Travis Hunter’s historic season with the Colorado Buffaloes wasn’t enough for him to earn as much as Carson Beck. The former Georgia QB, now transferred to Miami, reportedly received a $4 million offer to join the Hurricanes. That, combined with his other brand partnerships, would bring his total earnings for the year to $10 million. It has left Hunter wondering why he did not receive that kind of money before declaring for the NFL Draft.
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“How do you get $10 million? Where’s my 10 million?” Hunter jokingly asked, aggressively shaking his head into the camera on his podcast. “How are all these people getting this much money?”
Hunter then playfully added that he’s going to return to college next year and test his market out. The two-way star had the second-highest NIL valuation last season at $5.2 million, behind teammate Shedeur Sanders. Today, On3 has him valued at nearly $5.7 million.
But rather than collecting from his school’s NIL fund, he reportedly donated it to his teammates. No such announcement has come from Beck, though. Regardless of how an athlete chooses to use his money, Hunter’s question is a valid one. But the answer is evident as well.
The Fox affiliate in Miami reports that UM's contract with Carson Beck is a one year, $4 M deal. As perspective, former second round pick Will Levis made $950,000 base as Tennessee Titans starting QB this season.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 10, 2025
It’s a situation the NCAA brought on themselves. With only a few rules and regulations in place for NIL, college football has turned into the “Wild West” when it comes to recruiting and the transfer portals. Almost everything seems to be allowed.
Just last season, Matthew Sluka, starting QB for the UNLV Running Rebels, stepped away from the job over a dispute regarding $100k in NIL money. It was promised to him but never given, Sluka had claimed, adding that an assistant coach verbally promised him the money, which led to him taking a transfer from Holy Cross.
However, it was never put in writing before the season started. UNLV felt they didn’t owe him anything, while Sluka disagreed and benched himself. Now, he’s transferring to James Madison to reunite with his coach from Holy Cross. All of this highlights how unregulated NIL deals currently are.
Hunter’s co-host, Boog, offered some insightful comments too.
“This NIL market seems like it resets every four months… Want to see what your NIL value is right now, Travis?” Boog jokingly asked Hunter.
The NIL market has seen a crazy boom in the past year. It has officially crossed the $1.5 billion mark. And there is no sign of it slowing down any time soon. College programs are pushing the envelope and going all-in with the advent of the new College Football Playoff system. A team doesn’t have to be one of the two best to compete for a title anymore; just the top 12.
Beck is now being paid more in college than some professionals earn in the NFL. It’s a wild place for sure. But then college football is also inching closer to becoming as profitable as other professional leagues. And that’s good for the sport.
