Over the last decade, college sports have changed drastically, and as each year passes, the differences between playing in the NFL and college football continue to disappear. NIL entering college football, paired with the Transfer Portal, has given players a similar structure to free agency in the professional ranks.
Few schools have adapted to this new era more than Oregon, especially on the college football side. Between the recruiting prowess of Dan Lanning and the Ducks having Phil Knight and Nike as a financial supporter, the coaching staff has been able to recruit and retain talent at an elite level.
Dante Moore will earn more than LeBron James this season
On Friday Morning, the NBA world finally got an answer to the biggest question of the offseason as LeBron James announced he would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. As LeBron James looks to push for one more championship, he surprised many by signing a 2-year deal that will pay him roughly $4 million per season.
When you look at what LeBron James is earning, compared to the modern salaries college athletes are making, it's surprisingly well. According to On3's NIL figures, this season, Dante Moore, along with several other college football stars, will be paid more than LeBron James, with $5 million in projected contract earnings.
College Football players with higher 2026-27 contract earnings than LeBron James👀https://t.co/lKh1hwwTVW https://t.co/AlhVVhcK2Z pic.twitter.com/u0ybpGpBX9
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) July 24, 2026
When you compare NBA salaries to NFL salaries, the NBA players make far more than the players in the NFL despite the fact that football is far more popular. Considering that the NBA players make more than NFL players, it's surprising that so many college football players would be earning more money compared to the college basketball stars.
The fact that Dante Moore will be making more than LeBron James, even on a discount, speaks to Oregon's power in this NIL era. Dan Lanning and the coaching staff were able to get Dante Moore to pass up on making far more in the NFL Draft where he would've been a 1st round pick, in part due to the NIL offer the Ducks could provide.
Oregon has been great at developing players under Dan Lanning, but in order to win in this era, you have to be able to pony up the funds to bring in elite talents. As long as Oregon continues to spend big on the NIL front and Dan Lanning continues to develop stars, it won't be long before the Ducks finally win the 1st National Championship in program history.
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