Talkin' NIL: Top WPIAL football players speak about their future deals in college and its effects on recruiting

Central Catholic High School receiver Pete Gonzalez made a verbal commitment in June to play next season at Penn State, and there is an NIL deal waiting for him when he gets to Happy Valley.
But he’ll have company in the NIL deal department.
NIL (name, image and likeness) deals have become a gigantic part of college athletics. It is important to point out colleges themselves aren’t permitted to pay NIL deals, but money can be paid to athletes through collectives, which are independent of the school but fund NIL opportunities for student-athletes.
“The way it works at Penn State is all freshmen scholarship players start at the same base,” Gonzalez said. “You have a certain amount guaranteed, and the amount grows each year that you’re there. And once you get there, depending on your playing time in the future and other factors, you can get more deals with companies.”
NIL deals like those at Penn State have become commonplace in college sports, especially football and basketball. And they have become a big part of recruiting. But the NIL deals are bigger at some colleges than others.
Ten seniors on WPIAL football teams this season have committed to play at colleges in the Power Five conferences. The Post-Gazette spoke with most of the 10 about whether they have NIL deals waiting for them in college, how NIL deals might have swayed their decisions, if at all, and how they think NIL deals now affect the recruiting world.
Besides Gonzalez, Pine-Richland offensive lineman Ryan Cory said he has an NIL deal waiting for him at Wisconsin and Central Catholic defensive lineman Ty Yuhas has one at Pitt. Central Catholic linebacker Cole Sullivan, a Michigan recruit, said he doesn’t have an NIL deal set up at Michigan, “but there are plenty of opportunities for me to get NIL deals when I get there.”
Pitt has worked out a deal with Alliance 412, the university’s preferred collective, where each of the 85 players on scholarship receive NIL compensation in exchange for various services. Yuhas said all Pitt scholarship freshmen players will get a base amount through the collective. There is an opportunity for the amount to increase in the future, and players also can get other NIL deals along the way.
Pitt and other colleges don’t release money figures for NIL deals that come through collectives or a company. Yuhas said he isn’t totally sure of the money he will get as a freshman but said with a laugh, “It definitely seems like a lot to me.”
Sources have indicated Pitt’s current teamwide Alliance 412 deal pays a player at the lowest tier just over five figures for this year.
Gonzalez received scholarship offers from numerous major colleges, and his three finalists were Penn State, Virginia Tech and Miami. He said all three had NIL deals on the table for him through collectives and that collectives at some schools present bigger NIL deals than others.
“A lot of the schools are different. They’re all trying to navigate this space,” Gonzalez said. “Some schools offer different amounts to recruits [through collectives], and I could see how that could cause some division. It is a big part of recruiting now, and schools can leverage NIL deals to get some recruits. But it all comes down to what the individual is looking for. If money is something you really need or would really help you out, I could see it factoring in your decision.
“For me, NIL really wasn’t a factor in choosing Penn State. It came down to the environment there and the distance. The NIL deal was just a bonus.”
Gonzalez is one of three Penn State recruits from the WPIAL. The other is Central Catholic teammate Anthony Speca, a linebacker, and Belle Vernon running back Quinton Martin, who is rated the No. 51 player in the country by Rivals.com. Martin has an NIL deal right now with a men’s fragrance “Ovation For Men.” A year ago, the PIAA approved rules that allow Pennsylvania high school athletes to accept NIL deals.
Pitt also has three WPIAL seniors who have committed to the Panthers — Yuhas, Penn Hills quarterback Julian Dugger and Aliquippa linebacker Cam Lindsey.
“The NIL was important, but it wasn’t the most important thing on my mind,” Lindsey said. “But I think how much money a student can make can definitely impact some because one school might not offer as much as another.”
Yuhas committed to Pitt in February and at that time had only one other scholarship offer to Kent State. He committed to Pitt a day after the Panthers offered him a scholarship.
“I never got a chance to talk much about NIL deals,” Yuhas said. “I focused on playing for a good staff and a good school. But I think NIL deals affect recruiting a lot. Say you’re one of the top players in the nation. If you’re 18 years old and someone is waving all this money in your face, then you’re going to take it, even if you don’t play as a freshman.
“The thing I like about what Pitt does is everyone starts out the same when you’re a freshman. No one is offered more money. I honestly could see it creating problems in the locker room if you give a freshman coming in more than a fourth-year starter. Of the schools that do it well, I think Pitt and Penn State do it well.”
Pine-Richland’s Cory chose Wisconsin over Pitt and Vanderbilt, but he also had scholarship offers from, among others, Penn State, West Virginia, Oregon and Kentucky.
“Everywhere I went, people talked about NIL, but I didn’t pay much attention to it,” Cory said. “I’m not a glitz and glamour guy. I get to go to college for free and I’m crazily blessed for that. For me, NIL didn’t impact my decision at all. I’m a real program guy and I just like the culture at Wisconsin.
“But I think it’s impacting other kids. I think it’s playing a huge role in the recruiting world. Kids are going to schools that they never thought they would go to just because of what is being promised them in NILs. Some of the numbers are crazy. It’s definitely changed the recruiting world the past two years.”
Central Catholic’s Sullivan also had scholarship offers from colleges across the country before choosing Michigan.
“I think NILs should be a factor in everyone’s decision, but it’s not everything,” Sullivan said. “There are definitely kids who make it a bigger factor than others. I just don’t believe that’s what you go to a college for. You go to a school that you want to — and not based on a NIL deal promised you because you don’t even know if it’s true.
“Anywhere you go, the best players earn the best NIL money. That’s just how it works. But I think kids should earn it by performance on the field or service or community work off the field. I think that’s what Michigan is doing. They’re providing kids an opportunity to earn money, but it’s not just given.”
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
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Published August 30, 2023, 8:18PM