247: Elite 2023 recruits see NIL as a matter of respect

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247Sports anonymously surveyed 93 players at the 2023 All-American Bowl, asking them on a scale of 1-5 how much NIL factored into their recruitments with five meaning the most and one the least. The average answer was 2.1. A moderate factor, but a factor, nonetheless.

Just under 42% of players said NIL was at least a 3 on a 5-point scale in terms of importance while 34.4% players answered with a 1. Notably, 18 players said they already have agents. Of that group, they averaged a 2.7 on a 5-point scale in terms of NIL importance.

For Miami running back signee Mark Fletcher, the No. 168 player in the Top247, NIL was just a single factor among many. But he does consider NIL offers a matter of respect.

“I don’t think you want to go somewhere where, like, you don’t seem appreciated as much,” Fletcher said. “It’s how you’re viewed as a player and if you’re a priority to coaches. And I’m pretty sure that’s how most recruits feel.”

This was echoed by Florida defensive line signee and top 100 recruit Kamran James: “It shows how far a school is willing to go for you.”

This isn’t necessarily the consensus. As the anonymous survey showed, there are still a decent segment of top prospects who largely ignored NIL influences in their recruitment.

LSU four-star signees linebacker Whit Weeks and offensive tackle DJ Chester are in that camp. In fact, Chester’s dad largely kept him in the dark about NIL. In Chester’s words: “He didn’t want my head to get too big.”

Both future Tigers said their performances at LSU will matter far more in the long run for making money than anything promised out of high school, especially because they both know NIL money can be taken away.

“The school sets you up for all the connections later in life,” Weeks said. “NIL is quick money that is easy to spend.”

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Cap on the job as usual.

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For Miami running back signee Mark Fletcher, the No. 168 player in the Top247, NIL was just a single factor among many. But he does consider NIL offers a matter of respect.

“I don’t think you want to go somewhere where, like, you don’t seem appreciated as much

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Oh my sweet summer child.

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On paper, nothing he said was wrong. If one school has a $100k offer and another has $10k, it would seem on paper that the larger offer appreciates you more.

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Oh, it absolutely can be wrong.

If Miami offers a DE $100K and LSU offers $10k, which offer is better?

The word respect is overused and misunderstood by this generation. He means appreciated.

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On paper, nothing he said was wrong. If one school has a $100k offer and another has $10k, it would seem on paper that the larger offer appreciates you more.

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Or he's being offered as much as these smaller schools can afford. To equate that to being underappreciated is an interesting mindset to say the least.

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It was more of a comparison of schools on equal footing with their program and nil

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Obviously.

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The better offer is the $100K because it's $90K more than $10K. Without including any other factors, the only thing to consider is the money, and that seems like easy math.

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Yea - If you offered me or any of these posters 10k vs 100k at 18, 95% go with the 100k.

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If Miami offers a DE $100K and LSU offers $10k, which offer is better?

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This is a poor way to look at it. In experiments, you control for only one variable. So assume it's two programs on the same level. Say Bama and Georgia.

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These kids need to understand that this phrase turns off more people than it turns on.

But, it is a free country

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Yes it is a free country and us adults say a lot of things and expect everybody to feel the same way we feel when in reality it is offensive to some. You're never going to please everybody so just say what you want to say, or maybe not... People say they love and want transparency until they actually get it.

The kid had an opinion that ANY WORKING ADULT would understand and that many use as a rule in life. The only problem is that because they are kids and because this has always been something that was never paid for, "adults" are in their feelings about it.

If a set of rules were established with all of this, we wouldn't have this animosity towards paying these guys. Well, to be more precise, we wouldn't have such a large group with animosity towards it like it is coming out of their pockets or taxes. Some people will still have a selfish mindset about it.