Terrelle Pryor may be one of the most recognized faces of college football in the early 2000s. He was a top recruit coming out of high school, and he exploded onto the scene for the Ohio State Buckeyes with his blazing speed and his ability to absolutely wreck a defense. He recently filed a lawsuit to receive back pay for NIL compensation from his time at Ohio State. It was ultimately dismissed even though he had a pretty strong case.
The problem wasn't whether he was deserving or not; it's that his claim had passed the statute of limitations. He last played for the Buckeyes in 2010, which is about six years too far away in the past. The House vs. NCAA settlement allows athletes from 2016 to the present day to receive back pay, which falls within the 10-year statute of limitations.
Terrelle Pryor’s lawsuit attempting to receive NIL backpay has been dismissed.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) July 20, 2025
The former Ohio State star is among a wave of collegiate athletes seeking backpay in NIL from the NCAA years after their careers at the school ended.
Pryor's case centered on the idea that he was one of the most recognizable players at Ohio State and would have earned a substantial payday had NIL existed in his era. He argued that the NCAA, Ohio State, and the Big Ten all profited off his NIL. This is a strong case, but it comes about five years too late.
Terrelle Pryor was ahead of his time with NIL and he will never get what he deserved
Pryor left Ohio State after the 2010 season with a scandal brewing in his wake. It was the summer of 2011 when everything went down. He was suspended, along with four other teammates, for the first five games of the 2011 season (which he would never play in) for selling championship rings, awards, jerseys, and other merchandise. It was also reported that they were receiving "improper benefits" from a tattoo parlor.
Some reports even indicated that Pryor made somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 in autograph and merchandise sales. He really was about 15 years too early. For today, that would just be lumped under a bucket called NIL.
He would ultimately be allowed into the NFL supplemental draft and was selected by the Oakland Raiders, allowing him to finally be compensated for his abilities. However, the NFL never really worked out for him as he bounced around. The real money that Pryor could have made was in college, and he was hoping to prove it in court, but his request came several years too late.