Vanderbilt's Uphill Battle: Navigating the NIL Landscape

Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea has been candid about the challenges his team has faced in keeping up with the rapidly evolving world of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. While the Commodores have seen increased investment in NIL prior to the 2024 season, the majority of those funds have been used to add transfer talent, leaving their high school recruiting efforts lagging behind.

Adapting to the New Realities of College Football

Falling Behind in the NIL Race

Vanderbilt's NIL program was initially limited, with Lea describing it as "minuscule" in 2023. However, the program saw a significant increase in funding, tripling in the offseason and then doubling again within a week. This allowed the Commodores to invest more heavily in transfers, such as quarterbacks Nate Johnson and Diego Pavia, tight end Eli Stowers, offensive linemen Chase Mitchell and Steven Losoya, linebacker/safety Randon Fontenette, and pass-rushers Zaylin Wood and Khordae Sydnor.While the Commodores have been able to bolster their roster through the transfer portal, their high school recruiting efforts have not seen the same level of investment. Lea acknowledged that the team has "not engaged in the paying of high school players" and as a result, they are "behind because of it." The coach emphasized that the current landscape of college football no longer allows for a world where this is not a part of the equation.

Missouri's Proactive Approach

In contrast, Vanderbilt's upcoming opponent, Missouri, has been more proactive in leveraging NIL for recruiting. The Tigers were already taking advantage of NIL before a state law was passed in 2023 that allowed high schoolers in Missouri to earn NIL only if they commit to a school in-state. This has allowed Missouri to land high-profile recruits like five-star wide receiver Luther Burden in 2021.Lea praised Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz's ability to "evolve and adapt quickly" to the new landscape, noting that the Tigers have gone from "battling for bowl games a couple years ago" to now being "in a position to fight for prominence in the sport." The stability at quarterback, with a third-year starter in Brady Cook, and the continued presence of Burden in the program have also contributed to Missouri's success.

Building the Infrastructure

In Lea's first year with the Vanderbilt program, the team had to focus on more basic needs, such as ensuring players had access to recovery shakes after practice. NIL was not a priority at that time. However, the Commodores have since built up their infrastructure, and Lea expects their NIL funding to "probably double again" before the 2024 season.Despite these improvements, Lea acknowledges that Vanderbilt is still "somewhere in the bottom half of our league" in terms of NIL resources. With high school players now also involved in the NIL equation, the Commodores face an even greater challenge in keeping up with their conference rivals.Vanderbilt's journey in the NIL era has been a challenging one, but Lea and his staff are determined to adapt and evolve. As the landscape continues to shift, the Commodores will need to find creative ways to level the playing field and remain competitive in both the transfer portal and high school recruiting.