The chaos around NIL has hit a new high — or maybe a new low — and as usual, Auburn is right in the thick of the drama. With the NCAA waving the white flag on NIL enforcement after the House settlement, it’s now crystal clear: “Pay to win” isn’t going anywhere. And while some say Auburn was caught flat-footed, I’d argue the opposite — John Cohen made the right call. Even if some think Auburn played it too safe, I think they played it smart.
Let’s break it down.
The big shift here is that NIL collectives are now officially being treated like third-party businesses, not extensions of the university. That means they won’t automatically count against the $20.5M revenue-sharing cap — a move that opens the door for big-money programs to keep doing what they’ve been doing: buying talent.
Cohen was Right
A lot of people are were quick to say Auburn “got it wrong.” They believe Cohen and Freeze were betting on a crackdown that never came, and now Auburn’s recruiting class is paying the price. On a recent episode of The Auburn Express Jacob Goins said, “the high road was a dead end.” But I do not think that tells the full story.
John Cohen didn’t misread the room — he read the courtroom. Auburn was preparing for the possibility of real caps and enforcement. And while that didn’t materialize (at least not yet), it would’ve been reckless to assume there wouldn’t be legal limits, especially with so many schools and collectives under the microscope. Also, it was quite clear from the litigation that those caps were supposed to be imposed. The fact that they needed to come back and make changes proves that Cohen’s interpretation was, in fact, correct. The NCAA’s house was burning, and Cohen wasn’t about to run in with a gas can.
Here’s the truth: Auburn didn’t get beat because they were unprepared — they simply didn’t burn resources early in a lawless market that might have been reeled in. That’s not fear. That’s strategy. There are schools who are in a much tougher spot attempting to pivot than Auburn.
What Now?
Now that the fog has cleared, Auburn has pivoted — fast. Landing 4-star edge Jacquez Wilkes might’ve been the first shot in a new arms race. As Mike G noted, Auburn “dropped the bag” and did it right around SEC Media Days — likely in anticipation of the ruling. That’s not a program caught off guard. That’s a program waiting to strike.
Jacob pointed out that Auburn was sitting at 65th in the 2026 class, saying they’ve “got some serious ground to make up.” No disagreement there. But let’s not forget: no one signs in July. December is what counts. If Auburn ramps up now, and all signs say they are, they can still close strong — potentially with a top-15 class. Maybe even top-10 if they flip a few key targets.
And let’s be real — it’s not just Auburn. Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Missouri — a bunch of schools are “behind” because they were waiting to see how this all shook out. Are they all fools too? Or just careful? Some schools dissolved their NIL Collectives in the wake of the Revenue Sharing reality. Are those schools foolish?
Winning Matters Most
Were the detractors get one thing right: wins will help. And if Freeze can get this team to overachieve in Year 3, it’s going to do more for recruiting than any policy shift. But even without the wins (yet), Auburn has the money, the brand, and now the green light to spend it — without fear of NCAA overreach. However, the wins HAVE to come to hold this team together. Auburn has put a priority on retention. That does not come without winning.
So no, Auburn didn’t play it too safe. They played it smart in a moment of legal uncertainty. Now that the rules (or lack thereof) are clearer, they’re moving — quickly. And they’re still in the fight.
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