going to keep up, we're going to have to stomp on at least one Blue blood, if not two.  Nothing says more than laying the wood on a blue blood.  If course, I'm hoping one of them is The Ohio State.