Even as we enter into the revenue-sharing era of college sports, NIL money isn't going anywhere. In theory, NIL should now operate as it was always meant to: allowing players to profit off of their own name, image, and likeness, but not a direct, shady pay-for-play system with boosters dropping direct deposits into the accounts of players without the players doing anything outside of playing for the boosters favorite football team.
Now, any NIL payment exceeding $600 is supposed to go through a clearinghouse to determine whether both sides are gaining value. They can - and will - be rejected at times. But do we really believe that shady practices in college sports are just going to stop? Do they think we were born yesterday?
College programs have been bending and breaking the rules since time immemorial. That's not going to change because of the House vs. NCAA settlement. The days of the bag men are back. Get your McDonald's bags ready.
We have recently entered a dead period for the 2026 college football recruiting class. Most prospects spent the first half of the summer taking official visits to their top programs, and many have committed already or will do so sometime in July or August.
There are still quite a few top prospects who have yet to make their decisions. And plenty who have will ultimately flip those commitments between now and December's early signing day. Let's take a look at the top uncommitted prospects who might command the biggest NIL payday.
These recruits are likely to rake in the NIL dollars once they commit
Lamar Brown - 5-star OT/DT, Baton Rouge, LA
The top uncommitted prospect on the board, according to the 247 composite, is 5-star Lamar Brown. Brown is a two-way monster at the high school level and figures to be either a disruptive DT or a dominant offensive lineman at the next level. He has All-Pro potential on either line of scrimmage.
It would seem obvious that a kid from Baton Rouge would be a lock to play for LSU. But in this era, there are no guarantees, and plenty of programs are backing up the Brinks trucks to try and pry Brown out of his home city.
The top contender to do so appears to be the program that has spent as much as anyone in this era: Texas A&M.
Immanuel Iheanacho - 5-star OL, Baltimore, MD
Whether Immanuel Iheanacho plays OT or OG at the next level remains to be seen, but what is known is that he is one of the most dominant offensive linemen at the prep level. He has a final four of Oregon, LSU, Penn State, and Auburn, and plans to make his commitment announcement on August 5th.
Oregon and LSU are probably the top contenders, and both will have competitive NIL packages to lure Iheanacho to their programs.
Pro-tip: If you want a shot at signing a 5-star, game-changing prospect like Iheanacho, be sure to spell his name correctly when he visits.
Tyler Atkinson - 5-star LB, Loganville, GA
Tyler Atkinson has long seemed like a Georgia lock, but if NIL is a major factor in his recruitment, then it's hard to discount Texas and Oregon, both of which have made major pushes to land him.
Playing LB for Kirby Smart is about as safe a bet to be an NFL player as there is in college sports, and Georgia can absolutely be competitive in the NIL space, so that pedigree will be hard for the others to top.
But the type of checks being written in Austin and Eugene aren't easy to walk away from.
Anthony 'Tank' Jones - 5-star EDGE, Mobile, AL
Similarly to the recruitment of Lamar Brown, kids from Mobile who grew up fans of Alabama used to be slam-dunks to end up in Tuscaloosa. Not anymore.
While Jones still could very likely end up in Alabama's 2026 class, big spending programs like Oregon, Texas A&M, and Miami (FL) are in hot pursuit.
Jones has the advantage in marketability that others aren't blessed with. Not only is he an elite pass-rusher, but his nickname is "Tank." Combining a cool name with on-field ability is NIL gold.
Savion Hiter - 5-star RB, Mineral, VA
If a guy with the last name of "Hiter" were a linebacker or safety instead of a RB, I believe he would automatically be catapulted to the No. 1 player in the country. As is, Savion Hiter will have to settle for being the No. 1 RB and No. 17 overall recruit in his class. Tough life.
Tennessee has been seen as the leader for quite some time, but Michigan, Ohio State, and Georgia won't give up easily. Whoever lands him should be prepared to open the checkbook.
Kaiden Prothro - 5-star TE, Bowdown, GA
A 6-foot-6 TE with WR speed and the ability to be a mismatch regardless of who lines up across from him is always going to be heavily pursued. 5-star TE Kaiden Prothro is a unicorn, similar to guys like Brock Bowers (Georgia) and Kyle Pitts (Florida).
Florida and Georgia are two of his finalists, and have recent success to point to at the TE position. Both Bowers and Pitts were college stars turned into high draft picks. Texas can't point to the same, but Steve Sarkisian runs an offense hell-bent on getting the football into the hands of the best playmakers on the offense, regardless of position. Oh, and they have unlimited resources. That doesn't hurt.
Derrek Cooper - 5-star RB, Hollywood, FL
Cooper is a 5-star RB, but could also end up playing LB or Safety in college. He's got All-American potential at any of the three he chooses.
Miami will be tough to beat for the in-state product, but others like Georgia, Ohio State, and Florida State are pushing hard. He won't come cheap, but he's the type of athlete who is worth whatever it takes.
The top two available QBs can write their ticket
There are plenty of teams who are still looking for a QB in the 2026 class. The top two left available: 4-stars Landon Duckworth (Jackson, AL) and Matt Ponatoski (Cincinnati, OH), can write their own tickets.
Both seem to be approaching decisions, but now that all the QBs ahead of them are committed, they can be even more patient and search for the best fits - and best deals - before making a decision.
Duckworth seems pretty likely to end up with South Carolina, especially after his other finalist (Auburn) recently landed a QB.
Ponatoski is a two-sport star whose recruitment has been slowed due to uncertainty about his future. He plans to play football and baseball in college, but he could also be selected high enough in the 2026 MLB Draft to make him bypass college and become a pro.
That uncertainty could end up paying major dividends for Arkansas and Kentucky, two programs that might normally not be in contention for a QB of his caliber.