JC Latham Speaks on NIL at NFL Scouting Combine

The Alabama offensive tackle was one of the top NIL earners in college football last season, and he touched on the topic during his presser on Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS — JC Latham comes from a new generation of college football players. 

His freshman season was in 2021, a year that saw the sport undergo drastic changes. In late July, Oklahoma and Texas began the process of leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, as they ultimately became two of many programs to switch conferences in the ensuing years. 

The other major change directly impacted athletes as individuals. On July 1, the NCAA lifted its ban on college athletes being compensated for their name, image and likeness. After years of fighting for compensation, the athletes were finally said to receive an opportunity to be paid for their services. 

One of the biggest beneficiaries of this new era was Latham. Although he was only a true freshman when that opportunity first came about, Latham was able to ink an NIL deal right away. Just two weeks after the ban was lifted, Latham and several other Crimson Tide players signed a deal with CrisP Clothing.

Latham's other notable NIL endeavor came two summers later in August 2023. Along with several other Alabama offensive lineman, Latham partnered with Roll Tide Natural Jerky, a local beef jerky company in Tuscaloosa, to help create two new flavors: "Big Man Barbeque" and "Mean Mesquite". 

While Latham had similar NIL deals as his teammates, his valuation was much different. As one of the top offensive tackles in college football for one of the best teams in the nation, Latham's NIL value sat at $693,00 according to On3, which ranked him 53rd out of all college football players.

On Saturday, Latham detailed the effect NIL had on his life and how players needed to balance it. 

"You don't want to have it interfere with your day-to-day life and your routine, so you definitely gotta prioritize it behind the main thing, which is getting an education and playing ball," Latham said. 

Latham also mentioned the social effect NIL has on players, especially ones like him who are worth six figures.  

"It definitely has you grow up. You gotta understand that you're getting more money now, so there's gonna be a bigger target on your back," Latham said. "If you want to create more wealth for yourself and your family, you gotta really understand how to maneuver it and manage it. Definitely puts you in the mindset to really understand what's going on around you and how can you create your wealth early."

At the end of the day, however, Latham seemed thankful for the benefits NIL has provided him, especially in regards to him and others being able to give back.

"Just taking advantage of the opportunity, building up your platform," Latham said. "A lot of guys including myself look to provide for their family and their friends."

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