College football 2026: How much does a Power 4 starter earn?
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- ESPN surveyed more than a dozen Power 4 general managers and a dozen agents at the annual Personnel and Recruiting Symposium in Nashville to define 2026 price ranges for every position entering Year 2 of revenue sharing.
- Quarterback deals now typically land between $1 million and $3 million, with Brendan Sorsby (formerly Texas Tech) and LSU's Sam Leavitt pushing the top of the market to $4M-$5M; Oregon's Dante Moore, Arch Manning (Texas) and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) form an elite tier pulling in additional NIL brand income.
- Running back pay sits at $300,000-$800,000 for most starters, but Big Ten staffers put the top of the market at $1M-$1.2M, and five-star Tennessee commit David Gabriel Georges is reportedly getting around $2 million per year as a freshman.
- Wide receivers typically earn $400,000-$1M, though Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith — who said he was offered $10 million to transfer — is believed to be making $5M-$6M this year, with agents calling Smith, Auburn's Cam Coleman and Miami's Malachi Toney the rare players who 'get whatever they want.'
- The elimination of the spring transfer portal concentrated all roster movement into a single January window, and agents say that compressed urgency is driving prices higher because 'when the portal's over, that's your team.'
- SEC and Big Ten programs continue to outspend the Big 12 and ACC, with the most competitive schools spending well beyond $20 million on rosters this offseason and blending revenue sharing with third-party multimedia rights and apparel money — 'so $3 million can turn into $6 million quickly,' one agent said.
- Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham warned that NIL rising 20-40% a year 'is not sustainable if we stay on the path we're on right now,' while an ACC GM pushed back on viral social media claims of $40M rosters and $2M tackles as 'not reality.'
Why it matters: With revenue sharing in Year 2 and only one transfer portal window, Power 4 roster economics are accelerating fast: SEC and Big Ten front offices are already bracing for QB deals around $6 million next January, while Big 12 and ACC programs face a widening talent and budget gap that agents describe as 'greater than ever' — and coaches are publicly questioning whether the trajectory is sustainable.
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