"It’s not the kid's fault" "Why are minors getting paid that high?": Fans spark debate on post about the rising value of NIL deals for HS players

For better or for worse, NIL deals have already changed the college recruitment landscape. With top-ranked high school athletes such as AJ Dybantsa and Bryce Underwood reportedly being offered millions of dollars in NIL deals, the price for recruiting top athletes to play in college is expected to go higher and higher.

The new NIL landscape looks good for top athletes, as they can be compensated well for their performance. However, this might mean schools could lose millions so that they could sign a top prospect. The topic has sparked a debate on Instagram, with fans divided in the Top Recruitzz comments section on whether this could be good or bad in the long run.

"Who cares it’s not the kid's fault, lol," one wrote.

"If the players are able to get that kind of money, just imagine what the colleges are getting," another wrote.

"Think about how much money they have been profiting off the backs of these kids for 50+ years … Pay me every penny!" Another wrote.

Those against the idea of NIL deals costing tens of millions of dollars also made their voices heard.

"Bro ... Why are minors gettiing paid that high?" One wrote.

"20 million is crazy, like what’s the point of going pro after that. You set for life," another wrote.

"This is not good esp if that recruit doesn’t perform well the first season or two . Again there needs to be a cap on this, but I love that they are getting paid," another wrote.

Fans react to NIL deals changing college sports recruitment (Source: Instagram/toprecruitzz)

NIL deals initially started with high school athletes being paid to promote products such as shoes and sports brands like Nike and Adidas. However, these deals have now been used to lure top athletes to play for certain colleges, with a massive NIL deal reportedly causing football's top recruit Bryce Underwood to flip from LSU to Michigan. However, other factors may have been involved in that flip as well.

How much do Bryce Underwood's and AJ Dybantsa's NIL deals reportedly cost?

AJ Dybantsa's NIL deal was reportedly worth $5-7 million. However, the No. 1 ranked 2025 prospect admitted he chose the school because of its NBA-level coaching staff, not the money.

Meanwhile, Bryce Underwood was reportedly offered a four-year NIL deal worth $10-12 million, with several big-name Michigan backers helping fund the deal. This reported amount was much more than LSU's offer of $1.5 million annually for four years.