College football 2026: How much does a Power 4 starter earn?
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Darian Mensah signed with Miami in a deal believed to approach $8M, the most extreme quarterback outlier, while Oregon's Dante Moore, Arch Manning (Texas), and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) form an elite tier earning revenue share plus brand money.
- Quarterback deals now range $1M–$3M for Power 4 starters, with SEC and Big Ten programs paying $2M–$3M and the ACC and Big 12 paying $1M–$2M, per an SEC GM; one Big 12 GM said a $1M starter is 'probably an inexperienced guy at this juncture.'
- The elimination of the spring transfer portal created a single January window, intensifying bidding wars — one agent said, 'you've got one shot at this. When the portal's over, that's your team.'
- Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham warned NIL rising 20%–40% annually is 'not sustainable,' as some CFP contenders spent beyond $20M on rosters this offseason and SEC/Big Ten schools continued to widen the financial gap over the Big 12 and ACC.
- Running backs range $300K–$800K, with elite deals hitting $1M–$1.2M per Big Ten staffers; 2027 five-star Tennessee commit David Gabriel Georges reportedly secured ~$2M per year, raising eyebrows across the industry.
- Wide receivers range $400K–$1M, with Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Cam Coleman, and Malachi Toney as top-tier outliers; Smith said he was offered $10M to transfer, and GMs believe he could earn $5M–$6M this year plus NIL endorsements.
- Schools are 'getting really creative on the MMR money,' per an agent, using multimedia rights and apparel partnerships to turn a $3M revenue-share deal into $6M, making reported cap numbers an unreliable proxy for true player compensation.
Why it matters: The January-only transfer portal has turned roster construction into a high-stakes bidding war, with Power 4 quarterbacks routinely earning $1M–$3M and elite passers like Darian Mensah approaching $8M. SEC and Big Ten programs are widening the financial gap over the Big 12 and ACC, and the true all-in cost of rosters is being obscured by creative use of multimedia rights money.
Ask SkimNews
