College football’s landscape isn’t what it used to be, and that goes for recruiting practices, as well. This month, top 2026 talent, OT Jackson Cantwell, flipped in the final moments from Georgia to Miami.
On3’s Ari Wasserman explained why that isn’t a bad thing for programs that aren’t included in the highest tier. What’s going on in the world of college football recruiting?
Analyst Ari Wasserman Details How Recruiting Has Changed in the NIL Era
Wasserman felt the ire of displeased fans after mentioning that NIL played a part in five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell’s Miami recruitment last week. He doubled down on it on his podcast with Andy Staples, stressing that it’s not a negative.
“The implication or the reporting that goes into us saying that Miami won out and that NIL leveled the playing field is 100% accurate, but that doesn’t mean that Miami doesn’t develop linemen,” Wasserman said Wednesday.
“No one ever said that. I left The Athletic for On3. On3 paid me more money. That doesn’t mean that On3 is a worse job; it means it was a great opportunity for me because I got to do a job that I love for more money. We have to stop this clinging to the past, where it’s family atmosphere (that’s driving recruits’ decisions). This is an entirely different ballgame.
“When Pete Nakos is putting out a crystal ball, he’s a business reporter. It’s not recruiting from 2005 anymore, okay? So you should be celebrating that Miami has deployed NIL effectively. You should be celebrating that Miami has done something to level the playing field.”
Wasserman pointed out that Miami hasn’t come close to Georgia’s level of overall talent over the past decade.
“If your team gets a five-star prospect they otherwise probably wouldn’t have gotten away from a traditional recruiting powerhouse as a result of NIL, be happy. It’s good when your program is functional enough to offer the type of money that is attractive to a player who can help you win a league title. It’s not criticism, it’s not hate, he explained.
“This isn’t Candyland, okay? So if you want it to be about Rudy and you want it to be about how they love your program and your place the way that you did, I’ve got news for you. That’s not college football anymore. It’s a business.”
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Staples supported Wasserman, pointing to how views on paying players have been influenced by the past.
“There was 100 years of brainwashing that said choosing a college for financial reasons was immoral,” Staples said. “Which, if you think about, with even just the slightest, little, tiny sliver of common sense, you realize the real world doesn’t work that way. Everything in the real world includes a financial consideration.”
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