AUSTIN, Texas — It has been a summer of change for college athletes with the passing of NIL bills that allow them to make money from being a popular athlete. But in the state of Texas, that law does not extend down to high school athletes.  

What You Need To Know

  • College athletes are now allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness, but high schoolers cannot 

  • The top-rated recruit, Quinn Ewers, is skipping his senior season and enrolling early at Ohio State

  • Many around the state are wondering what lasting impact this may have on high school football in the state

In fact, according to the state law and the interpretation of it by the UIL, high school athletes in the state of Texas cannot profit off their name, image and likeness. That is a big reason why the top-rated recruit in the state, Quinn Ewers, recently decided to bypass his senior season to make money and enroll early at Ohio State.

"It's unfortunate I've found myself in this situation, as my preference would have been to complete my senior season at Southlake Carroll along with the teammates and friends I've taken the field alongside for the past three years," said Ewers in a statement. "However, following conversations with my family and those I know [who] have best interests in mind, I've decided it's time for me to enroll at Ohio State and begin my career as a Buckeye. This is not just a financial decision; this is about what is best for my football career."

Many around the state have wondered what type of lasting impact this might have on high school football or if the Ewers situation is unique and not a long-term trend.

"There's not going to be one of those at every high school. That's a unique situation," Lake Travis head football coach Hank Carter said. "I don't think it's going to be something that sweeps across the landscape of high school football."

Westlake head coach Todd Dodge has a unique perspective on the situation. His son Riley is the coach at Southlake Carroll, the school which Ewers left.

"I really don't worry about people leaving early for the money because I really don't think many of them will have that opportunity," Dodge said.

Dodge also has an interesting view because with Ewers now leaving Texas, Dodge's senior quarterback Cade Klubnik is the top-rated QB in the state. Klubnik is committed to Clemson and likely could have NIL opportunities, but he has made the choice to play his final year in high school.

"This year is everything for me. This is where I am right now, and this is what I'm going to put my heart into," Klubnik said. "I'm here for a reason and so excited to go out with my senior buddies that I've grown up with. I can't imagine not playing here for one more year."

The Ewers situation is also unique because he can graduate this summer and enroll early in college. Very few high school athletes would be on track to do that. Another top prospect in the state, Caleb Burton, will join Ewers at Ohio State in the future. Burton could have sat out this season after recovering from a knee injury last year, but he has his reasons for wanting to play.

"My goal was to play football, especially being injured last year," said Burton, a receiver at Lake Travis. "My dad is a coach, and a lot of coaches' kids don't get that opportunity a lot, so senior year [I'm] just focused on spending as much time with my dad and playing the game I couldn't play last year."

Early returns are that the Ewers situation won't be something that we will see happen often. But these coaches do see some potential other problems.

"My concerns would be there's a lot of families out there that think their kid is going to get a million-dollar NIL deal, and I don't think that's the case," Carter said.

Dodge fears that some kids might try to opt out of a season to stay healthy, so their NIL money will still be there in January after they graduate in December.

The one big question still lingers, though: should high school athletes be allowed to make money off their name, image and likeness?

Burton agrees as long as the student is financially responsible and not missing practice. 

"It really comes down to what your situation is. There's a lot of bad things that can happen with it in a lot of negative ways," Klubnik said. "I'm kind of 50-50 with it; sure, I'd like to make money, but I'm 17 years old and don't need to make a lot of money right now."

Carter said he doesn't have a problem with the concept.

"Your football career can be over at any time with an injury, so I'm not going to judge anybody based on that. They need to do what's right for them and their family," Carter said.

On the other hand, Dodge disagrees.

"I don't think it's appropriate. I don't think it's right," Dodge said. "Let's keep high school football pure. Our state is one that has tremendous passion for this game. We want all of our best players playing all the way through. I hope it doesn't come to that."