Texas NIL statute could result in unexpected QB addition

College athletes’ profiting off their name, image and likeness was a hot topic during Big Ten Media Days.

Less than a week later, a still-evolving issue took on an even different look with the news Ohio State’s top recruit for 2022 might skip his senior season in order to cash in.

“I’m leaning toward leav- ing going up to Ohio just so I don’t have to deal with (University Interscholastic League) stuff and can get com- fortable with Ohio and Colum- bus and start to learn,” Quinn Ewers told Yahoo!Sports.

The UIL is Texas’ version of the OHSAA, and its dep- uty director Jamey Harrison told Yahoo a recent change in state law prohibits allowing Ewers from accepting NIL offers while he is still a

school student.

As the quarterback of Southlake Caroll High School — one of the more storied programs in the Longhorn State — Ewers not surpris- ingly is a hot commodity on the endorsement market.

His offers include a local tea company offering cash and equity as well as national brands, per the report, but are those more valuable than the once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a state championship at a big-time program in a football-mad state?

That is the dilemma Ewers faces.

“If I enroll at Ohio State, obviously I’d be able to make money off the deals, and I feel it’d be a big advantage of learning playbook and getting comfortable with the campus and all my team- mates,” Ewers said. “But if I stay and don’t get paid, I may be able to win a state title.”

Only one credit, which could be obtained via an online course, stands between Ewers and being able to join Ohio State in time for the start of preseason camp Tuesday.

Were that to happen, he would likely be a long shot to win the vacant starting job.

He would be more than a year behind redshirt freshmen C.J. Stroud and Jack Mi ler III nd about six months behind true freshman Kyle McCord in terms of learning offense, but the experience gap is much smaller. Stroud and Miller only saw a handful of snaps last season, and neither has thrown a pass in a college game. Because of the COVID19 pandemic, they also saw far fewer practice reps than a normal season.

As far as NIL at Ohio State, the three Buckeyes who were in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days all expressed thankfulness for the oppor- tunity to make money and a desire to take it slow as far as cashing in.

“I am excited about it, but

something that you don’t just want to jump into without having all your things aligned,” said junior defensive

Zach Harrison, who like Ewers was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. “You don’t just want to run into things because that’s how you get in trouble. That’s how you get caught up.”

Fifth-year senior left tackle Thayer Munford said players were getting used to the new opportunities, “but it also depends on the leaders as well. Like all right, focus on the team now.

“For people myself or people that came from nothing, it’s a great oppor- tunity to have some money

actually give back to our families.”