Aight, so picture this—kid’s been grinding since he was a toddler, dreaming about college football, throwing spirals before he could spell his own name. Fast forward, he’s got the golden ticket: a starting QB gig at Clemson, a fanbase worshiping him, and now? A bag so fat it probably needs its own seat on the team plane. But wait, the plot thickens—he’s out here low-key brushing off Joe Burrow’s advice like it’s lint on his Armani suit after bagging a deal with $4 billion giants. Oh yeah, you read that right. The same Joe Burrow who lit up college football like the Fourth of July just got curve-balled by Cade Klubnik himself.

Joe ‘Shiesty’ Burrow—the 2020 Heisman winner, the former No. 1 draft pick, and the coolest cat in the NFL (man literally owns a $2.9M Batmobile)—slid onto The Dan Patrick Show and dropped a bombshell take. “If you’re in high school and you’re getting offered that (NIL money), go wherever they are paying you the most.” Straight-up profit-driven! Love it or hate it, the man makes sense.

NIL changed the game, and Burrow’s all for securing the bag first, football second. College football is a business now, and if the money’s on the table, why not take it? After all, we’re talking about the same Joe Burrow who torched defenses for 60 touchdowns in his Heisman year, and let’s be real—if NIL had been around back then, he would’ve been pulling in a cool $10 million a year, easy.

But here’s where Cade Klubnik comes in, swerving in the opposite direction….

On February 13, the Clemson QB went on ‘Pure Athlete’ and basically said, ‘Nah, that ain’t me.’ Klubnik just secured a massive NIL deal with $4 Billion giant, Macy’s. For their perfume collab x Armani Beauty on their ‘Stronger with you’ campaign, decided to go the “love of the game” route instead of the “highest bidder” mentality.

“I’ve—I—I’ve dreamed of playing college football my whole life, and I never dreamed of doing it to make money. I dreamed of doing it because that’s what I want to do. I want to run out on a football field in front of 100,000 fans and play—play the game I’ve been playing since I was three years and not to go make money.” The Clemson QB1 doubled down, talking about his loyalty to Clemson, his belief in Dabo Swinney’s program, and how he never entertained those calls from other programs flashing bigger NIL checks.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Despite his whole “it’s not about money” stance, Cade’s over here flexing his Macy’s x Armani “Stronger With You” campaign on IG, stacking up deals while still preaching loyalty and development over the bag. Kinda wild, right? Look, it’s not his fault that he’s getting the bag while staying loyal. That’s common W for Cade Klubnik. When asked about recruiting and what high school athletes should focus on, Klubnik didn’t even entertain the idea of ‘follow the money.’ Instead, he talked about culture and coaching stability. 

Cade Klubnik laid it out straight, “That’s a great question. I’ve actually thought about that too. In just the sense of, ‘Okay, what advice did people give me when I was going through it?’ I remember one piece of advice was somebody said. You know, choose the university; don’t choose the coach. You know, if the coach leaves, are you gonna be happy there? Stuff like that. And I don’t necessarily agree with that. Because I think that the coach makes the program.” Solid advice, no doubt. But let’s not pretend like NIL ain’t a huge factor in modern-day recruiting.

Joe Burrow’s ‘money-first’ or Cade Klubnik’s ‘coaching-first’ approach?

Look, both sides got a point. Joe Burrow’s take is straight facts—86% of NCAA athletes were living below the poverty line before NIL came into play. That’s not just a number; that’s real life. The NIL era changed the game. Giving college athletes a way to actually profit off their name instead of just being unpaid stars for billion-dollar programs. And for some athletes, especially those from tough backgrounds. Turning down a seven-figure deal just to “trust the process” sounds crazy. Burrow knows this. He played the long game. But he also recognizes that in today’s era, you don’t have to wait until the NFL to secure the bag.

On the flip side, Klubnik’s stance isn’t totally off, either. If every player chased the biggest paycheck, the entire recruiting system would be a free-for-all, and programs wouldn’t be built on stability. The guys who actually want to develop, play for a system, and bet on their long-term careers? They might just come out better in the end. But let’s be real, Cade’s doing pretty well with NIL himself, boasting a $3.3M valuation. He’s literally the face of a major fashion campaign, all while repping Clemson orange.

End of the day, this is the new reality of college football. Some players will go full business mode. Stacking up deals like Monopoly money, while others will stay locked into their programs, believing in the process. NIL ain’t one-size-fits-all. But one thing’s for sure—whether they’re cashing in early like Burrow suggests or riding with a program like Klubnik, college football players are finally getting paid. And that? That’s a win for everyone.