5-star recruit gets massive guarantee to sign with budding NIL powerhouse

Not many programs are spending on the level that Texas Tech is spending as the Red Raiders look to become a college football powerhouse despite a history of being a middling Big 12 program. With traditional rivals like Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma all in the SEC, the door has opened for Texas Tech to become a dominant program in the Big 12.

Just a few months after signing one of the top Transfer Portal classes in the country, a commitment on Friday signaled that the Red Raiders are not anywhere close to done throwing around big money to entice prospects to Lubbock.

After being considered a lean to Texas for the majority of the recruiting process, 5-star OT Felix Ojo, the No. 7 overall prospect in the country according to the 247 composite rankings, announced his commitment to Texas Tech. Ojo becomes the highest-rated recruit in program history for Joey McGuire's team. In order to land the nation's No. 2 OT, Texas Tech ponied up the dough:

In the new revenue-sharing era of college football, these deals will be more publicized. With a clearinghouse having to greenlight any NIL payments over $600, one can assume that this $5.1 million over the next three years will come directly from Texas Tech's revenue share.

Assuming Tech's revenue share is the standard $20.5 million, and assuming they allocate 75% of that to football, that leaves them with $15.375 million per year to distribute to their roster however they see fit. Ojo's deal is a $1.7 million average annual value, meaning he will command over 11% of the revenue share dollars at their disposal.

Ojo's deal further signals Texas Tech's commitment to being a contender

Texas Tech has lived in the shadow of rivals like Texas and Texas A&M for many years. Now, with those programs and Oklahoma in a different conference, the Red Raiders see an opportunity to elevate their own standing.

They are flush with West Texas oil money, not to the same degree as their former rivals, but still plenty to invest in their football and basketball programs.

Texas Tech was a big spender in the Transfer Portal this offseason. As a result, they are a popular pick to win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff.

The Big 12 is wide open, and even with the rumored playoff changes, winning the league will guarantee a berth. With the aggressive nature of Tech's spending, they figure to be a perennial Big 12 contender and one of the programs that are the biggest winners of this new era of the sport.