Joshua Dobson’s “Commitment” Further Exposes the NIL Disaster

In the pre-NIL era, a commitment often led other schools to back off and look elsewhere. Today, it serves as a starting point for other schools to begin their attempts to flip the recruits. If other schools know that a committed player has a deal for 1M, they can always see if a flip is possible if they raise the price to 1.1M or 1.25M. There are two specific programs to keep an eye on with Dobson.

Michigan: The Wolverines made a serious and aggressive late push for Dobson before his announcement. There are also plenty of signs that head coach Sherrone Moore and his staff have full intent to continue to recruit Dobson until he officially signs his National Letter of Intent.

Texas A&M: The Aggies were the long-time favorites to land Dobson and currently hold the consensus No. 1 recruiting class for 2027. Backed by a massive donor network, expect Texas A&M to continue their aggressive approach.

While some people have questioned Dobson’s integrity, his comments are just an honest evaluation of the current system. Players often use their commitment as leverage to see if other schools will raise their financial offers.

As for coaching staffs, the work doesn’t stop when a player commits. South Carolina must continue to recruit Dobson every single day to protect their investment. Meanwhile, Michigan and Texas A&M treat his commitment as nothing more than a hurdle.

There will be plenty of eyes on Dobson over the next six months leading into National Signing Day. Does he stay committed with Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks or become a late flip to Michigan, Texas A&M or maybe darkhorse candidate that suddenly has more NIL money to spend. Whatever happens, his process will remain a fluid until the ink dries on his actual contract.