Which former Sooner would have benefited the most from NIL change?
The college football landscape has changed. As of Thursday, July 1, college athletes are able to finally monetize their name, image, and likeness. The NIL laws have changed and now that the door has opened, many players across multiple sports are poised to make a profit off their platform. Several have already racked up endorsement deals or trademarked their personal brands including Oklahoma quarterback, Spencer Rattler. A major shift and many previous superstar college athletes and household names would have had an influx of endorsement deals had the NIL laws been in effect during their careers. CBS Sports created a listing of players who would ahev been perfect candiates in their resepctive era. Former Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth fell among the listing of prolific college players. Here is a walk down memory lane. One of the best linebackers in college football history was also the most complete brand the sport might ever see, even in the NIL era, from the aggressive and dominant defensive play to his hair and the epic NCAA shirt during the Orange Bowl after he was banned from the game for a positive steroid test. The Boz didnt have endorsements, but he was a non-stop endorsement of living unapologetically, and thats a trend that seems to connect across generations. His ability to perform has been proven with his acting career, and his Oklahoma-Texas roots would have made him an easy pick for NIL opportunities both locally and nationally.  Chip Patterson  From the bleach blonde hair to his flamboint personality, Brian Bosworth, aka The Boz would have cashed in big on endorsement deals. As one of the greatest linebackers in college football history to a man that dominated opponents and the headlines, Bosworth would have had a plethora of companies vying to plaster his mullet across their products. Many people had strong opinions on the college linebacker turned actor and he would have been a prime player to make the most of the current NIL laws. In the mid-80s, the hard hitter and brash talker would have made a splash in the bank off his image. He signed the largest rookie contract in history at the time ($11 million over 10 years) and no doubt he would have set the bar for rewards off endorsements. How he found his way into college football broadcasts, movie appearances, and commercials following his NFL career- serves as evidence to his lucrative earnings had Congress created the NIL law during his stellar college career.