Kadyn Proctor Says Alabama NIL Money Wasn't Much Different Than Iowa

The drama of signing paperwork that will have you playing at one particular school for at least a year finally caught up to Kadyn Proctor. The Iowa native, who was one of the most coveted recruits in the 2023 class, flipped his commitment from the Hawkeyes to Alabama on Monday. But, it doesn't sound like it was all for the NIL money.

Proctor had been committed to Iowa since the summer. The 5-star recruit was planning to be the cornerstone of the future for Kirk Ferentz. But, when Alabama comes calling you have to listen, which is exactly what Proctor did. The 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive lineman had a change of heart after visiting Tuscaloosa on an unofficial visit this past weekend.

“When I went down there and got to see everything that was laid out for me, I just thought it was a better opportunity for me."

Alabama Signee Kadyn Proctor

Over the last few weeks Proctor was even offered by Deion Sanders after taking the Colorado job. But this sounds like a recruitment that was based on the opportunity to play at one of the top programs in the country. Proctor told the Iowa staff that he was de-committing last week, which opened up the flood gates for other schools to make their pitch.

“I thought I was settling at Iowa and when I went down there to (Alabama), I saw all the guys that are as big as me and have the same mindset as me and worked like me."

NIL Money Was Almost The Same Between Iowa And Alabama

When talking with local reporters on Wednesday, Kadyn Proctor made it a point to say that the NIL figures weren't that far off between the two schools. Now, whether or not you choose to believe that is up to you.

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Proctor was asked about NIL and how much that played a factor in his decision to choose Alabama, but was quick to point out there wasn't a big difference in the money offered.

"If people really knew about that situation, they wouldn't have been talking about that, calling me a snake and a traitor. Reality is, I’m not getting paid that much (more) as Iowa was going to give me. So, people didn't know that, but everyone has opinions.

"I don't want to say how much, but yeah, I don't want to say how much," a smiling Proctor told reporters.

Handling The Backlash From Iowa Fans On Social Media

Look, there's always going to be the crazy folks on social media who take the decision of a 17-year-old kid to heart. They think the kid has betrayed them, even though the keyboard warrior most likely hasn't played a snap of football in their life. Sure, there are folks at Iowa who are upset about recruiting the kid for so long, just to see him flip his commitment the day before signing day.

But in this day and age of Twitter and Instagram, folks come out of the woods to bash a young man for his decision.

“It’s just mind-blowing that 40-year-olds, 50-year-olds are calling me the p-word and saying ‘F-you,’ I’m going to hell and stuff like that. It’s just crazy to hear," Proctor said about social media backlash. "But I don’t give in to that stuff because if they were truly an Iowa fan, then they wouldn’t have been talking about that and they would have been happy for me to be going to Alabama and representing the state.”

If Proctor had the opportunity to take advantage of Name, Image, Likeness and make money for himself and his family, who are we to judge? This is a new era in college football. And the money is flowing for high-profile athletes. You certainly can't blame them for taking advantage of it.