Former Texas WR BJ Johnson says Urban Meyer offered to pay him to play at ND

Name, image and likeness has been a game changer in terms of paying athletes for their likeness, but has also had an impact on recruiting. Honestly, has that changed? NIL should be called “Now It’s Legal”.

Schools shaking hands at $100 with potential signees isn’t that surprising. But our ears always perk up when players talk about their recruitment, especially before the era of the NIL and the transfer portal.

One of those players talking about his past before and in Texas is former Longhorns wide receiver BJ Johnson. He played with Roy Williams from 2000 to 2003. He rushed for 2,389 yards and 16 touchdowns during his time with the Burnt Orange.

During an appearance on “On Texas Football,” Johnson said the three-time national championship-winning coach asked how much it would cost to get Johnson’s commitment.

“Damn, Urban Meyer locked me in an office at my school, and no shit asked me directly,” Johnson said. “He said to me, BJ, how much? And that’s when he was at Notre Dame.

The fact that Johnson would say this about Meyer is not shocking to anyone who has followed Urban throughout his college career. We’ve seen what happens when he’s in charge of a program, just look at the Florida Gators or the Ohio State Buckeyes. He wins, but it comes at a price.

You can watch the full interview with Urban Meyer’s recruiting and pay-for-play segment starting around the 31-minute mark.

Meyer was recently named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. He never had a losing season as head coach, winning three national titles in 17 seasons. There’s no doubt he’s a great coach, but he’s always been questionable behind closed doors and off the field.

The story was originally published on Longhorns Wire