Leonard Fournette Says He Would've Made Over $10M from NIL Deals During LSU Career

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette said on the Rich Eisen Show that he could have made over $10 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals if they were allowed by the NCAA during his time at LSU:

Fournette was a superstar for the Tigers. He notably amassed 2,206 yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2015 season, which followed a 1,161-yard, 10-touchdown performance the year before despite sharing the backfield with Terrence Magee.

Naturally, Fournette would have broken the bank at LSU, one of the biggest football programs in the country and a place where over 100,000 people routinely watch home games.

The $10 million estimate may not be all that far off. Per Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, an unnamed 5-star Class of 2023 recruit inked an NIL deal with a school's NIL collective that could land him up to $8 million.

Fournette entered LSU as the No. 1 recruit in the country for the class of 2014, so he likely could have filled his coffers right away.

Alas, the NIL rules were not in place until July 1, 2021. Fournette was able to cash on his skills in the NFL, though, and just signed a three-year, $21 million deal to stay with the Bucs.