NIL & VOID
Many big names who signed big contracts have struggled so far
SPENCER Rattler and DJ Uiagalelei, D’Eriq King and Sam Howell.
They have more in common than just being quarterbacks. They were among the poster boys entering the season for name, image and likeness (NIL), Heisman Trophy candidates who have so far flopped.
On Saturday night, Oklahoma’s Rattler was booed by his own fans, who were chanting for him to be replaced by his backup, Caleb Williams, in a narrow win over West Virginia that continued his underwhelming start to the season. Uiagalelei has massively struggled, failing to show anywhere close to the potential he flashed in two starts last year, and Clemson has now lost two regularseason games for the first time since 2014.
Howell threw three interceptions in a season-opening loss to Virginia Tech, and North Carolina already has two defeats in the woeful ACC. Then there is King, who is expected to make seven figures on NIL deals this year. He’s thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (three), and is now dealing with a shoulder injury for 2-2 Miami.
So, what does all this tell us? Is the money and the extra time needed to satisfy these companies impacting these players? Is it merely a coincidence they have underperformed? Is the pressure getting to them?
It’s obviously so early in the NIL era that it’s impossible to know the exact reasons. Every player is almost certainly experiencing something different. The money hasn’t hurt Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who is the early Heisman leader for the undefeated Crimson Tide.
In the preseason, when I wrote a piece about NIL, former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy raised a very good point. These players would no longer be viewed as amateurs. While they aren’t getting paid directly for performance technically, these quarterbacks wouldn’t be lining their pockets if they were ordinary students. At least part of the vitriol directed at Rattler had to be the result of that. But he has insisted it hasn’t impacted him.
“Yeah, no, there isn’t any distractions,” Rattler told reporters recently. “Just straight football. That’s my focus.”
Moving forward, I believe you can expect companies to be more careful with whom they invest in. There is no doubt some are second-guessing themselves for some of the partnerships that were established before the season. Struggling stars don’t sell.
This, of course, can change. Rattler and Oklahoma are still undefeated, despite three very close home games against mediocre competition. Uiagalelei is only a sophomore and remains a very strong NFL prospect, provided he can rediscover his form from last year. In the wide-open ACC, King and Howell could lead Miami and North Carolina to strong finishes.
Early on, though, the big NIL names aside from Young haven’t lived up to the hype. How they respond may determine how future stars are handled in this new marketplace.
That was quick
Clemson was all but eliminated from the College Football Playoff on Saturday when it was knocked off by N.C. State in double overtime. It now has two losses — more than it had in any single regular season since 2014. The Tigers are battling injuries, underperformance and an unproductive offense.
This will be the first time since the inaugural year of the playoffs that Clemson won’t be in it. It’s been quite a run for Dabo Swinney and Co., featuring two national championships and two superstar quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence.
As the Tigers fade, at least this year, it is a reminder of how impressive the neverending dynasty at Alabama is. The Crimson Tide lose players and assistant coaches every year. They will have a down season every now and then — Alabama did fail to reach the playoff in 2020 — but since 2008, the lowest it has finished in the Associated Press poll is No. 10. As we’re seeing with Clemson, it’s incredibly difficult to remain at the top.
And now for something different ...
Parity can be a good thing. It provides opportunities for new programs and draws in new audiences. This weekend, for instance, the three best games include Cincinnati, Ole Miss and Arkansas, three programs that have never reached the playoff. Cincinnati visits No. 9 Notre Dame, Ole Miss takes on No. 1 Alabama and Arkansas has No. 2 Georgia. Another intriguing contest includes undefeated Maryland, which will meet fifthranked Iowa in a Big Ten showdown. This is something the sport has needed.