Report: Harrison Jr., Henderson Offered NIL Deals Rivaling 1st-Round NFL Draft Money

It's difficult to separate fact from fiction in the NIL era.

Christian Williams of Footballguys reported Ohio State stars Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson were offered NIL deals on par with what a first-round draft pick could earn in the NFL. Sports Illustrated's Andrew Brandt provided some context for what kind of money we're talking about:

Harrison is widely regarded as one of the best players in the 2024 NFL draft class and basically a lock for the top five. In terms of improving his draft stock, there's almost nothing he can gain by returning to Columbus, and it would presumably require a massive check to make it worth his while otherwise.

Under the terms of the NFL's rookie wage scale, here are the signing bonuses for each of the first five picks in the 2024 draft, per Spotrac:

1. $24,849,725 
2. $23,618,753 
3. $22,835,422 
4. $21,940,160 
5. $20,373,464

That doesn't take into account the additional money Harrison would collect from endorsements.

There's no question opening the door for NIL cash has given college athletes more to think about when the time comes for them to consider the next step in their careers. For the elite prospects such as Harrison, the choice remains pretty easy.

In the case of Henderson, there might be more incentive to stay with the Buckeyes for another season.

The junior running back is No. 60 on Bleacher Report's big board. He didn't crack the top 25 for ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who listed him as the fifth-best running back in the class.

There's a slim likelihood of Henderson being a first-round selection, and even the second round might be a bridge too far given how teams broadly view the running back position on draft day.

On3 projects Henderson's NIL value to be $670,000, which is not far off from what he could earn as a rookie in 2024.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Zacch Pickens was the first pick of the third round in 2023. He earns a $750,000 base salary along with $297,962 from his signing bonus this season.

Depending on what Henderson is hearing in terms of his draft outlook, donning the scarlet and gray for one more year may be the sensible call.