6 Wisconsin Badgers football players who deserve NIL backpay from $2.8 billion NCAA settlement
The NCAA’s landmark settlement in the House case included a pool of roughly $2.8 billion to be set aside for former college athletes who weren’t allowed to be compensated for their name, image and likeness.
The backpay is only for athletes who played between 2016 and 2024, dating back to a strong stretch for the Paul Chryst era of the Wisconsin Badgers
Those players just missed out on the opportunity to be compensated, but now they can file claims for backpay to at least try and recoup a fraction of what they might have been worth at the time.
These former Badgers football players stand out as the most deserving of retroactive pay from the settlement.
RB Jonathan Taylor
One of the highest-drafted Wisconsin players of this era, Taylor was a star the moment he stepped onto campus in 2017.
Three straight seasons leading the Big Ten in rushing, including back-to-back 2,000 yard seasons, would have earned him a pretty penny on the NIL market had it existed for him.
He signed a hefty contract extension with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, so backpay might not be as significant for him financially, but he deserves it on principal alone.
RB Corey Clement
Clement had his breakout season at Wisconsin just in time to qualify for potential NIL backpay.
He took over as the lead running back in 2016 and put up 15 touchdowns with 1,375 yards. That could have attracted some nice NIL deals, even if it wasn’t enough to get him drafted in the NFL.
Clement earned just over $5 million during his time in the NFL, according to OverTheCap, so some backpay from this settlement could be a nice consolation with his playing career behind him.
OL Tyler Biadasz
Offensive linemen might not land the biggest NIL deals, but All-American blockers at Wisconsin like Biadasz bring with them a valuable reputation.
His three years as a quality starter up front were critical for Taylor’s success in the backfield, and he brought similar rushing success to the Dallas Cowboys as a fourth-round pick.
Biadasz signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Washington Commanders a year ago, but his contributions for the Badgers deserve compensation too.
OLB T.J. Watt
