Report: State of Texas 'moving toward' allowing own version of NIL for high school athletes

Student-athletes from the state of Texas could soon be allowed to profit from their name, image, and likeness according to a report from Greg Baily of ABC13 in Houston. This would allow some of the top recruits from the state of Texas to make NIL money the same way college athletes do.

Texas High School Coaches Association executive director Joe Martin told ABC13 that he expects the state’s legislature to “tackle” the situation during a session in January. Although there is no certain timeline as to when a potential high school NIL deal could come into effect, Martin thinks it’s something the state is “moving toward.”

“Martin has said that he and other high school coaches in Texas are preparing for the inevitable,” the report said.

Currently, in the Lone Star State, high school athletes are not allowed to make money on their name, image, and likeness. Athletic programs currently play under the University Interscholastic League, where their guidelines reject the idea.

Of the players in the NIL 100, 14 are from the state of Texas. Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba comes in at No. 12 overall, having a $1.1 million NIL evaluation. The former On3 Consensus five-star prospect comes out of Rockwall High School and has over 151,000 followers on Instagram and Twitter.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers ranks at No. 14, being the highest-ranked athlete still in the state. He opted out of his senior year at Southlake Carroll in favor of enrolling with Ohio State early. Ewers signed a NIL deal shortly after, despite being a true freshman.

After entering the transfer portal and landing in Austin, Ewers has a NIL evaluation of $947,000, thanks to 170,000 social media followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok. He has seen a 211% increase in valuation during the month of May.

Now, players such as Smith-Njigba or Ewers could potentially cash in on their NIL value while still in high school.