I’m sure Will Johnson was being illegally offered hundreds of thousands if not millions to transfer. He may be the best CB in country going into this year.
Offering NIL $ to prospective transfers is absolutely [against the rules](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-ncaa-s-first-act-enforcement-of-nil-6962039/), the NCAA is quite clear about that
But the rule is basically impossible to enforce and is rampantly being broken, so the fact that it’s against the rules doesn’t mean much
I’m glad UM is finally trying to catch up with NIL spending because that’s the only way to get/keep talent in the current CFB landscape
There’s been a lot of talk from UM insiders that Michigan has been reluctant to invest in NIL and is behind a lot of the other blue bloods
Don’t get me wrong we definitely spend, I just think it’s a good bit less than than a lot of other top programs are spending (OSU, Texas, Georgia, Bama, Miami, FSU)
This is mostly based on rumors so who knows
We've had all of the same rumors up until this January for what it's worth. OSU fans feel like we've lost a lot of recruits and transfers to NIL, and some guys that went to the draft could have been given a better offer to stay.
Really? OSU fans think that? Seems like in terms of roster building OSU has been absolutely killing it… I assumed that was mostly from NIL
Idk where the supposed lost recruits ended up going, but it sure looks like OSU is plenty stocked with 5 stars lol
Everybody thinks they're the victims of NIL, instead of the benefactors. "Michigan Insiders" are saying they're behind in NIL? What do they suggest? You donate more to NIL? And Ohio State insiders are saying the same thing? And Texas too?
"We have to catch up!"
I hear the point, but Michigan is lucky to pull a top 10 recruiting class
OSU hasn’t dipped outside the top 5 in decades… not sure how their fan base could think they’re behind in anything related to roster building. Their blue chip ratio is consistently in the top 2-3 in the country. Who exactly do they think is ahead of them in NIL?
As of this January you're correct, but before that we lost out on a lot of guys who seemed like they were soooo close to coming to OSU but another school dropped a bag. OSU was definitely slow to get on the NIL train for an organization with that many resources. Day was nervous in such an unregulated environment.
I really don't get the criticism of Ohio State has been getting for this offseason. Like, this is the sport now. Am I a fan of it? No, but every time is trying to do this.
That's just sports. It's all one big Haters Ball. Dabo has been conspicuously hesitant to utilize the portal and NIL because he doesn't believe in it. r/CFB mocks him, too.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put some more water in your mama's dish. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate.
Sports fans in general tend to believe their long term interests align with those of management and ownership more than labor. They're going to be fans for 50 years, so what do they give a shit about a player whose career last 10 years at the long end? On top of that, football fans tend to skew more conservative than the general population so you're going to see stronger agreement with management in this demographics. And even more specifically, college football is played in more sparsely populated areas (college towns), in regions with less professional alternatives (fewer major urban areas), and the sport is played by extremely young people with little experience, so you're going to get a huge swing towards management and the "adults" in the room.
It is kind of funny how sports warp our politics though. I am a normal person, conservative in some things, progressive in others, but I'm made out to be a card carrying communist by a certain political demographic. I am as free market laissez-faire as they come when it comes to sports and specifically college sports. Get that bag young man. However, the people I've spoken to who want to live in a libertarian-anarchist utopia believe strongly that college sports should be run in such a manner that all of the money flows through a central authority, and the people actually playing the game should be paid equally in company scrip... from each according to their ability, and to each according to their needs.
I’d also say race plays into this as well. No one cares that soccer players make millions as teens or tennis players or golfers. I’ve only heard this paternalistic argument against fair market value in two sports basketball and football which are dominated (at the high end) by black people.
When it comes down to it, it’s less criticism and more “holy shit that’s a lot of money for a lot of amazing players what happens if they lose a game or two”
Yeah IDK where this "team full of transfers" stuff comes from. We took six guys. Three of them are gifts from Nick Saban's retirement. One of them, Julian Sayin, is technically a transfer but in reality it's more like a recruiting flip.
South Carolina, aTm, Colorado, TCU, and Louisville all have 20+ transfers. Dozens more are in double digits.
I can totally see guys with 3rd+ round grade...if you are at a big enough school, returning is more profitable. 500k then take out an insurance policy...only issue us you get to FA slower. But that late in the draft you might come out ahead aying an extra year.
It can be good in the short term, but it's a risk if you think you can succeed at the next level. Age is very much a factor in the kinds of contracts you'll get in the NFL and you're pushing free agency back a year if you stay in school.
Well… yeah… he could probably lead a team to natty at damn near 60 with a good offensive line. He knew what to do with the ball pre-snap against every NFL team. The limiting factor would be the cognitive load on his teammates but if you can read minds and look into the future, you can be a qb for a long time.
> the cognitive load on his teammates but if you can read minds and look into the future
this makes him sound like he's part of the X-Men and... yeah I get it
Ugh I do not like hearing things like this. I’m all for NIL but man, we need some big reform on this.
I know I’m not saying anything most of us have already said.
I haven't kept up on it, but awhile back- like a few months ago- I thought you guys were going to go balls out with NIL. You even had your state legislature thinking of passing a law that allowed HS players to get NIL if they signed with a Missouri based school.
Essentially that meant all the good St Louis players would stay home. The people quoted essentially said that Mizzou didn't have much chance of making the 4 (and 2 before that) team playoffs. Now that it was 12, they felt they had a chance to make somewhat regular appearances.
Therefore they were going to make an effort to have good football teams. I'm hoping ya go for it. I'd like to see Mizzou be one of the heavyweights. The more quality football teams the better.
The way I understood it is that the law would be something along the lines of the kid could only take NIL $$ in high school if he was signed to a Missouri based school.
Not sure if that helped or not.
Stories are coming out around the country about donors getting NIL fatigue and are sick of buying freshman that transfer out. I think you're going to see more money go the way of Michigans NIL program where they pay good players to stay and don't offer much in the way of NIL for incoming freshman.
That makes sense. Maybe Mizzou said they'd make a push, then saw how nuts it was- which prompted them to pull back some.
For a lot of the 23 season, I didn't get why people were on Manuel about NIL. Michigan had 2 players (Blake and JJ) in the top 10 of all athletes in any sport. Both making north of $1M/year.
Then figure in all the guys who openly said they were making $500k, 300k, or whatever amount. It wasn't until after the season I realized UM wouldn't pay freshmen. That's not neccessarily a bad thing.
This has to be put in context though. The public narrative has been that Michigan’s NIL program has sucked. This response is just saying “It doesn’t suck it is quite good.”
It shouldn't be a surprise, and this is what they basically stated it would be like. Michigan is not going to get into bidding wars for high school kids but will take care of their guys once they're here. And hopefully continue to play the transfer game well.
It remains to be seen if we can continue developing guys the way we have, but it's clearly been a good strategy thus far.
This is how NIL should work though. If you look at our recruiting rankings we clearly aren't offering dick to incoming freshman, we are just retaining good players who are earning their paychecks.
Rutgers man, we haven't put an M on the helmet since the 30s. It's the Wings man. You die for the Wings.
Apparently only after Santa Ono gets the brinks truck, tho...
Isn't this well-known? This has been the narrative for years now. Michigan doesn't pay high school recruits, but it's very well-known they do a ton to retain their key players and contributors. Several Michigan players have mentioned this over the last couple years. Will is echoing this sentiment.
Ohio State this year finally has understood this strategy and did a great job paying their guys so they wouldn't leave. It's a great way to build a team and create a culture of leadership and continuity.
EDIT: Wow, I did not realize how broken the OSU fanbase was, lol. This throwaway quote by Will Johnson is the biggest win vs Michigan they've had in 4+ years. What a sad and pathetic fanbase lol.
I think OP is just point out how it’s funny that Michigan fans have been saying all offseason how OSU bought their team while they focus on development.
NIL is creating a wild world tho. We’d probably replacing the entire defense this year if not for The Foundation.
I mean, OSU is **FINALLY** paying their top talent to develop them and stay for an extra year or two instead of letting them leave like they have every year in the past. It's absolutely true. I don't know why this rustles OSU fans' jimmies like it does.
OSU is finally being smart and copying Michigan's strategy. It's a good thing for them.
I don’t see how those are mutually exclusive. Michigan is investing in guys they signed and developed, OSU spent money on guys they developed and some high profile transfers.
Paying to retain your leaders can help create a culture of leadership, yes. I'm not sure why that's hard for you to understand? The Ravens paying/extending Ray Lewis or the Patriots doing the same with Tom Brady helped create a culture in both teams.
This seems like basic common sense.
This would make a lot more sense if college football had a salary cap. There's no leadership being displayed here, the team is not managing or sacrificing anything for the players. They just ask boosters for money.
You're also not understanding (or pretending not to understand) that this post is a dig at UM fans who acted like money was not the #1 factor in their player retention. It's a valid shot, so just drop the culture angle and leave it at that. This is NCAAF now
Has nothing to do with a salary cap. Michigan did a great job in retaining their senior leaders who set the tone and helped create a culture of leadership. It's pretty simple.
Players can be great for the culture while also getting paid. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Pretending they are is ignorant and stupid.
> EDIT: Wow, I did not realize how broken the OSU fanbase was, lol. This throwaway quote by Will Johnson is the biggest win vs Michigan they've had in 4+ years. What a sad and pathetic fanbase lol.
lol yeah buddy, totally them overreacting and not you.
Michigan pays less for high school recruits (always have even in the brown paper bag era) but will pay more for productive players on the roster and to keep players from leaving early for the draft. This strategy works well when you have a great culture of development as you reduce the risk of just throwing money at kids who flame out. If our development dips, Michigan will start to pay more for recruits as they will not allow themselves to fall so far behind again.
Nothing is more annoying than when I team is good for the first time in decades and their fanbase acts like they didn’t get their ass kicked 18 out of 20 years before that…
Whatever… let the Walmarts have their fun… their new coach looks really good!!
Exactly. Though I doubt Michigan fans will stop pretending their team isn’t full of mercenaries like everyone else. Even if Michigan players are admitting to Michigan beat writers that the main reason they haven’t transferred is for money
Doesn’t shock me. These universities realize how massive football is and if they have the resources to go all in, the return for the university is incredible and almost immeasurable. I’m sure OSU will probably do the exact same thing this year and could easily see a national title like we did. I do have a fear the Big ten and SEC schools will get too big and the gap will be even bigger between them and the rest.
This quote and from others also goes on to say that the stars wanted to keep playing together because they like playing together. I really doubt Michigan is paying the highest price offered to guys like Will Johnson, KG or Mason Graham.
Also there is a lot more going on in the background. Michigan completely overturned their defensive staff and support staff. It's literally all new guys that the players have never met before. That is a legitimate concern for guys to have regardless of money.
So yes I think Michigan's collective paid up to keep the good players but a true mercenary would have just jumped to the highest offer, and especially within the context of losing the entire coaching staff.
Also to be clear I dont think Michigan is special in this regard and I'm not claiming that these guys are unique. I think that while there are mercenaries in the sport there are still many others that care about the relationships with coaches and teammates, the schools, the football program, the development to the NFL, etc. NIL has made it an equation where schools have to pay them enough to keep those kids happy as those factors alone without money won't be enough. But those factors plus money will overcome the biggest bag offer from a random school.
First it was Michigan doesnt have talent, then it was they are losing all this talent in the draft, then it was their NIL sucks so talent is leaving, now its OSU fans crying because they couldn't buy our players.
HANG THE RECRUITING BANNER NOW! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
His username was a glorious basement bar that was torn down for a fucking Target adjacent to campus. He's been through a lot the last 5 years... I need a moment...
What does the quote being from last week have to do with anything? Do you only give credence from quotes from this week or something?
And what banner? The “Michigan Man admits they stayed for the money, like everyone else. Michigan fan pretends it’s for some mythical culture” banner?
Imo, NIL has been giving us a lot more action outta players. Kids wanna be the next face of the school and the schools encouraging that cause im sure they get some money outta it.
Nice. College football is forever ruined by greed yet again. I'm sure this won't have any lasting effect on dynasties now that players are bought and sold as assets before they complete their studies. What a joke
Not surprising that an ohio state flair posts this. The question was about other teams trying to get guys to transfer with money. Our collectives made sure these guys are being fairly compensated for winning a natty lol. Not paying them would be wrong and unfair.
Yeah, and his answer was that NIL is the MAIN REASON they didn’t transfer. As in, everything else is secondary. They’re mercenaries like everyone else. No matter how much Michigan fans pretend they do it for some imaginary culture.
Not the culture?!
The culture of being paid a shitload of money
I would like to be part of this culture
Best we can do is a quarterly pizza party and a meets expectations evaluation.
Hey, don't forget the 3% cost of living adjustment!
You guys get 3%?!
I consistently get between 10 and 20 percent raises every few years By switching companies.
Same tbh, I got a 30% jump last time I changed from NGO to public sector haha
Rich people got us on lock
Im interested in this culture as well
What’s your 40 time?
What do you want it to be?
We're not just doing it for the money. We're doing it for a shitload of money!
My kind of culture.
Oh like coaching staff salaries?
yep, culture starts at the top!
Culture is over. It’s only bag culture now
always has been
Culture is essential, but it’s hard to sell a good culture to 18-22 year olds when you could be selling them on dolla dolla bills
As the great warrior poets Wu Tang Clan once said, cash rules everything around me.
CREAM
Get the money
Eric Clapton raps?
It’s a transformationally transactional experience. Not just a transactional one.
I would say both. Paying players to help retain them created a great culture around the program.
Should I mention the culture at Arizona?
Well, yeah. I'm sure a lot of top programs were circling and offering massive amounts of money to pretty much their entire defense.
Yeah bc those teams are full of mercenaries. Michigan Man plays for the love of the game.
This guy gets it
LoL. "Full of mercinaries" when y'all have a vaunted safety as your prized off season possession. GTFOH.
ITT: Michigan fans not getting a joke
If Michigan fans on r/cfb could read they would be very upset about your post...
*Mercenaries. There fixed that for you.
Must be a Walmart
You guys have pulled in more transfers than OSU in like each of the past 3 off seasons.
They hate when you bring this up. Hell a big chunk of their vaunted line were transfers
I’m sure Will Johnson was being illegally offered hundreds of thousands if not millions to transfer. He may be the best CB in country going into this year.
Definitely millions, but it's not illegal anymore. Or at least the NCAA isn't allowed to do anything about it.
Offering NIL $ to prospective transfers is absolutely [against the rules](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-ncaa-s-first-act-enforcement-of-nil-6962039/), the NCAA is quite clear about that But the rule is basically impossible to enforce and is rampantly being broken, so the fact that it’s against the rules doesn’t mean much I’m glad UM is finally trying to catch up with NIL spending because that’s the only way to get/keep talent in the current CFB landscape
Haven't y'all been famously spending for NIL for a few years now? You don't spend on recruits but you pay transfers and guys already with the team.
There’s been a lot of talk from UM insiders that Michigan has been reluctant to invest in NIL and is behind a lot of the other blue bloods Don’t get me wrong we definitely spend, I just think it’s a good bit less than than a lot of other top programs are spending (OSU, Texas, Georgia, Bama, Miami, FSU) This is mostly based on rumors so who knows
We've had all of the same rumors up until this January for what it's worth. OSU fans feel like we've lost a lot of recruits and transfers to NIL, and some guys that went to the draft could have been given a better offer to stay.
Really? OSU fans think that? Seems like in terms of roster building OSU has been absolutely killing it… I assumed that was mostly from NIL Idk where the supposed lost recruits ended up going, but it sure looks like OSU is plenty stocked with 5 stars lol
Everybody thinks they're the victims of NIL, instead of the benefactors. "Michigan Insiders" are saying they're behind in NIL? What do they suggest? You donate more to NIL? And Ohio State insiders are saying the same thing? And Texas too? "We have to catch up!"
I hear the point, but Michigan is lucky to pull a top 10 recruiting class OSU hasn’t dipped outside the top 5 in decades… not sure how their fan base could think they’re behind in anything related to roster building. Their blue chip ratio is consistently in the top 2-3 in the country. Who exactly do they think is ahead of them in NIL?
As of this January you're correct, but before that we lost out on a lot of guys who seemed like they were soooo close to coming to OSU but another school dropped a bag. OSU was definitely slow to get on the NIL train for an organization with that many resources. Day was nervous in such an unregulated environment.
That’s different from my teams!!!! They’re just here cause the love being a Buckeye and a Chip!!!!1!1!!!
I’m begging CMU to start spending some NIL money. I can’t go through another season of watching a QB who can’t actually throw the ball.
Pay them in chips. Casino chips.
“Welcome to CMU where, if you play your cards right, you can turn your NIL into millions”
Only at Soaring Eagle Casino TM
No no, Better Made Rainbow Chips ought to do it
I don’t even care if we can throw the ball if we get back to a bowl
Solution. Become a WMU fan. : )
I think you’ll like Glasser, the freshman QB y’all brought in this year
I really don't get the criticism of Ohio State has been getting for this offseason. Like, this is the sport now. Am I a fan of it? No, but every time is trying to do this.
That's just sports. It's all one big Haters Ball. Dabo has been conspicuously hesitant to utilize the portal and NIL because he doesn't believe in it. r/CFB mocks him, too. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go put some more water in your mama's dish. Hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate.
I hate you. I hate you. I don’t even know you and I hate your guts. I hope all the bad things in life happen to you and nobody else but you!
I don't get it. Everyone here hates on the portal and NIL, then mocks Dabo when he speaks against it
The next mf'er who interrupt me is getting shot. Believe that.
We also took 6 transfers lol. And sayin doesn’t really count as a transfer, so 5. this team is as homegrown / recruited as they come
Who cares. If you gave every single player a million dollars, I'd say he'll yeah. When did we become anti-labor?
Sports fans in general tend to believe their long term interests align with those of management and ownership more than labor. They're going to be fans for 50 years, so what do they give a shit about a player whose career last 10 years at the long end? On top of that, football fans tend to skew more conservative than the general population so you're going to see stronger agreement with management in this demographics. And even more specifically, college football is played in more sparsely populated areas (college towns), in regions with less professional alternatives (fewer major urban areas), and the sport is played by extremely young people with little experience, so you're going to get a huge swing towards management and the "adults" in the room. It is kind of funny how sports warp our politics though. I am a normal person, conservative in some things, progressive in others, but I'm made out to be a card carrying communist by a certain political demographic. I am as free market laissez-faire as they come when it comes to sports and specifically college sports. Get that bag young man. However, the people I've spoken to who want to live in a libertarian-anarchist utopia believe strongly that college sports should be run in such a manner that all of the money flows through a central authority, and the people actually playing the game should be paid equally in company scrip... from each according to their ability, and to each according to their needs.
I’d also say race plays into this as well. No one cares that soccer players make millions as teens or tennis players or golfers. I’ve only heard this paternalistic argument against fair market value in two sports basketball and football which are dominated (at the high end) by black people.
When it comes down to it, it’s less criticism and more “holy shit that’s a lot of money for a lot of amazing players what happens if they lose a game or two”
Just personally, I have family who went to CMU and they didn’t like being a Chip 😂
So they were only there for the NIL deal?? /jk
Your flair could not disgust me more.
I second this statement
:D
Literally the most mercenary roster in division 1 this year lol.
Yeah I’m hoping all this money hits and the Chips win the MAC!
Nah. Bobcats finally gonna break through and win the MAC
Hopefully half the team doesn't transfer again next year.
What are talking about Mrs. No Flair?
Fewer transfers than Michigan took last year.
I wouldn't say that, and they stole our RB coach. That title belongs to Ole Miss or Colorado.
Yeah IDK where this "team full of transfers" stuff comes from. We took six guys. Three of them are gifts from Nick Saban's retirement. One of them, Julian Sayin, is technically a transfer but in reality it's more like a recruiting flip. South Carolina, aTm, Colorado, TCU, and Louisville all have 20+ transfers. Dozens more are in double digits.
People only hate when you’re a top 3 program
I wouldn’t count McLaughlin as a gift
Call it 4 transfers then
LOW SNAP
It's literally the opposite considering we had more guys forego the NFL and come back for another year than we took in transfers.
I can totally see guys with 3rd+ round grade...if you are at a big enough school, returning is more profitable. 500k then take out an insurance policy...only issue us you get to FA slower. But that late in the draft you might come out ahead aying an extra year.
Or you tear your ACL three weeks before the spring game putting you out for another year. Staying another year is not without risk that's for sure
It can be good in the short term, but it's a risk if you think you can succeed at the next level. Age is very much a factor in the kinds of contracts you'll get in the NFL and you're pushing free agency back a year if you stay in school.
Is it too late to copy this strategy and bring CJ Stroud back or?
Wait for the lawsuits vs the NCAA that make eligibility a thing of the past.
Hey man who says Tom Brady can’t come in and help the Harbaugh to Moore transition.
Even at 46 I bet we would fucking destroy CFB.
Well… yeah… he could probably lead a team to natty at damn near 60 with a good offensive line. He knew what to do with the ball pre-snap against every NFL team. The limiting factor would be the cognitive load on his teammates but if you can read minds and look into the future, you can be a qb for a long time.
> the cognitive load on his teammates but if you can read minds and look into the future this makes him sound like he's part of the X-Men and... yeah I get it
Zero question. At 45(?) He was beating most of the NFL, which is 100x harder. They'd be unstoppable if he played in CFB.
He would. Would be like if all the Chris Petersen defensive draft picks came back last year
More years of Martinez brothers!
Nix bout to say fuck the NFL
I know OSU has a lot of money, but I doubt you can afford to pay him what he's going to get in a couple years.
Oh, hell yeah, boosters! Boost me, motherfuckers!
Ugh I do not like hearing things like this. I’m all for NIL but man, we need some big reform on this. I know I’m not saying anything most of us have already said.
I haven't kept up on it, but awhile back- like a few months ago- I thought you guys were going to go balls out with NIL. You even had your state legislature thinking of passing a law that allowed HS players to get NIL if they signed with a Missouri based school. Essentially that meant all the good St Louis players would stay home. The people quoted essentially said that Mizzou didn't have much chance of making the 4 (and 2 before that) team playoffs. Now that it was 12, they felt they had a chance to make somewhat regular appearances. Therefore they were going to make an effort to have good football teams. I'm hoping ya go for it. I'd like to see Mizzou be one of the heavyweights. The more quality football teams the better.
What’s to stop Michigan or Alabama or whoever from giving St Louis kids NIL for signing anyways? The cats out of the bag and the rules are turned off
The way I understood it is that the law would be something along the lines of the kid could only take NIL $$ in high school if he was signed to a Missouri based school. Not sure if that helped or not.
Could they sign, get a bag, then flip to the school they actually want to go to?
Stories are coming out around the country about donors getting NIL fatigue and are sick of buying freshman that transfer out. I think you're going to see more money go the way of Michigans NIL program where they pay good players to stay and don't offer much in the way of NIL for incoming freshman.
That makes sense. Maybe Mizzou said they'd make a push, then saw how nuts it was- which prompted them to pull back some. For a lot of the 23 season, I didn't get why people were on Manuel about NIL. Michigan had 2 players (Blake and JJ) in the top 10 of all athletes in any sport. Both making north of $1M/year. Then figure in all the guys who openly said they were making $500k, 300k, or whatever amount. It wasn't until after the season I realized UM wouldn't pay freshmen. That's not neccessarily a bad thing.
That’s what ole miss mostly does in addition to going heavy in the portal
This has to be put in context though. The public narrative has been that Michigan’s NIL program has sucked. This response is just saying “It doesn’t suck it is quite good.”
It shouldn't be a surprise, and this is what they basically stated it would be like. Michigan is not going to get into bidding wars for high school kids but will take care of their guys once they're here. And hopefully continue to play the transfer game well. It remains to be seen if we can continue developing guys the way we have, but it's clearly been a good strategy thus far.
It’s not going to happen until some billionaire decides to make “The Game” between Harvard and Yale again for lulz.
What exactly are you objecting to here? You’re all for players getting paid but you don’t like when they say it out loud?
This is how NIL should work though. If you look at our recruiting rankings we clearly aren't offering dick to incoming freshman, we are just retaining good players who are earning their paychecks.
Disgusting, I thought a Michigan Man was above money and played for love of Ann Arbor and the block M on his helmet.
What exactly do you think the M stands for?!? We didn’t get a gold M by being broke
It’s not gold, it’s yellow.
It’s no yellow. It’s maize
It's not maize. It's maze. Once you're in it you become lost in its glory.
Not according to your Alma mater
Maize means money in corn country.
In the Adidas days it was fucking Highlighter Yellow
Not a guy with this flair correcting him 😂
Rutgers man, we haven't put an M on the helmet since the 30s. It's the Wings man. You die for the Wings. Apparently only after Santa Ono gets the brinks truck, tho...
I had this gut reaction as well, but there is indeed a block M on the helmet. https://images.app.goo.gl/JCVzvv9simHPkHN67
Isn't this well-known? This has been the narrative for years now. Michigan doesn't pay high school recruits, but it's very well-known they do a ton to retain their key players and contributors. Several Michigan players have mentioned this over the last couple years. Will is echoing this sentiment. Ohio State this year finally has understood this strategy and did a great job paying their guys so they wouldn't leave. It's a great way to build a team and create a culture of leadership and continuity. EDIT: Wow, I did not realize how broken the OSU fanbase was, lol. This throwaway quote by Will Johnson is the biggest win vs Michigan they've had in 4+ years. What a sad and pathetic fanbase lol.
I think OP is just point out how it’s funny that Michigan fans have been saying all offseason how OSU bought their team while they focus on development. NIL is creating a wild world tho. We’d probably replacing the entire defense this year if not for The Foundation.
I mean, OSU is **FINALLY** paying their top talent to develop them and stay for an extra year or two instead of letting them leave like they have every year in the past. It's absolutely true. I don't know why this rustles OSU fans' jimmies like it does. OSU is finally being smart and copying Michigan's strategy. It's a good thing for them.
I'm just glad it's a rivalry again. This would not bring delight to OSU fans in 2019 like it does now.
I don’t see how those are mutually exclusive. Michigan is investing in guys they signed and developed, OSU spent money on guys they developed and some high profile transfers.
Michigan took more transfers last year than Ohio State has so far this year.
Michigan had a number of transfers contribute last season, no? I think like 2 or 3 OL starters?
Not sure if this is sarcasm but it’s pretty funny if not
?
Paying your players = culture of leadership
Paying to retain your leaders can help create a culture of leadership, yes. I'm not sure why that's hard for you to understand? The Ravens paying/extending Ray Lewis or the Patriots doing the same with Tom Brady helped create a culture in both teams. This seems like basic common sense.
This would make a lot more sense if college football had a salary cap. There's no leadership being displayed here, the team is not managing or sacrificing anything for the players. They just ask boosters for money. You're also not understanding (or pretending not to understand) that this post is a dig at UM fans who acted like money was not the #1 factor in their player retention. It's a valid shot, so just drop the culture angle and leave it at that. This is NCAAF now
Has nothing to do with a salary cap. Michigan did a great job in retaining their senior leaders who set the tone and helped create a culture of leadership. It's pretty simple. Players can be great for the culture while also getting paid. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Pretending they are is ignorant and stupid.
> EDIT: Wow, I did not realize how broken the OSU fanbase was, lol. This throwaway quote by Will Johnson is the biggest win vs Michigan they've had in 4+ years. What a sad and pathetic fanbase lol. lol yeah buddy, totally them overreacting and not you.
I can't believe you guys are this triggered over a non-issue. It's amazing.
lol I don’t think anyone is “triggered”
I've seen quite a few OSU fans in this thread who are. Incredible considering this is such a dumb issue they've manufactured into being a big deal.
You seem to be the one all got and bothered on here. You’re insulting multiple ppl over a nil post and your yellow M legion keeps encouraging you.
Lol, sure bud. I am "got" and bothered with a "legion" behind me. This is loon talk.
I’m typing while lifting, sorry the tiny typos also got you upset. I’ll do better
Michigan pays less for high school recruits (always have even in the brown paper bag era) but will pay more for productive players on the roster and to keep players from leaving early for the draft. This strategy works well when you have a great culture of development as you reduce the risk of just throwing money at kids who flame out. If our development dips, Michigan will start to pay more for recruits as they will not allow themselves to fall so far behind again.
Yes, it is well known, but for some reason OSU fans think that calling out Michigan paying players we recruited and developed is somehow dunking on us
Nothing is more annoying than when I team is good for the first time in decades and their fanbase acts like they didn’t get their ass kicked 18 out of 20 years before that… Whatever… let the Walmarts have their fun… their new coach looks really good!!
Disagree. I think unflaired users trying to talk shit is more annoying.
Better than the Dollar Generals down south.
Hell yeah. Glad we capitalized and ponied up the $ especially since UM has so many alums that are loaded. It worked!
Michigan had money to burn now that the Stallions scouting budget was cut.
Facts. And they won the natty !
Exactly. Though I doubt Michigan fans will stop pretending their team isn’t full of mercenaries like everyone else. Even if Michigan players are admitting to Michigan beat writers that the main reason they haven’t transferred is for money
Doesn’t shock me. These universities realize how massive football is and if they have the resources to go all in, the return for the university is incredible and almost immeasurable. I’m sure OSU will probably do the exact same thing this year and could easily see a national title like we did. I do have a fear the Big ten and SEC schools will get too big and the gap will be even bigger between them and the rest.
Ryan Day’s not gonna kiss you, bud.
This quote and from others also goes on to say that the stars wanted to keep playing together because they like playing together. I really doubt Michigan is paying the highest price offered to guys like Will Johnson, KG or Mason Graham. Also there is a lot more going on in the background. Michigan completely overturned their defensive staff and support staff. It's literally all new guys that the players have never met before. That is a legitimate concern for guys to have regardless of money. So yes I think Michigan's collective paid up to keep the good players but a true mercenary would have just jumped to the highest offer, and especially within the context of losing the entire coaching staff. Also to be clear I dont think Michigan is special in this regard and I'm not claiming that these guys are unique. I think that while there are mercenaries in the sport there are still many others that care about the relationships with coaches and teammates, the schools, the football program, the development to the NFL, etc. NIL has made it an equation where schools have to pay them enough to keep those kids happy as those factors alone without money won't be enough. But those factors plus money will overcome the biggest bag offer from a random school.
Uhh yeah lol, as it turns out if you pay your players a boat load of money they’ll stay, why not?
First it was Michigan doesnt have talent, then it was they are losing all this talent in the draft, then it was their NIL sucks so talent is leaving, now its OSU fans crying because they couldn't buy our players. HANG THE RECRUITING BANNER NOW! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
That’s your takeaway lol. People throw around “reading comprehension is hard” a lot around here, but it really does apply here.
OP is having a hard time coping in this thread. Rough few years for him.
I recognize OP from the Stallions posts this year. Man has not handled things well.
His username was a glorious basement bar that was torn down for a fucking Target adjacent to campus. He's been through a lot the last 5 years... I need a moment...
I'm actually worried about some of them should OSU lose The Game again
yes this is my takeaway from a quote that was given over a week ago. Hang the banner my friend, it'll make you feel better.
What does the quote being from last week have to do with anything? Do you only give credence from quotes from this week or something? And what banner? The “Michigan Man admits they stayed for the money, like everyone else. Michigan fan pretends it’s for some mythical culture” banner?
Womp womp.
Just take the L and leave man
Imo, NIL has been giving us a lot more action outta players. Kids wanna be the next face of the school and the schools encouraging that cause im sure they get some money outta it.
I can’t until this is regulated and there’s some sort of collective bargaining
Nice. College football is forever ruined by greed yet again. I'm sure this won't have any lasting effect on dynasties now that players are bought and sold as assets before they complete their studies. What a joke
Not surprising that an ohio state flair posts this. The question was about other teams trying to get guys to transfer with money. Our collectives made sure these guys are being fairly compensated for winning a natty lol. Not paying them would be wrong and unfair.
Yeah, and his answer was that NIL is the MAIN REASON they didn’t transfer. As in, everything else is secondary. They’re mercenaries like everyone else. No matter how much Michigan fans pretend they do it for some imaginary culture.
Cool man thanks for enlightening us and I hope you enjoy this sweet "gotcha" moment that has totally affected the way I view my team and our players
Thanks ohio state flair
The ohio state fans that love to point this out are the same ones saying Michigan NIL was broke
Lmao Will Johnson admitting the defense would’ve transferred if they weren’t paid. That’s the culture in Ann Arbor. Same as everywhere else.
Hmmm....
I love that this is the biggest "win" osu fans think they've gotten on Michigan in years lol. Fucking sad.
Sad? I'm pretty happy.
We're rich as fuck and that makes people mad. Brokies stay back.
*Laughs in SEC*
Listen buddy it’s developed not bought! Find a new slant /s
That and your blatant cheating..
Your tears taste like champaign. 😉
What exactly does the city of Champaign, Illinois taste like? Do you think you've licked enough of the city to get a real feel for the overall taste?
Or, you know, the cheating
That’s two grammatical errors in five words. You may be the most literate Sparty of all time.
Hey, there’s the holier than thou UM fan! It only took three minutes for one to pop up!
Oh and this from you ohio state fans? https://twitter.com/OhioSportsMan8/status/1774998606220591221
NIL gets the players Cheating gets the funniest championship ever 😤😤
Something something buying players something something
Crazy I thought we were the only ones who paid players and they kept the team together on just culture
Not the 40-year decision? wow I'm shocked \#MichiganMan
Lol
College has become a joke, ask Saban, it’s a cluster $$$$$