The line between amateur and professional earnings in football has never been blurrier. And one Ohio State star’s NIL deal is making an NFL contract look like the smaller prize. The Buckeyes WR Jeremiah Smith has been sitting comfortably in the top 3 of the top 100 NIL valued players in all college sports. QB Arch Manning ($5.3) and basketball star AJ Dybantsa ($4.3) are the only players ahead. Apart from them, other college athletes and a current NFL star are no match for Smith.

“Ohio State star WR Jeremiah Smith is making MORE money this year ($4.2M) than Seahawks star WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba ($3.6M). NIL college money is paying Smith more than what JSN is making on his NFL rookie deal,” reported the footballforever IG account, which has more than 500k followers. Jaxson Smith-Njigba is an Ohio State legend and had an incredible 2021 season with the Buckeyes.

The 6-foot and 197 lbs former Buckeye produced one of the most iconic seasons, receiving for 1,606 yards at an impressive average of 16.9 per reception. Not to mention, the Nacogdoches, Texas native ripped apart Nebraska’s defense, notching 15 receptions for 240 yards. A hamstring injury limited his 2022 season; still, in the 2023 NFL draft, he was the 20th overall pick by the Seahawks.

Now in the NFL, the former Buckeye produced 1,130 yards in 2024, making the Pro Bowl. In 2025, he’s even better as he has already notched 1,428 yards for 9 touchdowns and has still 4 games to play in the regular season. He is the only player in the league this year whose receiving yards per game are in triple digits (109.8).

All signs then point to Smith-Njigba becoming an All-Pro. Yet, the WR is on a four-year $14.4 million contract with the Seahawks, making his annual earnings less than Jeremiah Smith’s.

Smith, on the other hand, has an NIL value of $4.2 million, which signals that’s the bare minimum the sophomore would be earning this season. Add his Red Bull partnership, where he became the first college athlete to appear on a Red Bull can. Add his Adidas deal, and Smith’s undisclosed annual income may even touch $5 million. Moreover, recently, the WR was featured on the cover of EA Sports’ College Football 26 video game, giving him widespread fandom and a fan following. This is all strengthened by his on-field performance.

As a true freshman in his first year with the Buckeyes, he racked up 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping Ohio State win a national championship. This year, he already has 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s got to count for something more? Why join the NFL then, if one can earn more money in college football?

Are college football players delaying going pro?

It’s not just Jeremiah Smith, although he is the second-highest-paid player in college football. The reality of college football has changed, and landing decent QBs now costs around $500k to $800k per year. “There are a couple of people north of $2 million, but you’re mostly in that $600,000-$800,000,” said an NIL expert who works with Power Four collectives to CBS Sports.

Even in the transfer portal, the cost of getting a decent QB hovers around $1.5 million and is touted to reach $2 million as schools are more willing to spend. “The great ones are like $3 million. And if you don’t have one, it’s at least $1 million,” said an SEC GM to ESPN. Carson Beck ($3 million), Nico Iamalaeava (4 years, $8 million), and Darian Mensah (2 years, $8 million) are prime examples of such QBs. But the financial aspect isn’t just for QBs.

Want a running back? It would take $300k to $700k, and an agent argued that paying less than $750k for a starting RB would be “disrespectful.” As for a decent wide receiver, the price hovers between $400k and $800k, with some going up to $1 million. And for a generational talent like Jeremiah Smith, any price a program is willing to pay is right. Not to mention, even blue-chip recruits are now demanding multimillion-dollar payouts.

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“Some of these freshmen are coming in and making more than your No. 2 receiver,” a Big 10 staffer said to ESPN. Other positions like tight ends, OLs, DLs, and DBs are also commanding up to $1 million, especially for offensive tackle. The question now is, why not play full 5 years of college ball instead of registering for the NFL draft?

Many players are increasingly doing that. USC’s Caleb Williams did just that when the Bears were ready to pick him as 1st overall pick. Diego Pavia even won a lawsuit to increase his eligibility, and this was his final season at Vanderbilt. The Vandy QB has the current valuation of $2.5 million. Much of it was, of course, the hunger to succeed, but one can’t deny that a role in college football pays multimillion dollars. NFL glory then seems easy to delay.