College Stars Earn Millions Before NFL

0:00On April 20th, college footballs in Isle-era has flipped the script, letting players rake in millions before ever hitting the NFL. Some stars are pulling bigger paychecks on campus than what they get as rookies. Then quarterbacks topping $3 million a year in deals, way more than mid-round draft picks see right away. Take Carson Beck, who just wrapped his fifth college season in Miami after four years at Georgia. He inked a deal north of $3 million annually with the hurricanes. Now projected as a mid-round pick, his pro contract might average less than half that. Meanwhile, Riley Leonard from Notre Dame caught everyone's ear. The Colts grabbed him at $189 overall in the 2025 draft. He downplayed his $1.5 million in Isle Hall as a bit high, but said it crushed his Duke days by over 10 times. His four-year rookie deal totals $4 million, $400 thousand, but only $200 thousand is guaranteed. He's got our earn, though. Roster Spot yearly.

1:01Players like Trinidad Chamblis at Ole Miss, Diego Pavia from Vanderbilt, and others including Chandler Morris, Joey Aguilar, Carson Beck again, and Will Howard are all examples of this trend. They're opting for pro ball despite the cast drop, chasing that NFL dream. With college sports evolving fast, staying an extra year might stack more paper than jumping early for some. It's got everyone rethinking the path to the league.