New Clemson commit proves not every recruit looking for fast NIL money

Kylen Webb became a fourth Clemson pledge of the week on Wednesday.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Jun 09 13:04:03 GMT-05:00 2022

Not every high school prospect is looking for fast money.

Name, Image, and Likeness is the talk of college football and recruiting these days as schools jockey for position to dole out top-dollar to high school prospects. Some of those prospects are looking for the immediate effects of a paycheck. Some programs, like Texas A&M, are looking to find ways to finally buy their way into national relevancy.

With rules surrounding NIL nebulous, the entire process is a mess right now, causing head coaches to squabble publicly and some football parents to shop their players to the highest bidder instead of looking at the best fit from both a football and education standpoint.

But not every family is looking for that immediate payday. Some, like Kylen Webb, are looking more long-term into their future. Webb, the 4-star safety out of Riverview (FL) Sumner, committed to Clemson Wednesday afternoon, fresh off an official visit this past weekend with his family.

Webb and his family saw what Clemson has to offer from a NIL standpoint and saw the construction on the Tigers’ new branding institute, but all of that took a backseat to what head coach Dabo Swinney had to say, according to Webb.

“The NIL, I know how big it is now. Dabo, he really talked about it and said he's all for it,” Webb said. “But he doesn't want us to miss out on the focus of the education side and the school and the sport. The NIL can take over as the main focus.”

Swinney has made it known that while he supports NIL, he doesn’t want it detracting from a player’s education.

“It’s crazy times,” Swinney said. “It really is. For me, I’ve always been about education. I think that is, and should be, the No. 1 thing. Nobody talks about that. Nobody talks about the value of education and all that goes into that, and the long-term development of young men and preparation for life. It’s really just become all about the short-term.

“I just think that is not good for the game. It’s not good for the young men, quite frankly. As adults, we gotta do a better job in helping. They’re 17-, 18-, or 19-years old. Most adults can take themselves back to that time. There are a lot of great changes. People write a lot of things that just aren’t true, but we have to focus on what’s best for these young men long-term. … A lot of these changes are really good … As chaotic as it is and as uncontrolled as it is, there are no rules.”

Webb said he knows the money will be there – if he chooses to pursue it – and that Clemson has the tools in place to help. Instead of an immediate payday, however, he wanted to choose a school that would be a benefit both now and in the future.

“Going in, I knew the NIL would be there. Clemson is an excellent program and the high demand they have because they are a powerhouse is there,” Webb said, “So, being a player there, then NIL will come. But that was really my last focus as a recruit. I was looking more for what the school had to offer me as a young man and how I can benefit from it in the long-term instead of the right-now money.”

For those who are interested, construction is continuing on the CAB.

Clemson is the first athletics program in the nation to construct a space dedicated to the development of NIL activity – The Clemson Athletics Branding institute (or CAB). The institute will provide an environment to educate students, incubate ideas, and serve as a launchpad for student-athlete opportunities. The CAB will feature a photo studio, video studios, audio suite, office space and a media training area over 12,000 square feet. The building, presently under construction, is located adjacent to the Poe Indoor Football Complex.