Revenue Clauses & Heisman Chaos

Good Morning!

Thursday, July 10, 2025
Welcome back, realignment refugees, fantasy addicts, and football truthers.

The off-season isn’t slowing down—it’s just getting weirder. Between NIL clauses written by villain origin stories, QBs disappearing like they’re in the witness protection program, and a Heisman race already drenched in July overreactions, college football remains unmatched in its glorious absurdity.

This newsletter is for those who read spring game box scores, build preseason DFS lineups in spreadsheets, and know the backup kicker at Appalachian State. If you’re here for recycled AP blurbs and playoff chalk, you’re in the wrong huddle.

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📰 HEADLINES: Where Sanity Goes to Die

FSU's "Generous" Revenue Sharing Has a Kill Switch
July 1 was supposed to be a new era—direct revenue sharing between schools and players. But FSU’s fine print allows the school to terminate payments if a player gets hurt or sick. It's like offering health insurance with a “void if used” clause. So much for progress. 📎 Read More

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff Vanishing Act?
Coach Kalani Sitake did everything but confirm it: QB Jake Retzlaff is likely exiting the program after off-field drama and disappearing from workouts. In steps Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier (yes, related) and McCae Hillstead. BYU’s QB room is giving “transfer portal roulette” vibes. 📎 Read More

Arch Manning Headlines SEC Media Days
Texas’ chosen one gets the microphone next week in Atlanta. Arch Manning will be joined by Steve Sarkisian and key players, officially kicking off the Longhorns’ SEC era with a media blitz. Expect buzzwords like “legacy,” “prepared,” and “totally not nervous.” 📎 Read More

💥 HARD-HITTING OPINION: Let’s Not Pretend This Is Progress

Revenue sharing is here, but don’t cue the victory parade just yet. Schools like FSU have built in clauses that let them cancel payouts if players suffer “serious injuries” or illness. Translation: get concussed on Saturday, lose your check by Monday.

Meanwhile, the richest programs are throwing Monopoly money at recruits, coaches are acting like hedge fund managers, and the phrase “student-athlete” is basically performance art. It’s time to stop pretending this system is fixable with patches. Players need real protections—or we just admit this is pro football with worse dental coverage.

🏆 HEISMAN ODDS: Way-Too-Early and Already Hot

As of July 9, here’s the top of the board:

• Arch Manning (Texas): +600 – Still the favorite. Still hasn’t played a meaningful snap. Still a Manning.

• Garrett Nussmeier (LSU): +800 to +900 – Strong arm, SEC schedule, and Kelly’s “QB whisperer” aura.

• Cade Klubnik (Clemson): +1000 – Rising fast. Clemson’s system is finally letting him cook.

• Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): +1200 – Freshman phenom turned playoff savior. Vegas believes.

Biggest Mover:
Smith has dropped from +1700 to +1200 in two weeks. He’s the second-most bet-on player behind Arch. Not bad for a sophomore.

Value Pick:
Still Smith. You’re telling me the WR1 in a Ryan Day offense—who already owns playoff records—isn’t worth a dart throw at +1200? That’s fantasy-level ROI in a real-life market.

🔍 ON THE RADAR: Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You

👀 Montana State Going Rogue
NIL money is flowing—at Montana State. The Bobcats are outspending some G5 programs and quietly lining up for a portal takeover. FCS arms race incoming.

👀 Scott Frost’s Redemption Tour?
He’s back. He’s at media days. And he’s “learned from the past.” Whether that means more QB draws on 3rd-and-12 remains to be seen. We’ll believe in Nebraska when it beats Illinois by more than 4 points.

That’s it for this week’s edition of “we should probably unionize college athletes but also I need to win my dynasty league.”

We’ll be back Monday with a fresh stats drop, fantasy cheat codes, and more NIL-fueled chaos.

Until then, remember: punting is for cowards.

— The Convert on Fourth Down Team

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