In a recent interview with former NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Ohio State General Manager Mark Pantoni got honest about how complicated it’s become to recruit players nationwide. Winning over families with just ‘good vibes’ and NFL dreams isn’t enough anymore. Every player now comes with a literal ‘price tag’. That reality has Ryan Day going local.

“I think before geographically there were certain areas of the country you felt better about going into. But I think right now the farther you go from the Midwest and the state of Ohio, the price tags are going to go up based on distance,” Pantoni acknowledged.

With schools now having their own revenue-sharing and big NIL funds, it’s troublesome for Ohio State to attract top talent from powerhouse states like California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia. To make things more complicated, recruiting has also become much more like a business transaction.

In the past, coaches would ask a kid about their hobbies or describe the program’s winning culture to get a commitment from them. Now, the very first questions are usually, “Who is your agent?” and “How much NIL money are we talking about?” If the price is too high for what the player brings to the table, the staff has to make the tough call to walk away.

With costs rising like never before, that has forced Ryan Day’s hand, pushing Ohio State to focus much more on its own backyard.

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“If we think it’s going to be a huge number and we’re not willing to do that, we have to make some decisions and move elsewhere,” Pantoni said. “So you’re going to see with us at Ohio State. We’re going to put a lot more time and energy into the state of Ohio and the Midwest, even more so than we did before.”

Looking at this from a practical and financial standpoint, the logic is clear. It’s a lot easier to build a relationship and keep things affordable when a player is closer to home. However, that strategy isn’t without its risks, and the uncomfortable truth here is that the nation’s deepest talent pools still reside elsewhere.

To give you an idea of the scale, Texas, Florida, California, and Georgia account for over 50% of all elite recruits in the country. In fact, these four states alone accounted for nearly 700 active NFL players on 2025 opening-day rosters, with Texas leading the pack at 199 players. Plus, the weather’s nice.

As the talent is so concentrated, these states have become the epicenter of NIL competition. All recognized college programs battle hard for the top 300 recruits. Moreover, around 90% of them come from just these four, plus the state of Ohio. The Buckeyes have nine commitments so far and the No. 3-ranked class for 2027, per 247Sports. This would not have been possible if Ryan Day only focused on recruits from the midwest.

Despite that, even with all this money talk, Pantoni still believes that culture precedes championships. This can be seen by the commitment of the top recruit from the class of 2027, DJ Jacobs. When asked why he chose The Shoe, he said, “The reason I committed to Ohio State was because the development is just different there, and definitely because I wanted to be part of that culture and everything over there. I’m just really excited to get down there.”

While Ohio State have to be competitive with the cash, they still want guys who genuinely want to be Buckeyes and fit into the locker room. It’s a tricky high-wire act between paying for talent and ensuring the team doesn’t lose its soul.

The NIL curse doesn’t stop with recruits, the portal, and programs. It now comes with an even bigger obstacle: agents.

GM explains the growing challenges posed by player agents

Notably, Mark Pantoni stressed how agents have turned the transfer portal into a massive, 24/7 headache. He described their wicked game where his phone is constantly buzzing with calls from agents pitching ‘shopping’ lists of players.

These agents often claim their athletes ponder about leaving their current schools just to fish for the highest NIL price tag before the players even officially decide to move. The challenge here isn’t just about finding new talent; it’s a constant battle to keep the players you already have.

Pantoni explained that agents often send him lists of players from other teams, and they’re also sharing lists of his own Buckeyes with other GMs. This situation requires the coaching staff to devote significant effort to re-recruiting their players and preventing rivals from tempting their stars away with shadow offers.

The recent case of Luke Ferrelli going to Ole Miss and the accusations around tampering by Dabo Swinney are just the tip of the iceberg. We are bound to see more players being poached using methods that are still in the grey area of being unethical but not totally illegal.