Seriously how does “direct pay” stop these NIL offers like this? Always an outside source willing to pay more ESPECIALLY to hurt a rival at a key position. Only way is really a 2 year contract to start but then you will just have a free agent free for all at that point and probably 1 year contracts for Juniors and beyond since they may go to the league. Even on an initial 2 year guys will probably want to redshirt to open up a “contract year” as a sophomore. Salary cap also irrelevant with NIL around to “supplement” earnings.
Side pay is fine. Real pros get endorsement deals all the time, but they are locked into contracts to play for X team for Y years. They can't just leave on a whim if they are under contract. It just doesn't work that way. They can try to force trades, but if they do that, then then X team is going to get something in return. You don't have this chaos with tons of players leaving willy nilly. Contracts with schools would prevent what is happening now.
Just make it like every other pro sport.
Sucks for us, but I can't ever get mad at a kid getting a bag and making decisions that are the best for him.
OTOH, I think he would have gotten a heck of a lot of playing time this year.
Imagine having a job at one of the best companies to move up the ladder in your profession, then taking a slight pay raise at a lesser company that drastically lowers your odds of advancing your career.
This is the new normal of CFB. “Good for him looking out for him” everyone says. Really? Is this really what is best for most guys. I’m not talking the .1% folks like Joe Burrow or Jayden Daniels. How many more guys have effectively ruined their careers lately by playing these type of bidding war games.
The reigning National Champs are about to get upwards of 15 guys drafted and still cannot retain fringe starters as underclassmen. If it’s happening here it’s happening everywhere. Nobody has depth anymore.
Thankful that Michigan won it all when they did. This sport continues to become unrecognizable by the day.
around 40%. Between not finding a new team and going from scholarship to walk ons, that's roughly the % of players that enter the portal and wish they never did
Then do the guys that are still on scholarship that hinder their development or find out the grass isn’t always greener. I would assume it’s significant.
April 24th, 2024 at 11:40 PM ^
How do you what he was getting via NIL at UM and at his new school?
I'm sure this sucks but it's just become the standard now. Just expect 10-20 players to leave a year. Sucks for the continuance of the product and seeing players develop in your program, but it's where we are.
You didn't want to not lose players. You just want to lose fewer good ones and find better ones out there.
Speculation is useless but I seriously doubt it's a $$$ thing. Michigan just got a lot more money in their NIL fund and they prioritize current contributors. Not ruling out some wild promise, but just think it's unlikely.
Doubtful it's the main thing but one thing that's probably part of it is Waller was closely connected to Clink. Clink went to his high school. Clink prioritized Ohio. Clink was his primary. Clink develops tall CBs. Losing your #1 advocate makes everything else suck more.
As for timing, the Winter semester ended yesterday (Finals are this week).
Do you think they go after a CB in the portal? They really need some depth
Portal is open for another week….maybe he is just seeing what is out there?
No, before he was in the portal UK sites seemed to know they were making a run at him. Whatever this was, it was pretty clearly Kentucky tampering, not that anybody gets in trouble for that.
April 24th, 2024 at 11:03 PM ^
Michigan should get the banhammer for this! Clearly there is something amok with cheeseburgers or grainy iPhone footage that baited poor Kentucky and the ESS EEE SEE into "tampering."
Michigan should offer him (or some other high profile kid being courted by everyone) a $2M book deal to write about his experiences being tampered with as an athlete. Keep the receipts of those offering money to kids that are not in the portal, and then publish them and dare the NCAA to ignore it. Probably would get him blackballed by the league, so it won't happen, but it would be fun to see.
This makes sense but plenty of Mgoboard members assured me that M has no money and is offering players twinkies and skittles.
He was also probably sad that he had to walk around the Diag.
April 24th, 2024 at 10:32 PM ^
Ha! This is brilliant. Next level.
April 24th, 2024 at 11:21 PM ^
Can we use some of that NIL money for Laila Phelia ? 😭 (I know why it wasn't but I'm still sad for KBA)
McBurrows played well in the Spring game I thought. Not sure if he's playing CB, thought it was Nickel. But I can see how impressive last season was keeping all the 1st & 2nd team guys on the team with NIL floating around. Best of luck to DJ wherever he lands in Kentucky.
April 25th, 2024 at 10:28 AM ^
The way Berry is playing at Nickel maybe we slide McBurrows outside with Hill, this transfer is a tough one, kid was looking good.
As of Saturday I was picturing this guy being a star at Michigan
Bruh he was a nondescript recruit who played as a true freshman! Fuck the portal era.
If true this is terrible and a really bad sign of where NIL is these days.
Every time I hear people whining about Michigan being cheap with NIL I wonder how many other schools need to support/recruit/retain athletes at a superior level in at least three major sports: football, men's basketball, and hockey. Does Connecticut have to allocate NIL money to its football team? Does USC have to allocate NIL money to its hockey players? Does Ohio State have to allocate money to its basketball players?
We all expect Michigan not only to compete, but to win, in those sports ... and others. But there is a limit to how much $$ our athletic department has to spread around. How many of us are willing to sacrifice the basketball program so we can keep all the stars on the football team happy? Not many, based on this board.
And yet every time we lose out on a player to anybody because of NIL money we moan about how cheap Michigan is. Despite our continued and incredible success at getting big-time players in all three.
But some sacrifices have to be made.
Eh, I don't know. Hard to be strong in every single sport — I'm literally unaware of any team that can match us for historic success in football, basketball, and hockey. But it's sure easy to spend other people's money, isn't it?
Logic and reason have no place here sir. /s
April 25th, 2024 at 10:17 AM ^
Moore is working way harder on NIL than Jim ever did! Stop with Michigan is cheap or it’s Warde’s fault. They are behind because Jim wanted it a certain way. Why do you think he pushed so hard for tv money
Probably figured he wasn't going to start over Hill, or he didn't really want to compete that hard.
If this was due solely to a deficiency in Michigan's NIL program then we would have......you know what, I'm not typing it. I'm not manifesting that shit.
Yep, someone probably guaranteed him a starting spot.
Well, didn't know much about his move to DB before the Spring Game. We have Hill ready to go. Time for a WR and DB portal party next week. Even one player from each position who's anywhere near as good as the guy we got from UMASS last year would be nice.
Go Blue!
April 24th, 2024 at 10:27 PM ^
With how high members of the last staff was on him. This is a shock, I would hope this would be a money play to get himself some more money after a great spring.
April 24th, 2024 at 10:27 PM ^
FIRE BORGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do posters think Michigan should be immune to players entering the portal?
April 25th, 2024 at 10:33 AM ^
Right? The portal brought us guys that helped win a national championship just a few months ago. NIL helped us retain guys that otherwise would probably have been off to the NFL who also helped bring home that national championship.
But if a player leaves it's somehow 100% objective proof-positive of all that's wrong with the portal and NIL? That takes some incredible levels of cognitive dissonance.
April 25th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
It’s pro football now folks, without the rules.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:51 AM ^
Uncomfortable to raise a hand and say this, but LOIC and the sanctions are the only reasons no one lists as answers to "Why?"
And “Why” - with a path to early playing time and two deep by your 2nd season - is the 2025 recruiting board bare? This, after 40 seniors left plus this historic NFL draft following the15-0 National Championship Season?
It’s not NIL.
It’s LOIC.
The Team knows multi-year sanctions and CFP bans are coming. Other schools are reinforcing that. Coach Moore likely gets "Show Cause," and the other new coaches who were not here last year and who are not getting DUIs this year are unknowns.
There is Zero stability, and the culture resides only in 2023's one-in-a-lifetime-season game replays, plus a handful of guys who remain in their last year here. Going from 15-0 to 8-4 or 7-5 and no upside. For likely three seasons - certainly two - essentially their entire College careers will be played during probation and reduced scholarships.
The storm is coming. Recruits know it. Players know it. Time to see that as fans.