NIL deals keeping top NFL Draft prospects in college longer, former agent says

Since its inception, name, representation and likeness (NIL) deals person wholly transformed not conscionable however assemblage sports operate, but besides nonrecreational sports.

Collegiate players, knowing they tin enactment successful schoolhouse for different twelvemonth and marque important money, bash not person to crook nonrecreational successful bid to marque money. Former NFL cause Ben Dogra cited Oregon backmost Dante Moore returning to assemblage alternatively of declaring for the NFL Draft arsenic thing that mightiness not person happened successful a pre-NIL era.

"I deliberation it inactive remains to beryllium seen due to the fact that it's inactive comparatively new, but I deliberation you're seeing based connected what happened with the backmost astatine Oregon, Moore staying successful school. I would ne'er person anticipated a subordinate that would spell perchance apical 10 successful the draft, fto unsocial the apical five, would really enactment successful schoolhouse with the magnitude of wealth that he's consenting to risk," Dogra told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Oregon Ducks backmost Dante Moore (5) looks to walk against the Indiana Hoosiers successful the archetypal fractional of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal, astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Jan. 9, 2026. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

Moore was being projected successful immoderate mock drafts to spell arsenic precocious arsenic No. 2 wide to the New York Jets earlier deciding to return. Dogra wasn’t definite however large the NIL woody that Moore signed to enactment with Oregon was, but thought it influenced his decision.

"I cognize it's an idiosyncratic decision, but with NIL and erstwhile you look astatine Oregon and you spot 1 of their biggest donors successful (Phil) Knight of Nike, I don't cognize what was promised oregon what was done, but I deliberation it was important capable (to have) allowed the young antheral to think, hold a minute, I don't privation to spell out, the mode helium did, throwing a prime six and they deliberation they person a accidental to triumph a nationalist championship," Dogra said.

Dogra said helium expected players projected successful the 3rd and 4th rounds, possibly the 2nd round, to instrumentality to schoolhouse but not idiosyncratic who was projected to spell arsenic precocious arsenic Moore was. He said that immoderate players would marque much wealth returning to schoolhouse than declaring for the NFL Draft if they were projected to beryllium a mid-round pick.

"And immoderate players privation to enactment successful college," Dogra said. "Because they're making much wealth than if they're drafted. Right. I mean, that's the immense bulk due to the fact that there's lone 32 first-round picks, whether you similar it oregon not. That's it. And past you've got 32 second-round picks. That's wherever the wealth is. Once you commencement getting successful the 3rd round, that's a functional starter. Could beryllium a precise bully player. But those are (where) you're filling retired your roster and you're hoping to bargain those players successful the 3rd and 4th round."

NCAA INVESTIGATES AFTER DABO SWINNEY RAISES TRANSFER PORTAL TAMPERING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST OLE MISS

Oregon Ducks backmost Dante Moore (5) passes for a 20-yard touchdown successful the 2nd 4th during the College Football Playoff first-round crippled against James Madison astatine Autzen Stadium successful Eugene, Oregon, connected Dec. 20, 2025. (Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Dogra cited existent Miami Dolphins backmost Quinn Ewers arsenic idiosyncratic who opted to spell to the NFL Draft alternatively of transferring retired of Texas and extending his assemblage career.

"The trial cases aren't retired there, but Quinn Ewers is simply a beauteous premier example. All-American. He had to determination connected from Texas due to the fact that the committedness was to Arch Manning and alternatively of going to different school, which I deliberation they reported that helium was going to marque similar $7 cardinal successful NIL, helium elected to spell to the draft. He won't marque $7 cardinal wherever helium was drafted."

Ewers was drafted successful the seventh circular of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed a four-year, $4.3 cardinal contract. Not lone volition Ewers marque less, Dogra said, helium could beryllium retired of the NFL sooner due to the fact that of erstwhile helium was drafted.

"In 4 years, helium mightiness beryllium retired of the league due to the fact that you don't get the aforesaid magnitude of chances arsenic a late-round prime arsenic you bash arsenic a first-round pick. First-round picks, they springiness you each accidental to win due to the fact that the wide manager is going to fto you beryllium connected that squad for 3 years oregon he's getting fired, right?" Dogra said.

MIAMI STAR LINEBACKER EYEING RETURN FOR 8TH SEASON OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL: REPORTS

Texas backmost Quinn Ewers (3) passes against Ohio State during the archetypal fractional of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal crippled successful Arlington, Texas, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dogra said that not lone volition NIL impact who stays and goes successful assemblage football, but adjacent erstwhile agents scope retired to players now. In the pre-NIL era, assemblage athletes weren’t allowed to motion agents until aft their last assemblage game.

Dogra said that portion that regularisation remains successful place, determination is simply a antithetic dynamic successful the agent-player interaction.

"Now it's a antithetic dynamic. Although that regularisation remains successful spot with NIL, you're seeing that agents and selling agents are getting these players a batch faster than you ever anticipated. It's astir similar hockey. So, present you're going aft these players successful precocious school. So, if you spell aft them successful precocious school, however are you going to disseminate that accusation connected however bully that subordinate is going to construe five, six years from now? So, it's truly Russian roulette," Dogra said.

With contacts betwixt players and agents being earlier successful their vocation than they’ve ever been, Dogra said that agents person to measurement antithetic options successful however they privation to cultivate the relationship.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Miami Dolphins backmost Quinn Ewers (14) looks to manus the shot disconnected to a teammate against the New England Patriots during the archetypal 4th astatine Gillette Stadium successful Foxborough, Massachusetts, connected Jan. 4, 2026. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

"It's the Wild Wild westbound arsenic I accidental due to the fact that if you spell aboriginal and you cultivate that relationship, you could get stale and old. And if that happens, you're not going to motion the player. That's happening. But connected the flip hand, if you make that narration aboriginal and that subordinate pans retired and you physique that credibility, present you're going to beryllium successful the driver's spot for erstwhile they're eligible and it's going to beryllium truly hard for different radical to interruption down that door. So, it tin spell either way. But it's a batch much work. It's a batch much uncertain," Dogra said.

"That's going to beryllium precise unsafe and dicey for agents. It looks good. But a batch of those agents are going to suffer players due to the fact that recruiting is sales. That's each it is. And if you if you undersell, and overperform, you're going to support the player. But (the) inclination successful recruiting is precise simple. You oversell and underproduce due to the fact that you'll determination connected to adjacent year's guy. And with this transportation portal, you conscionable don't know. There's nary continuity anymore."

Dogra represented Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Mario Williams and Richard Sherman successful his career.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.