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Deep Dive: The True Price of a College Roster

On3 imageby: Ian Boyd05/01/25Ian_A_Boyd
Steve Sarkisian, Brandon Harris
Steve Sarkisian, Brandon Harris (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

In the NIL era, building a competitive roster comes with a whole new price tag. We break down what it really costs to stack talent, position by position, and how programs are navigating the new financial landscape.

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The video dissects how value is assigned to football positions in the NFL versus college, especially in terms of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) payments. NFL contracts show quarterbacks as highest paid, followed by surprising entries like linebackers, while positions like running backs and tight ends lag behind.

The hosts clarify that NIL compensation is a complex mix of real endorsement money and disguised pay-for-play schemes. Quarterbacks often attract the most NIL money due to media exposure, but this doesn’t always reflect their on-field dominance in college.

The lower the level of football, the more a talented running back can dominate. This holds true in junior high, high school, and to a lesser extent college, where physical mismatches still allow RBs to carry games.

Wide receivers are disproportionately more valuable in college than in the NFL. Great schemes and weaker defenses can let elite college WRs like those at Ohio State flourish, even with modest quarterback talent.

While NFL quarterbacks must master complex reads and adjustments, college QBs can thrive with simpler execution and pre-snap reads if supported by dominant receivers and smart schemes.

The value of positions like safety, nickel, and cornerback varies widely between college and pro levels. Nickel defenders, in particular, are becoming pivotal in college due to their hybrid roles covering the slot and aiding in run defense.

Although offensive line as a group sits mid-tier in value rankings, there’s a major divide between center and offensive tackle value. In college, left tackles are increasingly compensated like top-tier skill players.

Players like Brock Bowers and Bijan Robinson can justify spending at otherwise low-valued positions due to their game-breaking impact. However, misjudging this can waste resources and ruin roster construction.

Clemson’s 2025 roster, with a returning quarterback and strong WRs but average O-line and unknown RBs/TEs, is used to test the theory that elite WRs and competent QB can carry an offense.

NFL defenses can adapt better to follow WRs and disguise coverages due to narrower hashes and experienced players. College schemes are often simpler, which limits how defenses utilize elite talent.

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