The Athletic's Manny Navarro answers questions from readers and in a recent mailbag took a swing at a question asking how much elite players are paid at each position.
Navarro's response was that no one really knows but over the past few years he's asked elite players at the national camps what they have heard or been offered. Here's a synopsis of what he replied, again with the caveat this is hearsay only from the "best of the best" players.
Top quarterbacks set the bar at $1 million.
A handful of players have told me over the past two years that $250,000 per year is the starting rate for the best high school running backs and receivers. You can make more if the school really wants you.
An offensive tackle headed to the SEC told me he was expecting to make nearly as much as a quarterback by the time he was a junior. He threw seven figures at me as a starting point. Another lower-ranked offensive tackle in the 2026 class said he was expecting to make at least $100,000 as a true freshman based on early conversations he’s had with schools.
An elite uncommitted 2026 defensive back said the going rate he’s heard is $300,000 to $700,000 for a top-five player at cornerback or safety. Another elite 2025 defensive back said every school that has spoken to him mentioned six figures minimum.
A defensive lineman told me he was expecting to make $250,000 to $300,000 his first season playing in the SEC. He said he could make upward of $500,000 per year once he became a starter. An edge rusher heading to an ACC program told me he’s likely to make $80,000 in his first season before becoming a starter and making more.
I had two high school All-America linebackers — one headed to the Big Ten and another to the SEC — tell me their packages were between $350,000 to $600,000 per year. An agent told me that is probably more upper crust than the average price for a high school All-American at that position.
Again, Navarro cautioned this is hearsay from elite players.
Navarro's response was that no one really knows but over the past few years he's asked elite players at the national camps what they have heard or been offered. Here's a synopsis of what he replied, again with the caveat this is hearsay only from the "best of the best" players.
Top quarterbacks set the bar at $1 million.
A handful of players have told me over the past two years that $250,000 per year is the starting rate for the best high school running backs and receivers. You can make more if the school really wants you.
An offensive tackle headed to the SEC told me he was expecting to make nearly as much as a quarterback by the time he was a junior. He threw seven figures at me as a starting point. Another lower-ranked offensive tackle in the 2026 class said he was expecting to make at least $100,000 as a true freshman based on early conversations he’s had with schools.
An elite uncommitted 2026 defensive back said the going rate he’s heard is $300,000 to $700,000 for a top-five player at cornerback or safety. Another elite 2025 defensive back said every school that has spoken to him mentioned six figures minimum.
A defensive lineman told me he was expecting to make $250,000 to $300,000 his first season playing in the SEC. He said he could make upward of $500,000 per year once he became a starter. An edge rusher heading to an ACC program told me he’s likely to make $80,000 in his first season before becoming a starter and making more.
I had two high school All-America linebackers — one headed to the Big Ten and another to the SEC — tell me their packages were between $350,000 to $600,000 per year. An agent told me that is probably more upper crust than the average price for a high school All-American at that position.
Again, Navarro cautioned this is hearsay from elite players.
