Ohio State’s Reluctance Toward NIL Aggression Threatens to Derail Recruiting Momentum and Leave Buckeyes Lagging Behind Elite Programs
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of college football’s most storied and successful programs. From legendary names like Woody Hayes and Archie Griffin to recent stars like C.J. Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes have rarely struggled to attract top-tier talent to Columbus. However, the rapidly evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has presented a new kind of challenge—one that the program’s leadership has not fully embraced with the aggressiveness needed to keep up with its fiercest competitors.
As college football continues to shift toward a pay-for-play model through NIL collectives and endorsement deals, some programs have leaned fully into the reality of the new era. Schools like Texas, Georgia, Oregon, and even long-time Big Ten rival Michigan have ramped up NIL operations, using organized collectives and public messaging to demonstrate their commitment to financially rewarding elite talent. Ohio State, on the other hand, has taken a more conservative and calculated approach, banking on tradition, development, and long-term branding rather than short-term paychecks. But as recent recruiting cycles suggest, this strategy may be burning them.
There is growing evidence that Ohio State is losing recruiting battles to schools with more aggressive NIL operations. Several top targets in the 2025 class have either flipped their commitments or simply never gave the Buckeyes serious consideration despite long-standing interest—citing unclear or underwhelming NIL support. This comes despite Ohio State’s immense resources and massive alumni base, which, if fully activated, could rival any program in the country in NIL firepower.
Most recently, the Buckeyes were dealt a blow when 5-star quarterback Tavien St. Clair, once considered a solid Ohio State lean, began to entertain offers from schools more aggressive in NIL presentation. While the Buckeyes remain in the mix, insiders close to the recruitment suggest NIL hesitancy could be the deciding factor if he ultimately chooses elsewhere. And this is not an isolated incident. In the past two cycles, Ohio State has seen high-profile recruits either flip to NIL-focused programs or quietly eliminate the Buckeyes because their collectives could not match other offers.
This situation is especially frustrating for Ohio State fans and boosters who understand what the school could be in the NIL era if it decided to go all in. The infrastructure is there. The brand is strong. The television exposure is elite. But the current leadership—particularly within the athletic department and collective operations—has sent mixed messages about how far Ohio State is willing to go. The mantra from the top has consistently been about sustainability and responsibility, but in a world where recruits are making decisions based on upfront compensation, patience may be misinterpreted as weakness.
Head coach Ryan Day has openly acknowledged the challenges. He’s admitted that Ohio State needs to do more on the NIL front to remain competitive. Last year, Day made headlines when he stated that the Buckeyes would need at least $13 million annually just to keep their roster intact. That number raised eyebrows, not just for its size but for the urgency implied. However, while awareness has increased, action has lagged behind.
The Buckeyes do have NIL collectives in place—namely “The Foundation” and “1Team.” These organizations have done solid work, securing deals for key players and helping retain stars like TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka for another year. But compared to programs that are securing multimillion-dollar deals for high school seniors, Ohio State’s NIL posture still feels reactive rather than proactive. In a landscape where perception can influence a recruit’s choice as much as actual compensation, Ohio State simply isn’t winning the optics game.
Furthermore, other Big Ten programs are adapting. Michigan, once seen as similarly cautious, has leaned into NIL with increasing energy. Penn State is forming deeper ties with local businesses and donors. Even emerging programs like Nebraska and Rutgers have ramped up collective operations to stay competitive. As the Big Ten expands and new media deals pour in, every school is seeing the importance of NIL—not just as a perk, but as a recruiting necessity. If Ohio State lags behind its conference peers, it risks losing its place at the top of the Big Ten hierarchy.
There’s also a cultural element at play. Some longtime Ohio State supporters worry that the program’s emphasis on tradition and loyalty is becoming a liability in a transactional era. It’s admirable that the Buckeyes still want to prioritize development and education, but those values no longer guarantee a commitment from a top-50 recruit who’s being offered six figures elsewhere. The market has changed, and Ohio State must evolve with it—or risk getting left behind.
Of course, not every prospect chooses a school purely for NIL money. Many still value coaching, culture, and academics. But in a close race between programs that all offer elite facilities, winning traditions, and NFL pipelines, NIL can tip the scales. And right now, Ohio State’s scale is being tipped the wrong way too often.
The Buckeyes’ recent close calls and recruiting setbacks could have longer-term implications. In the ultra-competitive world of college football, one or two subpar recruiting classes can cause a noticeable drop-off on the field. While Ryan Day has consistently brought in top-10 classes since taking over, the margin for error is thin—especially when competing with Alabama, Georgia, and now increasingly Michigan for College Football Playoff spots.
Another concern is transfer portal retention. While NIL has mostly been discussed in terms of high school recruiting, it plays an equally important role in keeping current players from jumping to other programs. If players feel underpaid or undervalued, they can and will leave. The Buckeyes managed to retain most of their core roster heading into 2025, but that might not always be the case without a stronger NIL ecosystem.
To turn things around, Ohio State needs a unified, aggressive NIL strategy that doesn’t just respond to opportunities—it creates them. That means more collaboration between the athletic department and collectives. It means clearer communication to recruits and their families about what’s possible in Columbus. It means pushing the fanbase and local businesses to contribute at a higher level. And it may even require rethinking how open the program is about its NIL capabilities. Transparency, in this market, is not weakness—it’s leverage.
There are signs of hope. In recent months, The Foundation has teased bigger initiatives and events, including partnerships with major donors and corporate sponsors. Some influential alumni have begun to speak out publicly, calling on the school to modernize its approach. And with the College Football Playoff expanding and NIL regulations slowly stabilizing, there’s still time for Ohio State to reassert itself as a dominant force in recruiting.
But time is ticking. Every missed five-star, every flipped commitment, and every transfer portal departure is a reminder that the Buckeyes cannot afford to coast on legacy alone. This is a new era—one built not only on helmets and highlights, but on contracts and collectives. If Ohio State wants to remain among the sport’s elite, it must lead in NIL just as it has led on the field.
For now, though, the Buckeyes find themselves dangerously close to being burned once again by a reluctance to fully embrace the reality of college football’s financial future. The question is no longer whether NIL matters—it’s whether Ohio State is ready to treat it like it does.
