Texas made a major splash in the transfer portal over the weekend, landing two of the top offensive talents available: wide receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn and running back Hollywood Smothers from NC State, who flipped from Alabama after committing there Jan. 5.

Coleman, paired with Ryan Wingo, could form one of the top wide receiver duos in the country. In the running game, Arch Manning can turn around and hand the ball to Smothers, who is viewed as a potential first running back selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.

The interesting part though isn’t who they got, but how much they may have reportedly spent.

That’s because Georgia insider Rusty Mansell estimates Texas’ roster could cost as much as $40 million, while On3 Sports founder and CEO Shannon Terry estimates $3.5 million of that total went to Coleman.

Those figures raise questions about how schools are operating under existing limits. Under the House v. NCAA settlement, NCAA Division I schools are capped at $20.5 million in direct payments to athletes; and that’s all athletes not just the football team.

And apparently Texas could potentially DOUBLE that?? What in the world is happening to college sports??

Ty Simpson, Alabama’s quarterback, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft last Wednesday, forgoing his final year of eligibility. Reports indicate Simpson received first-round grades from every NFL team he spoke with.

Despite his decision, several college programs are still reportedly trying to get Simpson out of the draft and onto campus - with some VERY hefty offers.

Miami’s is now reportedly ready to make Simpson the highest-paid player in college football, ultimately reaching $6.5 million after starting at $4 million and quickly rising to $5 million. Tennessee and Ole Miss also reportedly offered $4 million.

As of Sunday, Simpson has not entered the NCAA transfer portal and has not yet signed his NFL Draft paperwork. A source close to Simpson said he and his family have spent “restless hours” discussing the offers.

Simpson is expected to remain in the NFL draft as one of the top three quarterbacks, alongside Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore. (Colin Gay, Tuscaloosa News)

As of Sunday afternoon, the only tickets remaining on Ticketmaster, the game’s official ticketing provider, were resale tickets, with the cheapest priced at $3,565. On the resale marketplace TickPick, the lowest get-in price was $3,370.

That figure is nearly double the get-in price for last year’s Ohio State–Notre Dame matchup, which sold for $1,830 on TickPick and previously held the record for the most expensive College Football Playoff national championship game. (David Rumsey, Front Office Sports)

The big game is set for this coming Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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