Two years ago, the NCAA permitted college football athletes to profit from their popularity, resulting in renowned players swiftly becoming millionaires. This change brought benefits to college players but also sparked a trend: many now opt to remain in the league for more than the usual four years. Former Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner recently shared his two cents about this issue.
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Kurt Warner talked about the current landscape of college football and didn’t shy away from expressing dissatisfaction. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his concern about how some college football players are spending more than usual time at their college.
The former NFL star expressed surprise at the trend of athletes spending up to six years in college to play football. Furthermore, he questioned when this pattern will change, as it is causing a gap in maturity and experience between different players in the league. His post read,
“Man, this era of college football is crazy… we have guys PLAYING for 6 years… when do we get out of this cycle? That is literally crazy to think about… just think of that age difference & maturity disparity…”
Currently, certain college football players are earning more than several NFL players through NIL deals. Despite NFL rules stating that players must have been out of high school for a minimum of three years to enter the draft, these college athletes now earn millions and don’t feel pressured to quickly join the pro league. As a result, some players are happy to stay in college for even up to six years, before thinking about joining the NFL.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s monumental NIL deal could be a game-changer in college football
The Heisman Trophy finalist WR Marvin Harrison has played three seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes and is now eligible to enter the 2024 NFL drafts. However, he recently stated that “It’s a possibility” he might return for another season in Columbus.
According to NFL Rookie Watch, Marvin Harrison Jr. is said to have a college deal worth around “$20-$25 million” through NIL if he returns for his fourth year. If true, this offer would be more money than what NFL players like Jaylen Waddle, CeeDee Lamb, and Justin Jefferson have earned throughout their entire NFL careers.
Notably, Harrison Jr. will earn nearly half of what his father, NFL wide receiver Marvin Harrison, made during his entire 13-season NFL career in just one college football season through the reported $20-$25 million NIL deals. Marvin Harrison Sr. earned a total of $68.8 million in his NFL career.
