Marcus Freeman reveals how NIL impacts playing time decisions

In the NFL, the sense is higher-paid players are more likely to start, given the salary cap impact. But at the college level, Marcus Freeman doesn’t see that trend as the NIL era continues to evolve – though he noted a couple rare instances during his time at Notre Dame.

Freeman cited the two transfer quarterbacks the Fighting Irish brought in under his watch: Sam Hartman in 2023 and Riley Leonard in 2024. If there was a tie in the quarterback competition, Freeman would have been inclined to give it to the higher-paid player. His goal would be to make it “fair” for the starter with regard to expectations.

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But Freeman said he doesn’t run into such decisions about playing time much since his approach is that freshmen have to earn their spots. His reasoning is simple. If they put in the work and play their way into a key role, they’ll have opportunities to make even more money.

“I think as I look back to the two transfer quarterbacks that we had previously with Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard, I remember having a conversation: If it’s a tie, you have to put the guy out there you’ve invested the most money in because it’s not fair to the guy who’s starting,” Freeman said on Bussin’ with the Boys. “Because the minute he throws an incomplete pass, they’re going to boo him and say get the other guy in. That’s the only time that’s really mattered. The rest, like, if you’re an incoming freshman, no matter what you make, you’ve got to earn your opportunities. And guess what? If you do earn those things, you’re going to get paid more money.

“That’s why I say it’s a little bit different where, first-round picks in the draft, they’re paid so much, you have to go in there and you’d better start, or someone in the personnel department’s probably going to be fired. Whereas here, your incoming freshmen aren’t making the money that your dudes are making. So they have to earn the right to make more money. When they earn the right, they’ve earned it on the field, and then they’re compensated for it.”

Roster construction continues to change as the revenue-sharing era comes up on its one-year anniversary. Schools can now directly pay players up to $20.5 million, and that figure will go to $21.3 million on July 1. Of course, there’s also the third-party NIL component and “above the cap” potential.