BREAKING: Miami Hurricanes star transfer additions sign their first NIL deals
The Miami Hurricanes’ new defensive linemen have signed their first NIL contracts after joining the team in the offseason.
With Name, Image, and Likeness becoming increasingly prevalent in the collegiate environment, several college programs and universities have their own ideas for how to use NIL funding.
Some use it aggressively to chase high school recruits, while others use it via the transfer portal to keep their roster intact and prevent their players from exploring financial opportunities elsewhere.
Since the NCAA legalized NIL, the Miami Hurricanes have led the way.
It has enabled many of their athletic teams to thrive, with funds from boosters and the institution being used to recruit and retain athletes.
Their two new defensive line transfers are the most recent beneficiaries.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, Simeon Barrow and Tyler Baron have signed NIL contracts with Miami’s collective Canes Connection, marking their first such deals since becoming Hurricanes.
The compensation wasn’t specified.
Both spring arrivals, Barrow left Michigan State after entering the transfer portal, choosing Miami over Missouri and LSU. Baron attended Tennessee for four years before transferring to Louisville this winter; however, he chose to join the portal in the spring and will finish his last season in South Florida.
According to Nakos, 75 of the 85 scholarship football players this summer have some form of contract, demonstrating how extensively Miami uses NIL in their program.
“We’ve been working on this for two years, and we’ve made steady progress in terms of roster and culture… We’ve made a significant improvement in terms of talent, development, and culture. “You need to address those other things to take that next step as a program,” stated head coach Mario Cristobal during the ACC meetings in May.
Bringing in Barrow and Baron up front will undoubtedly help.
Throughout their careers, the two have combined for over 200 tackles, 45.5 of which are for loss, and 24 total sacks.
