When NIL and Revenue Sharing entered College Football the overwhelming opinion was that this would only allow the rich to get richer. The expectation was that programs like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, and other blue bloods would outspend smaller schools landing any player they truly wanted.
While many believed these changes would only help the blue bloods, the other group of fans believed that this actually helps the smaller schools. While the Blue Bloods have more spending power, the smaller schools could pick their spots and go all in on one player or they could just make a deal that would make their school more attractive than it ever was prior to this era.
The July 4th weekend has become one of the biggest days on the recruiting calendar as some of the top recruits always make their decisions during the weekend but, rather than the Blue Bloods celebrating the day it was the surprise schools setting off the fireworks.
The biggest stunner of the Weekend came on July 4th in the recruitment of 5-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo. Just days before Ojo would announce his decision he announced a Final Four of Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio State yet, when he committed he chose the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
How did Texas Tech go from outside the schools in consideration to winning out in the recruitment. Almost directly after Ojo announced his decision, details of his agreement with Texas Tech started to surface with Ojo getting a massive revenue sharing contract.
Texas Tech’s latest recruiting coup: Felix Ojo, the highest ranked prospect the Red Raiders have ever landed. Sources tell @TheAthletic Ojo agreed to a 3-year, $2.3 million deal. Reporting with @Williams_Justin & @skhanjr on Texas Tech's big get: https://t.co/U8FFGnN0ye
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) July 6, 2025
Later on July 4th, all attention turned toward the recruitment of 4-star wide receiver Xavier McDonald. While Ole Miss was the In-State program and LSU made a strong push, it was shockingly Sacramento State who landed the elite recruit. McDonald becomes the highest rated recruit ever to commit to the Hornets and continues their offseason trend of creating massive headlines.
The weekend brought one massive recruitment coming to an end as 5-star wide receiver Calvin Russell was set to announce his commitment. While Michigan, Oregon, and In-State Florida State were all finalists, the Miami Native ended up picking the Syracuse Orange. The Michigan Wolverines were in the best position to win out and given what they showed landing Bryce Underwood they're more than willing to pay to dollar when it comes to NIL but, Fran Brown built a great relationship and ultimately won out.
While NIL, Revenue Sharing, and the Transfer Portal has made it easier for the bigger schools to win out, it hasn't been smooth sailing for them either. Revenue Sharing giving schools a new avenue to funding rather than relying on boosters may become the biggest game changer for schools who have had difficulty raising funds. This weekend programs like Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Michigan had a chance to make headlines but, Texas Tech, Sacramento State, and Syracuse stole the show which is great for the sport.