Quarterback will be top priority, but can Penn State afford one?
PSU point/counterpoint: What position needs to be addressed most by 2027?
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What I'm about to tell you is disgusting.
Next year, the NIL going rate for top-tier quarterbacks in college football will be $4-7 million per season, according to a report Tuesday by On3. That top-end estimate lasted all of one day, because Wednesday, On3 reported that Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is finalizing a deal worth $7.5 million, and it could reach $9 million with incentives.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills, since it's absolutely insane to me that a college football player could ever be worth $7 million, or $9 million a year.
But here we are.
We are all living in crazy times.
Penn State needs a quarterback next year. Rocco Becht will be gone, and there's just no way the Lions can turn the job over to unproven Alex Manske, who apparently wasn't even good enough to be given consideration to start when Becht was really struggling last month.
This is a gigantic problem for Penn State -- and for most other teams around the country. If you have to pay close to $7 million to contend for the best quarterbacks, then programs everywhere are going to be doing a lot of soul searching when it comes to just how competitive they truly can be.
There's no way Penn State can afford a $7 million quarterback. The program is already behind the 8 ball financially compared to the top spenders in college football, and that is not going to change because of the ongoing stadium financing concerns.
But if you cannot afford to pay for the best quarterbacks available, the risk is that you'll find yourself playing against those guys when other teams on your schedule do decide to pony up.
Paying top dollar doesn't guarantee anything with a quarterback. We all know this. The Lions just beat Washington and $4 million QB Demond Williams Jr., a solid player who's having a decent but not great season.
Becht reportedly is making about $2 million in NIL this season for Penn State. Nothing about him says franchise quarterback for a team that legitimately hopes to contend for a national title.
All of this is why I've already decided not to get too excited by anything that happens the rest of this season for the Lions. Even if they win out and go 8-4, it's not like the QB will be back next year along with a strong group of returning players.
We have no idea who PSU will land to play quarterback next season. It'll probably be some transfer who has a good track record, but just like with Becht, we won't have any clue how he'll handle the pressure of being at Penn State until he actually proves himself.
What I do feel confident about is that the Lions aren't going to be able to keep up with the biggest spenders around the country. I doubt they can pay $4 million for a QB, let alone $7 million or more.
The fact that we even have to talk about the idea of spending $7 million on a college player is bonkers. Give it another 10 years, and that crazy number probably will be more like $20 million.
Disgusting.
Cory Giger hosts the Blue & White Wrapup postgame show following each PSU game on JACK-FM 107.1