On Friday Night, College Football changed forever as Judge Claudia Wilken signed off approving the settlement in the landmark House Vs NCAA case. The case brings about wholesale changes to College Athletics like we know it as revenue sharing, roster limits, NIL regulations, and a ton of new aspects are brought to the sport.
As part of the settlement, the NCAA also agreed to back pay former athletes $2.8 billion over the next ten years. The athletes that will receive the funds had to of played since 2016 through current day. It seems more fair that the players prior to 2020 who weren't in this modern era should get the lions share of the funding.
Based on star power, potential earnings they missed out on, and their impact to the game, 5 former College Football stars deserve the backpay more than anyone else.
Part of the reason that many of the athletes feel they missed out on NIL is the fact that they emerged as stars as true freshmen before putting together great careers as a whole. DeVonta Smith perfectly fits the bill as he played sparingly as a Freshman before catching the National Championship game winner against Georgia.
From that moment on, DeVonta Smith and Tua Tagovailoa would've been NIL stars with their entire careers ahead of them. Instead, DeVonta Smith's Sophomore and Junior seasons were among some of the best in the Country in a star-studded Alabama offense.
If Devonta Smith wasn't earning a ton by his Senior season, it would've been more than enough for him to earn massive NIL deals. Winning the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship as a Senior would've made Smith one of the most sought after players in recent history.
Like DeVonta Smith, Tua Tagovailoa's burst onto the scene in the National Championship Game would've been a great moment to launch him into superstardom. Over the next two seasons, Tagovailoa was the engine of the most explosive offenses of Nick Saban's time in Tuscaloosa which would've made him an attractive option for companies spending NIL money. Luckily in Tua's case an d for some others on this list, it's tough to feel too bad seeing the NFL contracts for quarterbacks.
The NIL backpay dating back to 2016 puts Lamar Jackson solely in the conversation as one of the athletes that could've cashed in. After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016, Lamar Jackson would've had a whole season to cash in on the fact that he had just won the Heisman Trophy. In a State where we're seeing athletes cash in with big deals in basketball, Jackson would've gotten a massive NIL deal simply not to transfer elsewhere.
Joe Burrow's case is a little more difficult to make just because of when in his career he became a superstar. When Joe Burrow fully became a household name he was in the midst of his Senior season which means he truly missed out on half of a season earning NIL deals. Based on how popular the team became that season, Joe Burrow likely would've made himself a ton of money after that Alabama game.
During his tenure in College Football, there wasn't a more electric player to watch than Baker Mayfield. He first showed up on the scene as a walk on at Texas Tech starting the team's season opener but, left after one season. When Mayfield arrived at Oklahoma he took over the College Football world, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017 while finishing in the Final 4 every season at Oklahoma.
When Mayfield got to the NFL, he quickly became the pitch man for several companies with commercials during almost every commercial break. Given that Baker Mayfield was the most polarizing player in the sport, he would've gotten some massive NIL deals during his time.