Maurice Clarett faded into the background of the white jumpsuits littering CFP Media Day at the Georgia World Congress Center.
It’s been 22 years since the Youngstown, Ohio, native carried the Buckeyes to a national title, storming onto the college football scene and, eventually, challenging the status quo around NFL draft limitations.
Now, in a world when Ohio State players and those scattered around the upper echelons of the sport are making well into the six and seven figures from NIL deals, Clarett has a unique perspective on the changes related to player compensation within the ecosystem.
“You have to have some sort of structure around it, just so players have the right valuation for themselves,” he told SBJ. “We’re about to get into revenue sharing ... once you bring more structure and regulation around it and loosely allow players to still capitalize off their brands, we're going to be in a better situation.”
Clarett’s battles are well-documented. He was suspended for the 2003 season amid an academic scandal. He sued to enter the NFL draft before completing a third college season (he eventually lost). Clarett then got drafted by the Broncos in the third round in 2005, but he lasted just a month in the league.
Point being, the ex-Buckeye star is a poster child for players who, under previous rules, couldn’t capitalize on the significant value they held as a college athlete, especially those who don’t reach that value in the pros.
“There's a ton of kids who would never be able to benefit at the professional off their name, image and likeness,” Clarett said. “... There's a lot of other kids who won't go out here and who won't have the opportunity to make money [professionally]. That's what I'm happy for because these young guys will be able to make their money.”
These days, Clarrett is more involved in college football than he had been in the decades prior. OSU coach Ryan Day has had him around the Ohio State program as a mentor of sorts. During the days leading up to CFP title, he spent ample time around varying functions and was on the field to celebrate the victory over Notre Dame.
Clarrett was never able to capitalize on NIL in the way Ohio State stars like Jeremiah Smith, Jack Sawyer and others can now, but his perspective carries weight.
“Your life plays a small role in pushing things forward,” he said. “Right now, a lot of people reference my moment, and [I] just played a small role. ... To be back around in this capacity is one of the coolest things in the world. I never thought in 20 years I would see all of this happen. But it's happening.”
