Four-Star Tennessee Commit Gets Massive NIL Offer From Utah Booster Despite Not Being Recruited By Utah

Daevin Hobbs committed to Tennessee in the Class of 2023, but not without an NIL push from Utah. Well, not necessarily from the school itself, but one of its "boosters."

Daevin Hobbs got a big NIL offer from someone associated with a school that was not recruiting him.

His story is the perfect example of the Wild, Wild West that is Name, Image and Likeness in the modern era of college football and recruiting.

Head coaches and their staffs are having people operate around them without any direct contact. Boosters are going rouge. Athletes are seeking compensation packages that aren't feasible. NIL is unregulated mayhem.

Hobbs is a four-star (or five-star, depending on where you look) defensive line prospect. He is the No. 51 overall player per On3 and the No. 7 player at his position.

From Concord, North Carolina, Hobbs had offers from 26 programs. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, UNC, Michigan, Maryland, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Tulane and Ohio State were all in on his recruitment, among others, but Tennessee got his signature.

Utah was not one of the schools in pursuit of Hobbs. He did not have a scholarship offer from the program, nor did he ever visit Salt Lake City.

Hobbs recently spoke with Chris Hummer of 247 Sports and revealed a unique wrinkle to his recruitment revolving around the Utes. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound lineman said that it was not uncommon for a third party to reach out regarding an NIL opportunity.

In one instance, he received a direct message from a verified account with millions of followers. The person that messaged him offered $600,000 for Hobbs to play his college football at Utah.

Understandably, both he and his mother were in shock. That is almost as much money as a late-round NFL Draft pick's rookie salary— being promised to him as a senior in high school.

While the promise of six figures sounds great, it leads back to the fact that Hobbs did not have an offer from Utah. The Utes were not recruiting Hobbs, as one of their boosters (for lack of better term) was offering him $600,000 in his direct messages.

Welcome to the NIL era of college football! Buckle up, because it's not slowing down anytime soon.