AJ Dybantsa pushes the boundaries of NIL

Rumors surrounding rising superstar AJ Dybantsa’s potential NIL deal indicate that the coveted recruit could push NIL payouts to new heights. Many are speculating that the potential top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft could fetch as much as $4.5 million from a Big 12 program.

Dybantsa – ranked No. 1 by the 247Sports Rankings and other composite rankings – has expressed interest in Alabama, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and North Carolina. To3 reports that his father, Ace, is “in charge” of a recruiting package that could start at $3 million and go up to $4 million, with a source close to BYU telling the outlet that “they are willing to pay $4 to $4.5 million pay pay.”

Dybantsa is represented by Leonard Armato, who previously represented Shaquille O’Neal and Oscar De La Hoya. However, his father has made it clear that his son is unaware of the potential NIL money situations – and he prefers it that way.

“Actually, AJ doesn’t know how much NIL they are offering him,” Ace Dybantsa told On3. “My wife and I decided not to tell him because we don’t want money to play a role in where he wants to go. … Our advisor, he arranges the money for us. To give you an example, let’s say he chose South Carolina, which they offered. They have $5 million on the table and Kentucky comes, Kentucky has $3 million. AJ wants to go to Kentucky, he’s going to Kentucky.”

Despite the elder Dybantsa’s claim, sources close to Auburn and USC have told the media that their schools are no longer in contention because they simply don’t have enough money to recruit him.

“I do know that the father has been pushing such figures from the beginning,” a source told On3. “He pushed for $3 million while we were in the mix. The father has basically said from the beginning that he’s going to the highest bidder.”

However, money isn’t the only thing that should drive AJ Dybantsa, or any other athlete for that matter, in the battle for a NIL deal. From a business perspective, the elder Dybantsa is absolutely right to negotiate the highest possible payout for his son. But there are other factors that could influence Dybantsa’s future, and they should be paramount despite the huge amounts of money being discussed.

NIL first became a way for college athletes to get paid in 2021 when the first interim policy was conducted by the NCAA. Since then, the concept of the NIL has gained far-reaching acceptance in college athletics, with the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I members adopt new policy in August 2024 that – among other benefits, including more mental health resources – “provides more opportunities for student-athletes to receive assistance in arranging NIL deals,” suggesting that the NCAA is not just accepting these deals as part of the college athletics experience but actively encourages them to new players.

“The NCAA is making changes to provide student-athletes with more benefits for their academic success and health and well-being,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. “Today’s progress was made possible by the DI membership’s commitment to these investments and by student-athlete leaders spearheading these long-awaited changes.”

But an NIL deal is not just about ‘name, image and likeness’. While there are certainly legitimate criticisms of the program – including the inequitable distribution of resources among college athletes – there are also plenty of net positives beyond the initial nice payout.

For example, NIL deals help student-athletes build their brands. Like it or not, today’s athletes cannot simply be ‘good at ball’; they need to be a business unto themselves and create a public-facing persona. This broad approach to business allows athletes like Dybantsa to also connect with fans, especially by building a social media presence, which is partially funded by the initial dollars provided in the NIL.

However, there is one potential blind spot with NIL deals the lack of guaranteed education for student-athletes who sign such deals. A combination of school policies and state laws determine the types of deals athletes can make, meaning there is no set regulatory body for these types of deals. Some schools require student-athletes to receive business advice and/or economics training before signing deals, and some schools prevent student-athletes from signing certain NIL deals (for example, alcohol is usually a no-go when it comes to NIL deals , for what may be obvious reasons).

So while athletes like Dybantsa can learn how to invest their money wisely and make appropriate business deals, there’s no guarantee they will… and the results of that failure, as countless professional athletes have shown time and time again, can be devastating.

In the long term, NIL deals allow athletes like Dybantsa to prepare for a career off the field or on the field. No athlete can play forever. So what do they do next? Whether they choose to coach, become diversified entertainers (a la Shaq) or commentators, or simply retire from the sport altogether, NIL gives them the freedom and ability to do so.

Dybantsa’s talent on the field is undeniable, and there is no doubt he should accept the NIL deal that best serves his short- and long-term goals. But money shouldn’t be the sole deciding factor in his decision, regardless of the best intentions behind those advising him to do so.