Maryland defensive back Jalen Huskey used the first check he got for the use of his name, image and likeness (NIL) rights to pay for his apartment. Then he bought a used car. Then he earned his family’s Brother of the Year award.
“I did help my sister with college tuition this past summer,” Huskey said at Big Ten media days. “If I’m in my position and I can give back to my family, that’s 100 percent something I want to do.”
Four years after college athletes became eligible to earn money based on who they are and what they do, NIL agreements are everywhere in college football. This summer, The Athletic asked 57 current players about their first major purchase funded by an NIL check. Their answers ranged from helping out their family to exotic trips to bedroom furniture upgrades.
Here’s a look at some of their answers.
Wheels
On college campuses, the status benefits of possessing the coolest ride possible are every bit as important in 2025 as they were in the 1950s.
Four players surveyed got Dodge Chargers: Syracuse quarterback Rickie Collins, Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt, Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne and Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor. Collins called buying his orange Charger “more impulse than anything.” Mesidor “loved the way it roars.”
Ford Raptors were the truck of choice for Cincinnati offensive lineman Gavin Gerhardt, Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby and BYU linebacker Jack Kelly. (Sorsby added that he also “got my teeth done … definitely wouldn’t have done that in the old days.”)
Three wide receivers — Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, Louisville’s Chris Bell and Houston’s Stephon Johnson — got Dodge Durango Hellcats. Tyson bought his out of envy: His older brother Jaylon Tyson, a guard with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has one and “never let me drive it.”
Minnesota defensive end Anthony Smith ordered his Dodge Ram TRX from Chicago. “It was my first big-boy purchase,” Smith said. “I couldn’t be happier. Literally, I can’t stop smiling while I drive that thing.”
SMU offensive lineman Logan Parr bought a cactus gray Ford Bronco with off-roading capabilities included. “I don’t do any of that, but knowing I can if I want to, I love showing that off,” Parr said. “I go to Starbucks a lot just to show it off there.”
Cincinnati tight end Joe Royer purchased a Mercedes-Benz GLE 53, while Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt went with a Mercedes-Benz GT63. Kansas State linebacker Des Purnell and Houston defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr. bought Ford Mustang Mach-E editions. Houston receiver Mekhi Mews got a 2025 Tesla Model 3.
Not everyone opted for a four-wheel vehicle. Minnesota safety Koi Perich preferred a scooter, despite living in one of college football’s coldest locales.
“It’s probably my best purchase ever,” Perich said. “It’s the only thing I ride on, too. I love that thing.”
Jordyn Tyson and Sam Leavitt have been rewarded for bringing Arizona State back to national prominence. (Kelsey Grant / Getty Images)Hobbies
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton chose to play a few golf courses. Iowa center Logan Jones also turned to golf, picking up a new driver — “thought it would help fix my mega-slice, but it did not.”
Duke offensive lineman Brian Parker II, a self-described “big fishing guy,” got some new rods and equipment for his boat. “I bought some Fenwicks for inshore with some nice Penn Battles, and then offshore I bought a few new Penn International 50 wides for some marlin fishing,” Parker said.
Texas Tech quarterback and outdoorsman Behren Morton bought 150 acres of land near Cross Plains, Texas, which he plans to lease out to hunters when he’s not there.
“It’s 30 minutes from my parents’ house,” Morton said. “It has some fishing tanks on it, little elevation change so a lot of deer, pigs, varmints, ducks, everything.”
Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas sent birthday presents back home, including NERF guns to his brother. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita bought Meta Glasses. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson ordered customized Yeti coolers and tumbler cups with the Baylor logo for every teammate and several staff members.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson invested in a Sleep Number mattress, which he calls “easily the best thing I’ve bought.”
“The reason I got it is because it’s the same bed Patrick Mahomes uses,” Johnson said. “The bed I was sleeping in, it was a hand-me-down that caved in the middle. I was getting really bad back pain. You spend a third of your day in the bed. That’s what I needed to get better recovery and better sleep at night. It’s paid off so far. And I got it on sale.”
Then there’s California defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina, who built his own PC with his NIL earnings and listed off its specs at ACC media days.
“I’m a big Nvidia guy,” Keanaaina said. “I’m biased, I don’t care if others are cheaper. It’s kind of like the PS5/Xbox debate. Intel, that’s where I’ve always gone. I have the i9-13900K (processor), 4080 (graphics card) in there, 1200 power watt and I run dual monitors for all my PC games. I love hyper-realistic games, ready-or-not shooters, strategy, RPG. That’s my arena.”
The finer things
Several players mentioned vacations, expensive clothes and trips to their favorite restaurants.
Wake Forest defensive back Davaughn Patterson went deep-sea fishing in Key West. Stanford tight end Sam Roush took a fishing trip in San Francisco. Louisville linebacker T.J. Quinn went to Jamaica in May. BYU linebacker Isaiah Glasker took multiple trips: the Bahamas, Jamaica and a California cruise.
UCF defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly took his daughter and around a dozen family members to Disney World and SeaWorld. Louisville quarterback Miller Moss splurged on a trip to Tahiti.
To no one’s surprise, clothing also is important to many college football players. Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley, a sneaker aficionado, bought some Nike Air Force 1s. Syracuse defensive back Berry Buxton III loaded up on shoes and jackets because “Syracuse is cold, so you can never have too much hoodies, too much zip-ups.”
LSU receiver Chris Hilton said most of his money goes to food, and Waffle House is his restaurant of choice. Stanford offensive lineman Simione Pale loves Korean barbecue but also binges on BJ Restaurant’s renowned Pizookie.
“It’s like a skillet cookie,” Pale said. “I’ve spent plenty on Pizookies.”
Investments
Then there are the players who set themselves or their families up with longer-term support. Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron said lifting some of the financial burden off his parents is “the best NIL purchase for sure.”
Texas Tech defensive lineman Lee Hunter purchased a house for his mother in his hometown of Mobile, Ala. Cincinnati defensive tackle Dontay Corleone bought a home near Cincinnati and lives only a couple of blocks from his mother — “And I got it on a good price,” he said. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is working on buying his mother a home.
Texas Tech defensive lineman Romello Height bought his mother a GMC Yukon and his father an apartment in Atlanta. “I’m big on taking care of my people,” Height said.
Several players consider their NIL funding as a nest egg for a bigger financial future. Stanford cornerback Collin Wright said he has invested all of his money. “I put it in index funds and ETFs that are very diverse, S&P and NASDAQ and all that,” Wright said. “They give me a very diverse portfolio with consistent growth. I hate losing money.”
Wake Forest defensive back Nick Andersen said his father has helped him invest his money, but he did buy a pair of Wolf & Shepherd dress shoes.
Syracuse punter Jack Stonehouse said he hasn’t made a big purchase and is saving his NIL funds for a down payment on a house. Virginia offensive lineman Noah Josey leaves most of his money management to a financial advisor but is looking into getting a Rolex.
Georgia linebacker CJ Allen and Arizona safety Xavion Alford both mentioned the ability to host their own youth camps. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht donated Xboxes to the pediatric rooms of a nearby hospital.
NIL also helped Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge make some key purchases before his wedding this summer.
“The best purchase was buying her a ring and the wedding bands,” Rutledge said. “We went shopping together. She gave me a reference of what she liked, I took pictures and kind of went back. I didn’t want to go the wrong way, so I asked her what she wanted.”
Finally, the most practical response came from Virginia linebacker Mitchell Melton: “I’d rather not disclose that. But the blessings of NIL let me be a sixth-year college football player.”
(Photo: John E. Moore III / Getty Images)