For a long time, the NFL had a massive advantage over college football with the fact that the college players couldn't get paid, at least legally. When NIL and the Transfer Portal came into the sport, it had many intended uses, but it was hard to see the sport ever getting to the place it is today with how both ended up impacting the sport.
NIL and the Transfer Portal together have helped build a form of free agency in college football. Rather than an exciting player at a lower level program staying 3 seasons and potentially changing a program's trajectory, they now have their breakout season, and enter the Transfer Portal allowing a Power 4 team to land an elite player.
The Group of 5 teams and the lower level Power 4 programs aren't the only ones being hurt by the changes to college football. For the first time seemingly ever, college football is striking back against the NFL.
College Football has better quarterbacks than ever thanks to a new landscape
On Wednesday, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore went on ESPN and declared that he was returning to Oregon for another season. The move was monumental and a significant win for college football as Dante Moore marked the best prospect to turn down the NFL Draft. We've never seen a player with as high of a draft projection pass up the draft in a long time.
Dante Moore was being projected to go as early as the 2nd Overall Pick behind Fernando Mendoza in most NFL Mock Drafts. In the past there was no reason to pass up that kind of money, but college football now can compete on a yearly basis with the salaries that a rookie would make in the NFL.
It's not just Dante Moore who's making this move either as several quarterbacks who could've declared for the draft are coming back to school. Brendan Sorsby could've been a late First Round pick if not a Day 2 pick, but he entered the Transfer Portal receiving $5 million from Texas Tech.
Arch Manning is a very different case study as he has a grandfather and two uncles who know better than most GMs that he needed more time in college football before being ready. Manning will still be one of the highest paid players in the sport, and will likely have the same draft buzz next season.
After the way the season unfolded for Sam Leavitt and LaNorris Sellers, both were better off returning for another season, but it also wouldn't have surprised anyone in the old era if they left early to start their NFL careers.
We even have a player in Trinidad Chambliss who could be a potential first round pick fighting to spend another season in college football.
While the NFL Draft is becoming weaker, this development is perfect for college football and the fans hoping to compete for a National Championships. We're going to start seeing better quarterback talent than ever in college football, and it's the best part of this new NIL, Revenue Sharing, and Transfer Portal era.