It’s been a whirlwind week in the world of college football recruiting with top prospects announcing their commitments Wednesday as part of the early signing period. Of course, in this context, the word “commitment” is used quite loosely with mass transfers, the fluidity of most coaching situations and a sudden influx of NIL dollars conspiring to flip college football’s existing power structure on its head, with student athletes exercising their autonomy like never before.
The shift toward player empowerment was long overdue, though it’s also birthed its share of unintended consequences. These so-called “commitments” have never been flimsier with players constantly leveraging their de facto free agency into more competitive NIL offers, following the paper trail of booster money wherever it takes them. Even as Dabo Swinney and others bemoan the lawlessness that’s resulted from NIL, the NCAA has largely been applauded for its Laissez-faire approach, allowing players, in the spirit of late-stage capitalism, to finally cash in after decades of being exploited by their respective schools as unpaid labor.
The lack of regulation has created somewhat of a free-for-all, with Peyton Bowen’s recruitment illustrating the flaws of NIL, changing his commitment twice in a span of 24 hours. Bowen, a five-star defensive back ranked 14th nationally, committed to Notre Dame last January, but continued to visit other schools, touring the campuses of Alabama, Texas A&M and finally Oklahoma. The Texas native was waffling on his decision until last week, when a phone call with coach Marcus Freeman convinced him to honor his commitment to Notre Dame.
Unfortunately for Notre Dame, Bowen experienced another change of heart, spurning the Irish in favor of Oregon, who had offered a scholarship months earlier. Bowen’s indecisiveness continued, pivoting to Oklahoma hours later.
Anyone who’s ever read a Cheesecake Factory menu knows how paralyzing it can be to make a decision, particularly when there are so many options to choose from, each more appealing than the last. If you’ve ever stressed picking between Thai Lettuce Wraps and Jamaican Black Pepper Shrimp, you know the mental hell Bowen must be going through, a senior in high school making a decision that could affect the rest of his life. Factor in the overwhelming pressure of being a coveted prospect on the fast-track to NFL greatness, and you’ve got a dilemma the size of Saquon Barkley’s calves.
That said, you can understand why fans of Notre Dame and Oregon would be a bit peeved right now, humiliated by a player who, in all likelihood, had no intention of attending either school, instead using them to secure a better offer (and probably a boatload of NIL money) from Oklahoma. Loyalty is a naïve expectation in today’s college football. Unfortunately, that logic cuts both ways, with Deion Sanders wasting no time in overhauling his roster at Colorado, telling 13 of his incoming recruits to kick rocks.
College football has always been a nasty business, a conniving, backstabbing world of broken promises and wink-nod agreements forged behind closed doors. But it’s never been this chaotic with everyone and everything for sale, to the point where a player’s word means almost nothing. Seeing a player commit and decommit to schools twice in 24 hours is an utter farce, though maybe these growing pains are to be expected as the sport continues to evolve, searching for its identity amid a series of sweeping changes.
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