The NIL movement in the NCAA over the last few years has been quite a controversial topic amongst college football circles. There's a debate on whether this recent trend of teams offering deals to recruits is good for the overall health of the game. There are many talking points on both sides, of course, and the topic isn't as cut-and-dry as one might think.
College football analyst Jemele Hill offered an interesting take on NIL. Hill initially tweeted first about the success of Vanderbilt and Indiana's football teams this week in the NCAA, as they scored big wins their opponents. The Commodores knocked off tenth-ranked LSU 31-24, while the Hoosiers decimated the Michigan State Spartans 38-13.
“Vanderbilt … another reason the NIL era is good for college football,” Hill posted on X after Vanderbilt's upset. “Schools like Indiana and Vanderbilt have a chance to compete at a higher level because now it’s about who has the best offer, so the talent is more spread out.”
Hill elaborated on his take in a reply to a commenter who said the success of both programs is due to their coaching, and not the NIL deals.
“Both are good coaches but a great coach cannot overcome a bad roster. Indy has a strong roster + coach + boatload of NIL money. Pavia is a good college player … making over $2 mil this year.”
Quarterback Diego Pavia was instrumental to Vanderbilt's success in Week 8 of the NCAA college football season. The Commodores quarterback completed 14 of his 22 passing attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown. He also did a ton of damage in the run game, leading Vanderbilt with 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Pavia is one of the highest-paid quarterbacks through NIL.
As for Indiana, Fernando Mendoza was instrumental in keeping the Hoosiers' perfect record through seven games this season. The NIL recruit only had four incompletions on the day, throwing for 332 yards and four touchdowns in the win over Michigan State.
