The NIL deals that are transforming college sports are also allowing NFL teams to gain insight into how a young player will react to having money before they get a big pro contract.
For many evaluators, it has become an important tool in the draft process.
“The cool thing about college scouting that we always had to answer when we were going to schools, how’s a guy going to be when he has money? Now we have that answer,” Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said recently. “Some guys get the money and change the way they are. Other guys get the money and you hear stories about taking guys out for dinner, taking his teammates (out) and he works hard, is a leader. You kind of get the answer. It’s a great thing and it’s great for players in college to have that opportunity.”
Spending habits can also help determine a player’s level of maturity, revealing whether they’re disciplined or become distracted. A prospect who stays focused despite lucrative deals is more likely to make a smoother transition to the pros. Scouts want to see if a player’s performance dips after making a lot of money or if he maintains the same work ethic and consistency. How they interact with teammates is also a key dynamic.
"Does the guy have eight cars or does he actually have a financial advisor, and he puts it into an S&P stock index because he’s trying to grow his portfolio?” Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio said. “You’ve got probably a different thought process that goes into it. I know what I would do. Nobody was giving me any NIL money and I wasn’t good enough. But, again, it’s just understanding their thought process.”
College players weren’t allowed to earn money from their athletic skills until 2021, when the NCAA changed the rules to give students an opportunity to profit from their name, image and likeness.
The decision, along with the freedom of movement provided by the transfer portal, has dramatically changed the landscape of college sports. Top players are cashing in from the big brands now. Schools are allowed to spend up to $20.5 million to pay athletes. Many players are following the money and switching colleges as a result.
“I think it paints a clearer picture in terms of makeup,” Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles said. “I like to follow the whole journey. I don’t hold it against an 18-year-old that gets a million bucks to go to school and maybe didn’t have his priorities straight. I think most of us here, if that happened to us, we might be doing some crazy things, too, or maybe not focus where we should be focused. But I want to see the learning lessons that come from that and understand their structure of the people they put around them. I want to understand how they battle through adversity. I think the toughest thing is when there’s an out to transfer when things get hard, we heard the resilience of our young players. So I want to learn through that and learn how they grew throughout their whole deal."
NIL deals can also help prepare players for life in the NFL, giving them exposure to money, endorsements and public branding. They get to experience fame and financial responsibility in college.
“I think it helps, for us, it helps us reveal maybe makeup, character, behavior,” Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “To some degree, you can see the journey that some players take. And look, in a lot of ways, (it has been) a very positive change.”
Transfers were sometimes considered a red flag. Not anymore.
“Back in the day, if a guy transferred one time, you kind of asked what happened? Like, did you get run out of this school or whatever?” Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane said. “Well, now it’s. ... why’d you stay here four years? Like, what happened? It’s almost, it’s flipped, but you do ask those questions. And sometimes you ask them about, did you leave just because of the money? Did you leave for other reasons? You kind of just want to know. And at the same time, our scouts, one of their jobs, is talking to individuals at each program and trying to put together that puzzle of who this person is, how they tick. Are they simply motivated just for money? Or is the money a side benefit? They’re really still playing the game for the love of the game.”
Some players stay in school longer because they can make more money as a college athlete if they’re not considered a top-round draft pick.
More experience can also help them improve their draft positioning.
Carolina Panthers GM Dan Morgan said he scouted some players who opted to stay another year that he wishes would’ve declared for the draft.
“We just gotta evaluate who is at our disposal,” Morgan said.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliott runs an agility drill during the school's NFL football Pro Day, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
