Not long ago, we used to joke that the biggest payday in high school football was a free team meal or maybe a new pair of gloves. Now? A young baller out of Alabama, Cameron Pritchett, reportedly turned down a $750,000 NIL offer to transfer high schools (AP News link).

Yeah, seven-hundred-fifty-THOUSAND.
To transfer. High. Schools.

And he said no.
Because he wanted to stay loyal to his school, his teammates, his people.

That’s some real one behavior. Respect.

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🧭 Let the Kids Eat… But Let’s Be Smart About It

I’m not mad at the money.
If a kid can earn a little NIL bag, cool. As long as no one’s manipulating them or treating them like a walking ATM in cleats. But let’s be real—not every kid has a strong circle around them to help sort through agents, offers, taxes, contracts, and all the fake love that comes with a check.

That’s why I hope high schools start building some kind of support system—not just for the athletes, but for their families too. NIL changes how college recruiting works. Now it’s not just “What school do you love?” or “Where do you fit?” It’s also:
“Who’s offering real money?”
“Is this collective legit?”
“Can this coach develop me and protect me?”

That’s a lot for a 17-year-old to carry.

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💸 Coaches Still Getting Pennies While Players Get Paid

Here’s the wild twist:
Most public high school coaches aren’t even getting paid like that.

Stipends?
Maybe a couple thousand a season.
That’s gas money and a few trips out to eat after a win.

And now some of these athletes will make more in one NIL deal than their coach will in 20 years.

Let that sink in.

You think that doesn’t add pressure? You think that doesn’t shift the locker room vibe? It’s got to. The dynamic changes when your star player is pulling up in a new ride and you’ve got coaches you can barely pay.

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🏈 NIL: Good, Bad, and the Wild Wild West

College football already showed us what NIL can do without structure.
The good? Some kids finally getting what they’ve earned.
The bad? Tampering, sketchy agents, and programs buying rosters like it’s fantasy football.

High school is next in line. And we don’t have the oversight. Yet.

The kid who said no to the $750K? He’s a beacon of what this could be—loyalty, team-first, still focused on the game.
But for every kid like him, there might be five who get chewed up by the business.

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🚧 Final Whistle: Protect the Players, Build the System

NIL isn’t going anywhere.
And I’m not here to hate on it.
But we need to build guardrails before we start seeing more young athletes getting used, confused, or burned out before they even hit campus.

If schools care about these players, they’ll invest in education, legal guidance, and financial literacy.
Not just Gatorade and gear.

Until then, shoutout to the real ones choosing loyalty over likes and team over transfer bags!