I hope Jeudy-Lally comes in and is a difference maker, but you talk about being "loyal" then cite a guy who is coming to his third program. Sadly, this is what college football is becoming in the NIL era. And the guys who display the most talent, who make impacts on the field, they'll have the opportunity to make the most money. Will that piss off teammates? Probably, but if they want in on the action, they'll have to up their performances as well. It's no different than the NFL where not everyone is paid the same.
And I'm not arguing for Igbinosun here. That ship has sailed. What I'm saying is big name talent will expect to be paid, and some of that talent will be worth it. So, for us to sit here and poo-poo that as "unfair" or "detrimental to the team", to try and claim some moral high ground, it's kind of ludicrous. This is what NIL has created. And it's okay to hate the new system, but if our ultimate goal is to be champions, which it should be, then we either adjust or accept we'll never quite reach that level. And given the choice, I'd rather adjust to the new system, because I want to see Tennessee win a National Championship again. Every fan should, IMO.
One last note, if another established school, like an Ohio State, had offered Jeudy-Lally a more lucrative NIL deal, I doubt he would be here either. Again, this is the system NIL has created. And without set guidelines, it's probably only going to get worse.
