For over two decades the SEC has ruled the college football landscape like Titans. To quote Denzel Washington's character of Herman Boone in Remember the Titans, "According to Greek mythology, the Titans were greater even than the gods. They ruled their universe with absolute power!" That is the kind of stranglehold that the SEC has had on college football, particularly the teams in the upper tier of the SEC.
As a whole, the SEC has produced the most NFL talent for 15 straight years and in a world where pure amateurism reigned, that was enough to ensure the SEC would stay the preeminent power in college football. Getting student-athletes to the league and providing the opportunity for quality education was the best and only way to help them financially.
Now, all of that has changed. With players being able to capitalize on their platforms and celebrity, new strategies and elements are being implemented in recruiting. The transfer market will be impacted as well. Teams fighting to get into the upper tier of the SEC, like Kentucky, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Auburn, and to a certain extent Florida, are likely to be more creative and more aggressive right off the bat. Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Ed Orgeron will once again have to prove their ability to adapt. And they will.
Prospects that are of the high three-star, low four-star variety will be targeted by teams inside and out of the SEC trying to topple the perennial contenders. Those are the players that provide quality depth and special teams monsters right away to programs like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Over time, those players become starters and fan favorites. Now, those players could go from being down the pecking order in a recruiting class for the elite programs to the top of the board for ascending or striving programs and with that could come more immediate NIL opportunities.
In other words, why go sit behind talented players at Alabama when you can likely start at Kentucky? The former would be great for your development but the latter would help your marketability.
For more, listen to the podcast in the link below to hear the details on how the SEC could be impacted over time by these changes.
Also, below that are some notable NIL deals that have already been put in place.
