NIL – Name, Image, and Likeness. Who knew these three simple words would someday shape college football? There have been talks about how it devalues the sport, given how players flip from their long-standing commitments to a program that simply offers them more money. And Nico Iamaleava’s departure from Tennessee due to conflict in his monetary demands from the team proved one thing: loyalty is a thing of the past. But is it so for every athlete?
Amidst the NIL chaos, where players get an upper hand over the coaches, Arch Manning’s take on this debate stands like a welcome anomaly. Recently, Manning was asked if he would ever pick another program over Texas, should he get the opportunity. He replied, “There’s nowhere else I want to be. I want to be at Texas. I’ve got friends here. I love this place. So, I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas.” Talk about loyalty and love for one’s team, coach, and staff.
It also says a lot about the culture that Steve Sarkisian and Co. instilled in Texas. In a press conference, Longhorns DB Michael Taaffe clarified the situation in the Texas locker room. He said that they are rookies when it comes to NIL and the transfer portal. “We’re so naïve to that, like our locker room is naïve to that. Nobody talks about financials. Nobody talks about really the transfer portal,” per Taaffe. “We have a great culture, we’re bonded with one another, we’re strong in our faith, and we just love the game of football. We just love Texas… Yes, college football is crazy right now, but I don’t see a lot of that going on in our locker room, which is really cool,” the DB said. And given how uncertain recruiting has become, Sarkisian deserves the praise coming his way.
It seems that the players have got it well in their heads about what Steve Sarkisian expects out of them individually. “I still feel that players want to be student athletes,” the HC said earlier at a presser. “They don’t want to be employees… I got into this to help young men get degrees and/or achieve their dreams of playing pro.”
So far, only four players from Texas have entered the transfer portal (Malik Agbo, Reece Beauchamp, Freddie Dubose, and Bert Auburn). The message of loyalty seems to be resonating loudly amongst the Longhorns. As much as this should be a priority for HCs to instill in their players, the latter also have an individual responsibility. That’s where Manning and Iamaleava differ.
Arch Manning had the leeway to do what Nico Iamaleava did
Arch Manning’s NIL is currently worth $6.6 million. Take into consideration the bigger picture here. The guy is a Manning. He’s getting to play his first major season after sitting behind Quinn Ewers for two years. Family legacy, along with skills, are easy grounds for him to up his price. And yet, Manning stayed at Texas. He is also dealing with an overwhelming amount of pressure and expectations because of his heavyweight surname. Having all of these very easy cards properly put him in a place to ask for more money. But he chose to focus on football.
Iamaleava, on the other hand, has given money more priority. The very public exit from Knoxville also revealed how his reps acted brashly during the whole process. He kicked away a set career at Tennessee because HC Josh Heupel refused to hike his NIL from the current $2.4 million to $4 million. He’s now slated to join UCLA, which is an evident downgrade from his former home. On3’s J.D. PicKell encouraged him to take control of his career and be able to own it, regardless of whether it’s good or bad.
Taaffe said, “I saw what he [Manning] said to y’all about ‘This is where I want to be’ and so, in the day and age of college football right now, that is so cool to know that a quarterback is saying that.” He then shifted to Iamaleava’s fiasco. Not willing to comment on the ex-Tennessee QB’s money move, he still pondered over the backstory. “[Who’s] pulling the strings behind the scenes? Is it really him? Is it, you know, people in his life? Who’s really saying, you know, to hold out from practice? It probably isn’t just him that’s begging for money, right?” Taaffe theorized about the former Tennessee’s twists and turn of events.
Arch Manning’s NIL valuation is the highest in the NCAA. It’s 2.5 million more than what the former Tennessee QB asked for. And still, it’s Manning that’s being touted as the hero in this crisis. All of this shows that personal character is a key factor that influences one’s career in college football. Sarkisian has truly gone above and beyond to make sure that his locker room is unshakeable and holds steady at a time when CFB is undergoing a major upheaval because of NILs.
The post Texas Locker Room Confession Clears $6.6M Arch Manning & Co.’s Future Stance After Nico Iamaleava Controversy Shook CFB World appeared first on EssentiallySports.
