High school football: No. 1 prospect Quinn Ewers considering leaving Southlake Carroll early to cash in on NIL

In a move that could set precedent for high school sports, Quinn Ewers, the nation's top football recruit, said Wednesday he's considering leaving Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) early to enroll at Ohio State in order to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities.

Ewers told Yahoo Sports he's got several offers that could net the Dragons' quarterback nearly $1 million in the next year alone. However, taking the NIL offers would mean forgoing his senior season at Southlake Carroll or battling the state of Texas to allow him to profit as a high schooler.

The UIL said legislation prohibits prep players from cashing in on NIL money, and the National Federation of State High School Associations has said profiting off a player's relation to his or her team is prohibited.

The Texas NIL bill says, in part, "no individual, corporate entity or other organization may: enter into any arrangement with a prospective student athlete relating to the prospective student athlete's name, image, or likeness prior to their enrollment in an institution of higher education."

The college landscape changed dramatically earlier this month when the NCAA adopted the policy allowing athletes to benefit financially.

Ewers appears to be the first high-profile high school football player willing to miss out on his high school experience. He told Yahoo Sports that one deal includes both cash and equity in the company.

He added that while he's not made his decision, the lure of playing one final season with his high school teammates does carry weight in the decision.

"If I enroll at Ohio State, obviously I'd be able to make money off the deals, and I feel like it'd be a big advantage of learning the playbook and getting comfortable with the campus and all my teammates. But if I stay and don't get paid, I may be able to win a state title," he told Yahoo Sports.

Ewers, who competed earlier this month in the Elite 11 quarterback competition, had planned to graduate early in order to show up on the Columbus, Ohio campus in time for spring football.