Kids get robust NIL deals once they're on campus and prove themselves. They do as well as kids anywhere in the country -- but it's contingent on the kid showing the value of their name/image/likeness. TV commercials, ads, stuff like that.
We don't pay kids up front the way that SEC schools (and increasingly many others) are doing. And we've lost some serious studs with whom we were believed to be strong leaders. Seems like OSU, ND, Michigan, PSU, and other northern schools aren't paying up front -- we will definitely slip behind in recruiting as a result, but the wait-and-see approach is probably the right one. There's enormous risk for locker room issues by making HS kids millionaires right away without even proving anything. I'm glad we're not paying $2 million for a defensive end.
Day just flipped a stud QB committed to Washington, who had an offer of $750k up front to be a Husky. He said publicly that OSU couldn't match that, but picked OSU regardless because he wanted to be developed by Day. I wish more kids had that attitude, but hard to blame a kid for taking the money up front. Especially if they come from a poor family.
