A kid who has yet to throw a pass for the Ohio State Buckeyes is on pace to bank $6 million before he ever throws one in the NFL. Quinn Ewers is part of the new generation that assures college football will never be the same again.

College SIDs might as well start adding “Name, Image, and Likeness” to the rushing and passing statistics for football players in their Division I media guides. It’s a category garnering plenty of attention, and it’s a potential game-changer when it comes to wins and losses.

Quarterbacks are college football’s NIL stars

The NCAA’s new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy finally allows athletes to cash in on their fame and skills without losing their eligibility. Players in all sports can sign marketing and sponsorship deals. As time goes on, it seems only logical that recruits will weigh potential endorsement money alongside coaching staffs, the team’s history on the field, and perhaps even the potential value of their degree.

Just as much of the big NFL money flows to the signal-callers, it’s college quarterbacks who are reaping the big early NIL benefits. Several already in school have benefitted right out of the box, setting the table for Quinn Ewers’ huge score at Ohio State.

The University of Miami’s D’Eriq King lined up some of his deals on the first day of the NIL era, prompting the New York Post to tab him as one of the early poster boys. He has worked deals with Panini trading cards, BioSteel Sports Nutrition, and the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Agent Dusty Stanfield estimates the Heisman Trophy contender will make into the seven figures.

Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei, who subbed for Trevor Lawrence for a pair of starts last season, signed with Dr Pepper, which is putting him in a national commercial, and Bojangles restaurants.

Quinn Ewers should be attending high school, not Ohio State

Arguably the college recruiting story of the summer came out of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, where Quinn Ewers opted to skip his senior year to head off to Ohio State. One of his immediate moves was to sign with GT Sports Marketing to start taking advantage of NLI opportunities.

Ewers’ parents opposed his early entry into the Big Ten, but he wouldn’t have been able to sign marketing contracts and still retain eligibility at Southlake Carroll, where he threw for 6,445 yards and 73 touchdowns in two seasons as the starting quarterback.

Ohio State benefits by getting Ewers onto campus and integrated into their offense at least four months sooner than expected, even if he starts his  career as the fourth-string quarterback.

Quinn Ewers is making more money than anyone on the Ohio State faculty

In less than two weeks at Ohio State, 18-year-old QB Quinn Ewers has signed three deals worth about $1.5 million under the new NIL rules. While that may not come close to what Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day makes, Huddle Up reports that it’s still more than anyone on the university faculty makes.

Ewers reached a deal with a local beverage company back home and then an Ohio car dealership upon arriving in Columbus. That arrangement includes a $75,000 Ford F250 Super Duty truck.

The third deal is the contract with GT Sports Marketing for $1.4 million over three years, for which Ewers will sign autographs and potentially do other promotional work.

It’s a good deal for both Ewers and the Buckeyes recruiters. Every time Ohio State pursues a five-star recruit in the future, the coaches can dangle the possibility of playing for a national championship as well as cashing in to the tune of seven figures.

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