Prospects talk about how NIL rules have affected recruiting
The NIL Era in college athletics is off and running. Athletes across all sports are landing deals of varying size with various brands from coast to coast. Seemingly, everyone has an opinion on how the revamped marketing rules will change the landscape, so Rivals.com asked a handful of high-level prospects how important the rule change has been to the recruiting world.
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How much has NIL changed the recruiting process?
"It’s humongous and it means there’s going to be way more competition in college. You already see that. It’s really impacting those guys that are trying to go to the G League or overseas. I think it’s really bringing that boom back to college basketball.” - 2024 prospect Elijah Perkins
“The biggest change is that it can be helpful for families that are not as fortunate. Any money a college player can make can help, you know?” - 2024 guard Jaiden Glover
“It’s big because it keeps kids considering college. It lets the colleges offer some of what the pro route offers. It helps them help support their families and stuff.” - National 2024 prospect Jahki Howard
“Not really at all. I look at it, like, if it comes it comes. I’m not really worried about it all.” - Five-star guard Isaiah Collier
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How much time do coaches spend talking about NIL issues, and which coaches talk about it most?
“Miami brings it up. They’re the only ones that talk about it a lot. They think I could make a lot of money there.” - Five-star guard Kanaan Carlyle
“It comes up some and they all find a way to mention it, but they don’t sit sound and talk about it all the time. Purdue has probably talked about it with me the most.” - Four-star guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn
“They talk to me about how they can develop us as a brand and promote us. They talk about how their players are treated on campus and how much their names get out. Stanford talks about that. They tell me about how huge Stanford basketball is there and the opportunities I’d have.” - Four-star forward Cade Phillips
“They haven’t talked to me about it much yet because I’m new to all this and still so young. But I’m sure they will.” - 2024 national recruit Elliot Cadeau
“They talk about it a little, but not really. I guess it’s because I’m not really concerned about all that yet.” - Five-star Justin Edwards
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How important are NIL issues to your college decision?
“I feel like it’s going to be a really big part of my decision when it comes to that time.” - Cadeau
“It’s big for me. It’s humongous. If I can make money while I’m getting an education, that’s the best of both worlds.” - Perkins
“It’s important to me. I want to brand myself and be able to sell gear. I’m pretty much open to anything, so we’ll have to see when the time comes. It’s important, though.” - Carlyle
“I’m always going to consider going pro because that’s a big time thing. But this could help me consider college. It’s a long way off for me, and it’s a big decision, so I haven’t thought about it a lot.” - Howard
“It’s not something I think about a lot right now, but I think about it. It’s more something I’m aware of and know I’ll need to think about in the future.” - Phillips