College football is experiencing its craziest chapter ever, and it’s all because of NIL. Just this summer, the news cycle’s been full of tales of breathtaking NIL deals. Star wide receivers are inking deals with Adidas. And quarterbacks are spurning Nike. And some players are making more than their coaches ever imagined. “All you gotta do is look at the College Football Playoff and see what those teams spent, and you’ll understand darn well why they’re in the playoffs,” Deion Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days. It’s not, however, only about the cash. The entire recruiting process has become an auction game of sorts.

The recruits are looking to see which school can offer them the biggest endorsement package. And talking about motion programs, Syracuse University is quietly emerging as a big dog in the NIL game. Syracuse is out here playing the NIL game like pros, and the rest of the nation is beginning to take notice. Having had a solid football season with a 10-3 record and a win in the Holiday Bowl under Fran Brown. And with developments in basketball and lacrosse, Syracuse breathed a sigh of relief. They knew how necessary it was to get serious about NIL to remain competitive in college athletics.

The big shift? Athletic Director John Wildhack made the statement that Syracuse would use all the way up to the new $20.5 million per-year limit for athlete compensation, making a bold statement for the entire program. Syracuse consolidated their NIL collectives into a single entity—Orange United—and debuted a student-oriented membership model. The outcome? According to the NIL store, Syracuse was the third-best-selling store in the nation. The Orange began recruiting blue-chip players such as 2026 All-Americans Ibn Muhammad and Chase Geter. And also recruited five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell III over power programs like Michigan.

“Let’s not buy this big, dumb a— chain,” Fran Brown said on the Adam Breneman podcast. “What we’re gonna do is invest in this house right here—this whole plaza—together.” Coach Brown built a culture that recruits wanted to be part of, and the buzz started spreading. But his greatest play may be off the field: Brown is the first college football coach to sign with the NIL agency Network, joining Michael Vick and other notables in using his name to recruit talent and promote Syracuse’s brand. He borrowed the “DART” mantra (detailed, accountable, relentless, tough). But he wants to be more than that.

Brown desires Syracuse to be the destination in the Northeast. Rather than a stopover on the way to the big leagues. As per The NIL Store, Syracuse was 7th in the country in NIL merchandise sales last June, ahead of powerhouses LSU, Florida, and Ohio State. Freshman Kiyan Anthony was the 6th top-selling athlete in the country, with transfer QB Steve Angeli and others joining him on the list. Behind the scenes, they’ve hired general managers for both basketball and football to manage NIL operations, recruiting, and the transfer portal. Coaches such as Brown and Alex Kline are piling up wins.

NIL’s role in the Syracuse QB Race

The quarterback showdown at Syracuse this summer is a college football soap opera. Two high-profile transfers, Rickie Collins from LSU and Steve Angeli from Notre Dame, engaged in what could be the most fascinating QB battle in the ACC. Collins has the arm strength and the athleticism. He was also the early favorite after being tabbed as the starter in the spring.

But Angeli, with his level head and big-game exposure (remember him subbing for Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl?), is right there, straining. But this is where the narrative takes a crazy NIL turn. Steve Angeli, the “new guy,” is now the 9th best-selling player in the entire NIL market.

It means fans are purchasing his jerseys, his swag, and his narrative. Under NIL, that sort of off-field fame isn’t a nice added touch; it’s leverage. Now, coaches will always claim the best guy is going to play the position, and that is generally true. And when one QB is creating this kind of buzz and NIL money, it sends a signal regarding what the fan base desires. Fran Brown and his coaches monitor each throw during practice. And you can bet they’re monitoring the numbers off the field as well. Not necessarily because it pads Syracuse’s bottom line, but because it indicates where the juice is.